Category: Cast Ons

Long Tail Cast OnLong Tail Cast On

The Long-Tail Cast On is one of the most common and popular cast ons. It is an all purpose cast on that gives an attractive and elastic edge and works in almost every type of project. Because of its structure, this cast on creates the first row of your knitting – which is usually considered the wrong side of the work for stockinette stitch.

As the name implies it starts with a long tail – which can be a challenge for a knitter to figure out how long to make the tail before you start making stitches on your needle. A general rule of thumb for this length is 3 times the length you need to form the number of stitches to cast on. Some knitters wrap the yarn around the needle the number of times that equals the number of stitches. I’ve used both methods and both work fairly well.

The cast on starts with a slip stitch (some knitters omit this step). You then form a “slingshot” by holding the needle in your right hand and using the thumb and forefinger of your left hand so that one of the two strands wraps around the thumb and the other wraps around the forefinger, forming a “Y”. The tail strand should go over the thumb and the working yarn should go over the forefinger.

To form a new stitch, put the needle under and into the loop on the thumb, then go over the yarn on the forefinger and bring the strand through the thumb loop. Drop the yarn off the thumb and gently tighten the loop on the needle. Repeat until you have the desired number of stitches.

There are several variations of this cast on. I have included a link for the Alternating Long Tail Cast on, which provides a way to alternate knit and purl stitches for a ribbing and gives a moderately elastic edge.

Everything About the Long-Tail Cast On

Long-Tail Cast On in Pattern – Alternating Long-Tail CO

Cast On Methods: Cable Cast On and Backwards LoopCast On Methods: Cable Cast On and Backwards Loop

The Cable cast on is very similar to the knitted cast on. It starts the same way as the knitted cast on, where you make a slip knot and place it on your needle and then knit through the loop to form the next stitch. After this step, instead of knitting another stitch and putting it back on the right needle, you insert your needle between the two stitches to form the next loop and then place that back on the right hand needle. You continue making stitches by going between two stitches to make the loop.

Where I use the Cable cast on:

  • When I need a firm edge such as the border on a blanket
  • When I need to add stitches at the end of a row
  • Making a one -row buttonhole

Backwards Loop (e-Wrap) Cast On is a very basic cast on and is one of the cast ons often taught to beginning knitters. It starts with a short tail and a slip knot placed on a knitting needle. You then take the working yarn and wrap it over your thumb , insert the needle under the loop on the outside of your thumb and let it slide off your thumb onto the needle and tighten up the stitch.

Where to use the Backwards Loop Cast on:

This is an elastic cast on that can be used for most projects needing a stretchy edge (hats, gloves). You can also use it to add stitches in the middle of rows (i.e. the underarm of a top down sweater or at the base of the fingers of a glove.) You can also use it to add stitches at the end of a row. The loops between stitches can look sloppy so you need to pay attention to how you make your loops.

Here are links to YouTube videos for these two cast ons:

Knitting Help – Cable Cast On

Refined Cable Cast On

How to Knit: Backwards Loop Cast On

Technique Tutorial: Backwards Loop Cast On (shows how to cast on in middle of stitches)