Knitting Editors Share: Favorite Cast-Ons for Go-To Projects

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Do you love to cast on, or is it a task you can’t wait to get over with? However you feel about it, the cast-on is undeniably the foundation upon which the rest of your project is built. It pays to choose your cast-on with care!

Sometimes, as with many lace projects, the simplest cast-on is the best method. But for projects where you want a sturdy, decorative, or stretchy edging, you’ll want to choose a cast-on with a specific effect or look. Our Interweave Knitting editors share their favorite go-to cast-ons for the types of projects they like to knit most frequently.

Long-Tail Cast-On

Tammy Honaman, Interweave Director of Content

My Mom taught me the Long-Tail cast-on method and since then, it’s my go to. It’s also nice as it makes me think of her every time I start a new project.

To me, the trickiest part of the Long-Tail cast on is determining how much yarn to unwind for the amount of stitches you need. I roughly unwind one foot of yarn for every 12 stitches of worsted weight, then go a little longer for bulky and a little less for fingering. There’s a sense of triumph when I get it right the first time. Which means, you guessed it, it doesn’t happen very often! And when it doesn’t work, you have to start over and rethink the math.

If you’re not into guessing or redoing your work, and you’re not up for practicing this easy cast on, estimate 1-2” per stitch, going on the higher side for heavier weight yarn, and you should do okay — and maybe only need to redo the cast on once. Then, take notes and keep them handy! (she says knowing she should’ve done this a hundred times by now).

As my experience grows so does my exposure to other types of cast ons. In the near future, I will likely be faced with a pattern that calls for a new (to me) cast on, like one found in the knitscene Wintertide collection, and I’ll be thankful for all the great resources found right here on interweave.com.

German Twisted Cast-On

Laura Hulslander, Managing Editor

As a sock knitter with challenging feet, I need a cast-on with a little extra give to it or my socks aren’t going to go onto my feet. My go-to cast-on is the German Twisted (aka Old Norwegian) cast-on. It’s pretty similar to a long-tail cast-on, but it’s a bit stretchier thanks to a little extra twist.

It’s firm, but not too tight, making it perfect for sock cuffs, sweater hems, and any other project that needs a more flexible edge. Try it out on your next project!

Alternating Cable Cast-On

Stephanie White, Editor

I knit a lot of sweaters — in fact, I knit almost exclusively sweaters. Which means I knit a lot of ribbing, and sometimes that ribbing needs a nice elastic cast-on so I can push up my sleeves (sometimes I wonder why I knit full length sleeves at all). There are lots of great options out there, but my go-to lately has been the Alternating Cable cast-on.

Very similar to the Standard Cable cast-on, this version alternates knits and purls, so that you’re all set to start in on ribbing. And if you’re working a 2×2 rib pattern, you can just move the stitches around as you knit the first row to create that 2×2 pattern. Magic!

Provisional Cast-On

Jula Pillard, Assistant Editor

I’ve only used a provisional cast-on in my knitting twice, but I have learned how valuable a technique it is. A provisional cast-on is great for projects where you’ll need to graft later, pick up and knit in the other direction, or any time you’ll need live stitches on the cast-on edge. In my case, I was knitting the Ibex Valley Mittens by designer Cheryl Toy, and I decided to use a provisional cast-on for the mittens so I could work from live stitches when starting the liner.

I made a crochet chain with smooth cotton waste yarn and then used a knitting needle and my working yarn to pick up stitches through the back of the chain so the live stitches were attached to the crochet chain, which would be removed later. Using a provisional cast-on made knitting the liners into the mittens much easier, since I already had live stitches rather than having to pick them up from the cast-on edge.

There are a few different methods for working a provisional cast-on, and I’d recommend reading project editor Joni Coniglio’s article on the topic.

Double Chain Cast-On

Joni Coniglio, Senior Project Manager

This cast-on has replaced the Long-Tail cast-on as my favorite (non-provisional) cast-on method. I first encountered the technique in Cast On, Bind Off: 211 Ways to Begin and End Your Knitting, a book by Cap Sease.

Editor’s Note: This cast-on is also known as the Chinese Waitress cast-on. This name is problematic — we simultaneously wish to honor that this cast-on came to the English-speaking knitting world via a Chinese woman (a waitress in Beijing taught Cap Sease’s friend this cast-on) while acknowledging that this name is extremely reductive. Especially in light of recent increases in attacks on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, we have decided to call it the Double Chain cast-on and explain the history of the technique.

The cast-on is very elastic, but not too loose, and the double chain along the lower edge makes it very attractive on both sides. Unlike the Long-Tail cast-on, you don’t need to estimate the length of a yarn tail, which is an added benefit of this method.

The original version involves working with two knitting needles, and some of the maneuvers can be pretty fussy. Fortunately, I found an adaptation by Mimi Kezer online that uses a crochet hook and only one knitting needle, which streamlines the process quite a bit.

Step 1: Make a slipknot on the needle and hold this needle in your left hand. (The slipknot does not count as a stitch.) Hold the crochet hook and working yarn in your right hand, with the hook over the working yarn and under the needle.

Step 2: Bring the working yarn clockwise over the needle and under the hook, then draw the working yarn back under the needle and over the working yarn (Figure 2) — one loop on hook.

Step 3: Bring the hook back under the needle.

Step 4: Wrap the working yarn clockwise over the needle and under the hook and draw the working yarn back under the needle and through the loop on the hook.

Step 5: One loop remains on the hook. (Figure 5)

Repeat Steps 3–5 for the desired number of cast-on stitches. The cast-on creates a chain on both sides of the lower edge.

There’s also a version using two knitting needles!

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That’s a lot of great ways to start your project! Want even more? Here are two resources for casting on. First, we’ve got a free eBook all about cast-ons and bind-offs that walks you through 7 cast-ons. If you’re truly looking for the ultimate resource, check out Ann Budd’s 45+ Knitted Cast-Ons and Bind-Offs online workshop.

What’s your favorite cast-on, whether for all-purpose or specific types of projects? Let us know in the comments! We hope you’ll also give one a try that’s new-to-you, and let us know how you like it.

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Header image from 45+ Knitted Cast-Ons & Bind-Offs with Ann Budd.

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Start Your Project Off Right