Creative cast-ons
Discover new ways to get started.
The first cast on most knitters learn will either be the thumb cast on or the knitted-on cast on. The former is an ideal cast on for beginners. Using one hand and one needle, it is easy to work and has a flexible edge, which means it can be used for a variety of projects, and at the same time it’s gratifyingly neat. The knitted-on cast on is not such a great choice. Using two needles and simply pulling new stitches out of old ones, it creates a fairly rigid edge, and many knitters will remember the slight triangular shape it gave to their first projects, with a lower edge that pulled in too much. Thankfully, there are literally dozens of other cast ons, which create a myriad of effects at the edge of your knitting. Turn over for three of the most useful to add to your skills…