Knitwoolf Cast On Cheat Sheet
40+ Knitting Cast Ons For Any Project
This is a labour-of-love-work in progress, so stay tuned for new cast ons being added every week.
I started out just making a summary for myself, after a year of researching all the knitting cast ons I could get my hands on. I wanted to document all of my work, before it was lost forever in my brain’s junk drawer. I decided to make this website in case anyone out there finds some use in it.
Below is a summary diagram of all the cast ons that will be covered. A full, alphabetized list can be found here.
Section 1: Long Tail Cast Ons
All of these cast ons require 2 (or more) tails of yarn, so you must estimate the length of tail needed to cast on the required number of stitches. There are a few methods to do this.
Basic Long Tail Cast Ons
I) Standard Long Tail Cast On
AKA SLINGSHOT CAST ON, CONTINENTAL CAST ON, DOUBLE YARN CAST ON, TWO-STRAND CAST ON
This is one of the most popular cast ons for good reason. It is very versatile, good for many different knitting situations. It can be made more sturdy or more elastic, depending on the project. It looks good on both the front and back side. A great first cast on to teach new knitters. Most other long tail cast ons are variations of this method.
Steps:
- Start in the standard slingshot position with a slip knot or twist
- Go into loop on thumb from underneath
- Reach over and grab the working yarn on the index finger from above
- Pull the working yarn through the thumb loop
- Drop the loop off thumb and gently tighten
- Repeat steps 2-5 for required # of stitches
II) Open Long Tail Cast On
AKA FORWARD LONG TAIL CAST ON
Almost the same as the Standard Long Tail Cast On, but with the twists travelling in the opposite direction. Moderately stretchy, with a neat, sturdy edge that looks good on both sides. Seems to curl a bit less with stockinette than the Standard LT, but honestly, that may have been in my head. I am including it in this list (despite its similarity with the Standard LT CO) for a few reasons. First, the twists travel in the opposite direction, so there is an aesthetic purpose to using it alone or in combination with the Standard LT CO. Second, the motion is different, and so it may be easier for some people to execute than the Standard LT CO, with virtually the same result.
Steps:
- Start in the slingshot position with a slip knot or a twist
- Position the yarn so that the yarn coming from the needle is wrapped around the outside of the thumb, and down into the palm (opposite direction of Standard LT CO)
- Pick up the yarn on the inside of the thumb from underneath
- Reach over to yarn on index finger from above, and pull it through the thumb loop
- Drop yarn off thumb and gently tighten
- Repeat steps 2-5 for required # of stitches
III) German Twisted Long Tail Cast On
AKA OLD NORWEGIAN CAST ON, LONG TAIL TWISTED, ELASTIC LONG TAIL CAST ON, TWISTED LONG TAIL CAST ON, MAINE CAST ON
Incorporating an extra twist in this variation of the basic long tail cast on, making it much more elastic, while keeping the neat, sturdy edge. Extremely versatile and attractive cast on that looks great on both sides, and works for virtually any project, with any stitch pattern. Creates the first row of knitting, so you start on a wrong side row. Probably my favourite all-around cast on that works for almost any project.
Steps:
- Start in the slingshot position with a slip knot or a twist
- Insert needle underneath both of the strands on thumb
- Bring needle down and into the loop on thumb
- Reach over and grab the working yarn on index finger from above
- Bring the working yarn through the bottom x (closest to the needle)
- Drop loop off thumb and gently tighten
- Repeat steps 2-6 for required # of stitches
IV) Channel Island Long Tail Cast On
AKA KNOTTED CAST ON
Resilient, elastic, decorative edge resembling the Picot Cast On. Yarn is wrapped around the thumb 2x, creating bumps or knots along the edge.
Steps:
- Start in the slingshot position with a slip knot or a twist
- Insert needle underneath both of the strands on thumb
- Bring needle down and into the loop on thumb
- Reach over and into loop on index finger from above
- Bring that loop through the bottom x (closest to the needle)
- Drop yarn off thumb and gently tighten
- Repeat steps 2-6 for required # of stitches
Stretchy Long Tail Cast Ons
I) Alternating Long Tail Cast On
AKA LONG TAIL KNIT AND PURL
Variation of the basic long tail cast on, that incorporates a purl stitch. Moderately stretchy, with a neat, sturdy edge that looks good on both sides. Looks great with any ribbing pattern.
Steps:
II) Double Start Long Tail Cast On
AKA LONG TAIL OPEN & CLOSED CAST ON, ESTONIAN CAST ON, LATVIAN CAST ON
Another variation of the basic long tail cast on, that incorporates a modification for the purl stitch, where the yarn is shifted to wrap in the reverse direction around the thumb. Great for ribbing. Very stretchy, with a neat, decorative edge that looks good on both sides. Can wrap around the thumb 2x for a decorative effect similar to the Channel Island Cast On.
Steps:
III) Alternating German Twisted Long Tail Cast On
AKA OLD NORWEGIAN CAST ON, ELASTIC LONG TAIL CAST ON, TWISTED LONG TAIL CAST ON, MAINE CAST ON
Adding a purl stitch to the German Twisted Cast On, making it even stretchier and more invisible with ribbing.
Steps:
IV) twisted Channel Island Long Tail Cast On
AKA Twisted KNOTTED CAST ON
–
Steps:
Section 2: Short Tail Cast Ons
The following cast ons do not require measuring out a long tail. Start with a short tail (5-6 inches so that it can be woven in properly) and a slip knot or twist.
