Back to Basics: Casting On

For those of you who have never quite got round to learning to knit, or if you just fancy a quick reminder this post is for you!

The first thing you are going to need is some wool / yarn and a pair of needles – the size of which depends on the weight (thickness) of your yarn.

I’m going to use a chunky yarn so you can see what I’m doing more easily. It’s always worth looking at the icon on the yarn label to see what size needles the manufacturer suggests. In this case, it’s a pair of 6mm needles. For those of us who have a collection of old-fashioned UK imperial size needles I would definitely recommend getting hold of a conversion guide to help find the right ones (you can see my trusty guide in the pic)!

Once you have created a Slip Knot on your needle, put this in your left hand and take your other ’empty’ needle in your right.

Knit On Cast On

1. Push the tip of your right hand needle through the centre of your slip knot loop which is on your left hand needle. For those using a knitting rhyme to help remember the steps this is  “In through the front to knit a stitch“.

2. Take your yarn behind the needles and wrap it under and around the right hand needle. You may need to use your left hand to stabilise both your needles! This is the ” “Wrap your yarn around the back to stitch” line of the rhyme.

3. Use the tip of the right hand needle to draw, or ‘tickle’ the drapped yarn through the loop on your left hand needle. This corresponds to “Catch the loop as you peek back through” part of the rhyme.

4. Place the loop you have just made onto the left hand needle. The easiest way to do this is by inserting the tip of the left needle from right to left through the front of the loop you have just made. You should now have 2 stitches (your original slip knot and the stitch you have just made) on your left hand needle. No more rhymes help here I’m afraid – the rest of it belongs to the knit stitch!

 

5. Repeat this process by working into the stitch you have just cast on until you have the number of stitches you need. I’ve made 10 in the picture below.