{"title":"How to Cast On Knitting: Long Tail Method for Beginners","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/knitting/how-to-cast-on-knitting","category":{"slug":"knitting","name":"Knitting"},"creator":{"name":"Sheep & Stitch","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXK_Yw8hCF-9oeccQP9Gs2g","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vm6oaYzHyA"},"tldr":"Cast on knitting using the long tail method in 7 steps. From slipknot to first stitches, with the slingshot grip that makes the technique click.","totalDurationSeconds":498,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["10mm bamboo or wooden knitting needles","Scissors (eventually)"],"materials":["Bulky weight yarn (Lion Brand Hometown USA or similar)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Pick Beginner-Friendly Yarn and Needles","text":"Use bulky weight yarn for your first cast on. Lion Brand Hometown USA, Wool-Ease Thick & Quick, or any chunky yarn works - the thick strands are easier to see and harder to drop than fine yarn.Pair the yarn with 10mm needles in bamboo or wood. Bamboo and wooden needles have just enough surface drag to grip the yarn and keep stitches from sliding off while you learn the motions."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Measure a Long Tail","text":"The long tail cast on uses two strands of yarn - the working yarn and a tail. The tail needs to be long enough to make every stitch in your foundation row.The shortcut: measure a tail equal to about three times the width of your finished project. For a 5-inch wide scarf, that's roughly 15 inches of tail. This is where you'll start making the slipknot."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Make a Slipknot and Slide It On the Needle","text":"At your tail measurement point, make a loop with the yarn. Bring the working strand behind the loop so it bisects it, then reach through the loop and pull that strand through to form a slipknot.Slide the slipknot onto your needle and pull the two strands gently to snug it up against the needle. Not too tight - you still want the loop to slide freely along the needle."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Hold the Yarn in Slingshot Grip","text":"Pinch the slipknot against the needle with your right index finger to keep it from rolling. With your left hand, dip your fingers under both strands of yarn and grip them with your bottom three fingers.Your thumb goes behind the front strand (the tail) and lifts up so the yarn wraps around it. Your index finger holds the back strand (the working yarn). The whole grip looks a bit like a slingshot."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Insert Needle Into the Thumb Loop","text":"With your right hand, bring the needle tip down to touch the front of your thumb. Slide the needle up into the loop your thumb has formed - the needle is now inside the thumb loop, touching the strand that runs along your thumb.Keep tension in your left hand so the loop doesn't go slack. The needle should sit naturally in the bottom of the thumb loop."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Wrap the Working Yarn Around the Needle","text":"The strand running along your left index finger is the working yarn (still attached to the ball). Use the needle tip to scoop that strand from back to front, so it wraps over the top of the needle.The yarn now sits on the needle, with the thumb loop still around the needle below it. You're almost there - one move left."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Lift the Thumb Loop Over and Tighten","text":"Use your needle tip to lift the thumb loop up and over the wrapped yarn, then drop the loop off your thumb completely. Pull the tail strand down gently to snug the new stitch against the needle.You just made your first cast on stitch. Repeat steps 4-7 - reset the slingshot grip, insert the needle into the thumb loop, wrap the working yarn, lift the thumb loop over - until you have as many stitches as your pattern calls for."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-19T14:08:19.511Z","published":"2026-04-26T14:09:00.963Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}