STURDY / RIGID SHORT TAIL CAST ONS
I) Knitted / Purled Cast On
AKA KNITTING ON, PURLING ON
Uses two needles. Usually one of the first cast ons new knitters are taught, because it is just like knitting or purling a stitch. The edge is. attractive from both sides, and is firm, though it can tend to stretch out of shape. Good for adding stitches at the end of a row. Knitting or purling on creates the same edge. Purling on tends to be a bit easier and quicker because of the mechanics of the motion.
Steps:
II) Cable Cast On
AKA KNIT BETWEEN CAST ON , PURL BETWEEN CAST ON
Similar to the Knitted / Purled Cast On, but instead of knitting into the stitch, you knit in between two stitches. Very neat, rope like cast on that is firm and sturdy. Excellent for adding stitches at the end of a row or in the middle of a section of knitting, and buttonholes.
Steps:
III) Alternating Cable Cast On
AKA CABLE KNIT & PURL
Alternating between knit and purl cable stitches, usually done following a ribbing pattern. Very stable, firm edge that is durable and looks good from both sides.
Steps:
IV) Chained Cast On
AKA CROCHET CAST ON
Done using a crochet hook and a knitting needle. Attractive, firm and tight edge, which perfectly matches the traditional knitted bind off. Almost no stretch. Great when both ends need to match.
Steps:
Stretchy Short Tail Cast Ons
I) Backward Loop Cast On
AKA SIMPLE CAST ON, WRAP CAST ON, SINGLE LOOP CAST ON, SCRIPT LETTER E CAST ON
Very simple, very easy to learn, EXTREMELY stretchy with almost no flare, but the first row can be tricky to knit. Excellent for adding stitches at the end of a row, or in the middle of a section of knitting. It takes practice to be able to produce an attractive edge because the loops between stitches can look sloppy. Probably not the best for a large number of cast on stitches.
Steps:
II) Forward Loop Cast On
AKA SIMPLE CAST ON, WRAP CAST ON, SINGLE LOOP CAST ON, SCRIPT LETTER E CAST ON
Very similar to the backward loop cast on, the yarn is held in the opposite direction, creating a different result. The first row is slightly easier to knit, as it is not twisted on the needle. Looks great with ribbing, and has the best elasticity out of all of the cast ons on this list. It boasts maximum stretch, with minimum flare. It takes practice to be able to produce an attractive edge because the loops between stitches can look sloppy. Probably not the best for a large number of cast on stitches.
Steps:
III) Twisted Loop Cast On
AKA SIMPLE AS TWISTED CAST ON
Adding a twist to the Backward or Forward Loop creates a more sturdy, more substantial edge. It retains the elasticity, while making it much more stable to knit the first row, making it a lot easier to create a neat edge. It is more decorative / less invisible than the Backward and Forward Loop cast ons.
Steps:
IV) Slip Knot Cast On
AKA JENY’S SURPRISINGLY STRETCHY SLIP KNOT CAST ON, BUTTONHOLE CAST ON
Very stretchy row of slip knots, that looks attractive from both sides, and is especially good for any ribbing pattern. Incredible stretch, with very low flare, making it especially great for sock cuffs or sleeve edges, or anywhere else where you want lots of stretch, with the ability to snap back into shape. Also works well when adding stitches at the end of a row, or in the middle of a piece of knitting.
Steps:
V) Tillybuddy’s very stretchy Cast On for single and double ribbing
CREATED BY JANE PIMLOTT AKA TILLYBUDDY ON RAVELRY
Extremely stretchy edge, that has very low flare, and looks great on both sides. Consists of pairs of loops and twists. It follows rib stitch patterns very nicely.
Steps:
Section 3: Decorative Cast Ons
STURDY / RIGID Decorative CAST ONS
I) Picot Cast On
AKA KNOB CAST ON
Decorative edge, with little bumps or knots called picots. This is a variation of the Knitted Cast On. The picots are created by casting and binding off extra stitches along the way. It is moderately stretchy, and has a matching bind off – the Picot Bind Off.
Steps:
II) Picot With A Twist Cast On
Adding a twist to the standard Picot Cast On, creating a stretchier edge.
Steps:
III) Double Chain Cast On
Steps:
IV) Button Cast On
Steps:
V) I-Cord Cast On
Steps:
STRETCHY DECORATIVE CAST ONS
I) Lace Cast On
Long, decorative loops created in pairs of stiches. Very stretchy. Good for lace, or edges that will be picked up, or fringed.
Steps:
II) Double Knotted Cast On
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Steps:
III) Two Colour Braied Cast On
Steps:
IV) Three-Colour Braided Cast On
Steps:
V) Twined Cast On
Steps:
Section 4: Circular Cast Ons
I) Circular Cast On
AKA EMILY OCKER’S EYELET CAST ON
Done with a crochet hook. Begin knitting from the center of a piece out. Excellent for hats worked from the top down, shawls, blankets, and bags. The tail is a drawstring, and pulls in the center loop.
Steps:
II) Invisible Circular Cast On
No crochet hook needed. Slightly less bulky than the standard Circular Cast On.
Steps:
Section 5: Provisional Cast Ons
I) Basic Provisional Cast On
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Steps:
II) Crochet Provisional Cast On
Steps:
III) Figure 8 Provisional Cast On
Steps:
IV) Turkish Provisional Cast On
Steps:
Section 5: Tubular Cast Ons
I) Basic Tubular Cast On
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Leave a Reply