Craftuary Academy · knitting guide
A knitting cast on puts the first row of stitches on the needle. The long-tail cast on is the one most knitting patterns expect: you leave a tail about 1 in per stitch, make a slip knot, and use your thumb and finger to form each new stitch.
| Cast on | What it's like | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Long-tail | Neat, firm, moderately stretchy | Most projects: scarves, dishcloths, sweaters |
| Knitted | Made by knitting each new stitch onto the needle | Adding stitches mid-row; when you don't know the tail length |
| Cable | Like knitted, but between stitches: firmer edge | Sturdy edges, buttonholes |
| Backwards loop | Fastest, but loose and uneven | Adding a few stitches; children's first try |
Next: the knit stitch, purl and bind off lessons, free beginner knitting patterns and how many stitches to cast on for a scarf.
The backwards loop is quickest to learn but loose and hard to knit into evenly. The long-tail cast on takes a few tries and is the one most patterns expect.
About 1 in (2.5 cm) per stitch in worsted yarn, plus a few inches to spare; more for bulky yarn. Or wrap the yarn round the needle 10 times, measure that, and scale up.
Long-tail is moderately stretchy and fine for most things. For ribbed cuffs and brims, cast on with a needle a size larger, or use a stretchy cast on such as the German twisted cast on.
Width x stitches per inch from your swatch. For example, a 7 in scarf at 4.5 stitches per inch needs about 32 stitches.