How to Choose the Perfect Cast-on for Your Knitting Project

Which cast-on method will work best for your knitting project? Find out here!

Do your knitted hats struggle to squeeze onto a head?

Do your knitted socks fail to stand proud and tall?

Do your knitted blankets refuse to lie flat and rebellious curl and twirl in every direction?

I’ve had every single one of these problems! And after close to 20 years of knitting, I’ve come to realize that a common reason for these issues is the cast-on method.

Do you use the same cast-on method for every knitting project? I once used the same method for 99.9% of my projects, and I suspect many knitters do the same.

But while using the same cast-on method constantly is convenient, it’s not always the best idea if you care about how a knitted item acts when you’ve finished it. The wrong cast-on can cause all of the aforementioned problems and more.

The right cast-on, on the other hand, will help contribute to a project’s success.

Two examples:

For a top-down hat, a pattern might call for you to use a cast-on that results in a very small circle of stitches that you will add increases to form the top.

For a top-down sock pattern, you may be suggested to use a particularly stretchy cast-on. This will help your resulting sock be neither too tight around the ankle or calf, nor too loose to stay up.

Read on for many common (and a few not-so-common) cast-on methods. These descriptions include good projects to use the cast-on with and a link to a tutorial, so you can practice the cast-on yourself!

1. Knitted Cast-on

This is the cast-on method I first learned when I took up knitting, and I’ll bet it’s the one you used, too! It’s great for beginners, as you practice the knit stitch while you practice casting on.

You can also use it for casting on a lot of stitches, as long as you don’t need it to stretch. It’s not very flexible. Home decor projects like washcloths and coasters, or flat rectangular projects like scarves and blankets, are perfectly fine for the knitted cast-on.

Below is a demonstration video from Very Pink Knits!

2. Long-Tail Cast-on

This is my go-to cast-on method. It’s stretchier than the knitted cast-on, and once you get the hang of it, it’s easily one of the speediest methods.

It’s not without its disadvantages, though. The biggest is that it can sometimes be difficult to judge how much yarn you must pull out to begin. You can sometimes pull out way too much — resulting in a far-too-long tail — or, worse, too little, which often requires pulling out all the stitches and starting over.

Long-tail cast-on is a great all-purpose cast-on, but I would not recommend it for when you really need a stretchy edge, like a top-down sock or a bottom-up hat.

KnittingHelp.com has a fabulous video to help you get the hang of this cast-on.

3. Backwards Loop Cast-on

I think this is probably the easiest (and quickest) method. However, it has one big disadvantage: the resulting stitches are incredibly insecure. If you’re not careful, you can very easily lose the stitches before you knit them.

The best time to use the backwards loop cast-on is when you need to cast on additional stitches mid-project.

Here’s another KnittingHelp.com video tutorial:

4. Judy’s Magic Cast-on

This is a wonderful way to cast on for toe-up socks!

It’s a little tricky at first, but a good video tutorial will help immensely. The one below, from Knit Purl Hunter, was the one that made it finally click for me!

If you’d like even more great cast-on methods — many of which you may have never heard of! — be sure to check out my post on little-known cast-ons that will blow your mind!

5. Circular Cast-on

If you’re going to knit one of the following:

• A circular shawl
• A circular blanket
• A top-down hat

… this is the cast-on method for you! It’s one of the few cast-on methods that requires a crochet hook, but it’s truly ideal for these purposes.

You’ll see an outstanding video tutorial from WEBS below.

6. Twisted German Cast-on (aka Old Norwegian)

I’ve mentioned a few times that some cast-ons aren’t great for stretchy edges. You might be wondering, “then what cast-on should I use for stretchy edges?” This is your answer!

The Twisted German cast-on superficially resembles the long-tail cast on, but it’s a bit more complex. However, the video tutorial below (from Knitting.com) not only uses large needles and very bulky yarn, but it also runs in very slow motion.

This is the perfect cast-on for top-down socks or bottom-up hats!

I hope you’ll find the cast-on method here that is just what you need to start your next project. May you never have another too-tight hat brim or too-slouchy sock cuffs!