How to: Knitted Cast On & Cable Cast On

The Knitted Cast On

The knitted cast on is a short-tail cast on and can be used at the beginning of a project or in the middle or at the end of a row to add more stitches. It is similar enough to the knit stitch that it is great if you already know the knit stitch, or as a way to learn the knit stitch.

 

Step-by-Step written instructions with pictures:

Set up: Start with a slip knot on the left needle.

1. Insert your right needle tip into the slip knot "stitch" from the front under the front leg, ending up with the right needle behind the left needle.
2. Wrap your yarn counterclockwise around the right/back needle so that the yarn ends up between the needles.
3. Using the right needle tip, draw the yarn through the stitch to the front, to create a new stitch on the right needle.
4. Pick the new stitch up off the right needle with the left needle tip from underneath the stitch.
Repeat steps 1-4 to cast on as many stitches as necessary. If you leave your right needle tip in the new stitch after step 5, you will only need to repeat steps 2-4 as your needle is already in place.

The Cable Cast On

The cable cast on starts the same way as the knitted cast on, and is great for more structured edges. Again, it has a similar motion to the knit stitch, but in this one we will be creating new stitches from between the most recent two stitches, instead of from the last cast on stitch. It can also be used for short-tail starting cast ons, or mid-row cast ons.

 

Step-by-Step written instructions with pictures:

Set-up: make a slip knot close to the end of your yarn and put it on your left needle tip.



FIRST NEW STITCH
Step 1. Insert your right needle tip into the slip knot "stitch" from the front under the front leg, ending up with the right needle behind the left needle.



Step 2. Wrap your yarn counterclockwise around the right/back needle so that the yarn ends up between the needles.



Step 3. Using the right needle tip, draw the yarn through the stitch to the front, to create a new stitch on the right needle.



Step 4. Move the new stitch from right needle to left needle, with the needle tips facing each other.



ALL OTHER NEW STITCHES

Step 1. Insert the right needle tip IN BETWEEN the last two stitches on the left needle.



Step 2. Wrap your yarn counterclockwise around the right/back needle so that the yarn ends up between the needles.



Step 3. Using the right needle tip, draw the yarn between the stitches to the front, to create a new stitch on the right needle.



Step 4. Move the new stitch from right needle to left needle, with the needle tips facing each other.



Repeat these steps 1-4 to cast on as many stitches as necessary.