How to Cast On: 4 Easy Methods Every Knitter Should Know

The long tail cast on is the method most knitters use most of the time. You make a slip knot, hold the tail and working yarn over your thumb and index finger, and scoop stitches onto the needle. It gives a neat, slightly stretchy edge that works for almost everything. The knitted, cable and backwards loop cast ons cover the rest.

By the Knit&Note team

Every knitting project starts the same way: with nothing on your needle. Casting on is how you get that first row of stitches in place, and it is the very first thing a pattern asks you to do.

There are dozens of cast on methods. You do not need dozens. You need one good all rounder and a few specialists, and that is exactly what this guide covers: the long tail cast on as your main method, plus the knitted, cable and backwards loop cast ons for the situations where they shine.

Long tail cast on: the one to learn first

If you only learn one cast on, make it this one. The long tail cast on is fast once your hands know it, and the edge it makes is neat, even and slightly stretchy. That combination suits sweater hems, sock cuffs, hats, scarves, almost anything.

Pull out a tail of yarn. A rough rule: about three times the width of what you are casting on, plus a bit extra for safety.
Make a slip knot at that point and put it on your needle. This counts as your first stitch.
Hold the needle in your right hand. With your left hand, catch the tail over your thumb and the working yarn over your index finger, and hold both strands in your palm. Your hand makes a kind of slingshot shape.
Bring the needle up through the loop on your thumb.
Catch the strand on your index finger and pull it back through the thumb loop.
Drop the thumb loop and gently snug the new stitch up to the needle. Not tight. Just settled.
Repeat until you have the number of stitches your pattern calls for.

The motion feels awkward for the first twenty stitches and automatic for the rest of your life. Keep the stitches relaxed on the needle. A cast on that is hard to knit into on row one was cast on too tightly.

The one real drawback is guessing the tail length. Run out ten stitches from the end and you start over. If that keeps happening, estimate generously, or cast on from two balls of yarn and cut the second one away afterwards.

Knitted cast on: beginner friendly and logical

The knitted cast on uses the knit stitch itself to make new stitches, which makes it a lovely first method if you are brand new. You practice the knit motion before you have even started row one.

Make a slip knot and place it on your left needle.
Knit into that stitch as normal, but do not drop the old stitch off the left needle.
Take the new loop from your right needle and place it back onto the left needle.
Repeat, always knitting into the newest stitch.

No tail to measure, and you can cast on hundreds of stitches without worrying. The edge is a little looser and less tidy than long tail, which is why most knitters move on once long tail clicks. But it never stops being useful: it adds stitches mid project too, for example at an underarm.

Cable cast on: firm and polished

The cable cast on is the knitted cast on's sturdier sibling. The only difference is where you insert the needle.

Start as for the knitted cast on, with a slip knot and one knitted on stitch, so you have two stitches.
Now insert the right needle between the last two stitches on the left needle, not into a stitch.
Wrap the yarn, pull a loop through the gap, and place it on the left needle.
Repeat, always going between the two newest stitches.

The result is a firm, rope like edge with very little stretch. That is a feature, not a flaw: use it where you want structure and a crisp line, like button bands, bag edges, or the start of a sturdy ribbed hem that must not flare. Avoid it where you need stretch, like a sock cuff.

Backwards loop cast on: the quick fix

The backwards loop is the simplest cast on in existence: you twist a loop of yarn around your thumb and slide it onto the needle. That is the whole technique.

Hold the yarn and wrap it around your thumb, back to front.
Insert the needle into the loop and slide it off your thumb.
Tug lightly. Repeat.

So why is it last on the list? Because the edge it makes is loose, uneven and a bit of a pain to knit into on the next row. You would rarely start a whole project with it. Where it earns its place is mid project: casting on a few stitches over a buttonhole, bridging an underarm, or adding steek stitches. Quick, low bulk, done.

In the Knit&Note app

In the Knit&Note pattern reader, techniques like these are tappable right where they appear in your pattern. Tap "cast on 8 sts" at the underarm and you get a short explanation and a video, without leaving your place in the pattern. The counter keeps track of your rounds while your hands do the work.

Which cast on should you use?

Pattern does not say: long tail. It is the default for a reason.
You are brand new: knitted cast on first, then graduate to long tail.
You need a firm, non stretchy edge: cable cast on.
You need a few stitches mid row or mid round: backwards loop.
Pattern names a specific method: use that one. Designers usually have a reason, often about stretch.

And if you are somewhere in between, swatch it. Cast on twenty stitches each way and look at the edges. Your eyes will tell you faster than any table.

FAQ

How long should the tail be for a long tail cast on?

About three times the finished width of your cast on edge, plus 15 cm or so to spare. Thicker yarn needs more. When in doubt, add extra. A too long tail is wasted yarn; a too short tail is a restart.

Why is my cast on edge so tight?

Most knitters snug each new stitch too hard against the needle. Let the stitches sit relaxed, or cast on over a needle one size larger and switch to the right size on row one.

Which cast on is the stretchiest?

Of these four, long tail is the stretchiest everyday option. If you need serious stretch, for example for a toe up sock bind off or a very snug cuff, look up the German twisted cast on, which is a long tail variant with extra give.

Does the slip knot count as a stitch?

Yes, in all the methods described here. If you dislike the little knot in the corner of your work, the long tail cast on can be started with a plain loop instead, but as a beginner you can safely ignore that refinement.