The knitted cast on is handy because it is quick and it doesn’t use a tail – like the long tail cast on – so you don’t have to worry if you have a long enough tail to complete the cast on.
As implied by its name, a knitted cast on stitch is very similar to a regular knit stitch except that you transfer the newly created stitch back to the left needle, rather than sliding the old stitch off the left needle.
In this video, I demonstrate how to do the knitted cast on in both Continental and English styles.
How to knit the Knitted Cast On
- Start with a slip knot or my “no knot” method (leave a 6″ tail so you have enough to sew it in later)
- Insert your right needle into the slip knot and knit but don’t slide the old stitch off the left needle
- Instead, transfer the new stitch to the left needle by:
- Inserting the left needle into the new stitch from the front and below
- Sliding the new stitch from the right needle to the left needle (Now you have 1 more stitch on the left needle and no stitches on the right needle)
- Repeat steps 2 & 3 until you have the desired number of stitches.
Tips
- If you pulled your last cast on stitch tight, it might be hard to find it because it kind of crosses over the stitch below it. Gently pick at the top 2 stitches until you find the stitch that’s attached to the working yarn. That will be the first stitch to work into for your row.
- If using the knitted cast on to add stitches in the middle of a row, you need to:
- Turn your work (like your knitting the next row – but you’re not)
- Start the cast on with the last stitch you knit
- Cast on the specified number of stitches
- Turn your work and continue knitting the row or round
- For a slightly more decorative edge, check out my Cable Cast On tutorial. It is worked very similar to the knitted cast on but gives a sturdier and prettier edge.
Want to Try it in a Project?
This cast on is the one I recommend to use for the Keavy Pullover, one of the projects in the Knit Along Club, where we will guide you through every step of the pattern with written, photo, and video tutorials similar to this one.
If you are the kind of knitter who wants to finish projects faster with fewer mistakes, then join me in the Knit Along Club and take your knitting to the next level!