About casting on

This comes prior to knitting your first row of any project. While there are many ways to cast-on, the “longtail cast-on” explained in this guide is the most popular in modern knitting patterns, and it provides a springy base that makes your first row of knitting much easier than with other cast-ons. “Cast-on” can be used as a verb: “I can’t wait to cast-on this sock!” or a noun; “The is my favorite cast-on because it creates a nice, stretchy edge!”

Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

• Putting too tight on the working yarn once the cast-on stitch is on the needle. It’s important to allow your cast-on to be loose enough that during your first row of knitting, it won’t be difficult to get the needle through the cast-on stitch loops to make each stitch. This relates to tension in knitting, which is a concept you will grow to understand over time, but for now, pull just enough that the cast-on stitch is not hanging loose, but the stitch is making contact with the needle all around rather than leaving air gaps. To check, look at your working yarn–the loose yarn hanging from your project. Does the natural thickness of the yarn appear the same thickness as the yarn around your needles? It should look about the same, though perhaps slightly more taut.
• Expecting to remember this cast-on the first time: Bookmark this page and return to it as needed. It’s a step you only do once every project and it’s natural to forget it once in a while.