How to Cast-on: Long-Tail Cast-on

Also known as Continental Cast-on, Double Cast-on.

This is my favorite cast on method, I use it almost exclusively. It creates an even, stretchy edge that works well for stockinette stitch or for ribbing. It's easy to knit from, easy to pick up stitches from, and is probably the fastest cast-on, once you get the hang of it. It's even faster than Single Cast-On when you take into account that this method creates an already knitted row (technically, anyway...but patterns don't count this row).

I usually give myself 12" of tail for every 20 stitches, more generously if it's bulky yarn. Do what works for your tension: Cast on 20 stitches and unravel it to see how much tail you used.

I specify to dangle the tail from your thumb for two reasons: 1) Your tail length will not fluctuate with the needle size, so it's easier to estimate yarn. 2) The yarn on the thumb side will tend to "untwist" as you go, but since it's not attached to the ball end it's easy to reintroduce the twist as you wish.

Tip: When a pattern calls to "cast on loosely"—important for things like sock cuffs and turtle necks—many people like to go up a couple of needle sizes. I like to cast on over two needles held together as one, which is equivalent to an increase of several needle sizes. Of course, anything in between would also work.

[alphonso]

I've watched so many videos on long tail cast on and couldn't get it...until I saw yours. Thank you now it will make casting on much easier.

[TesseractHeartMisc]

I've tried to learn the long-tail cast-on for awhile with no luck until I saw this video; thank you so much! As soon as you explained it once I could get it and it's so simple. Thanks for making this video and explaining it so well!

[BungalowHill]

I also bumbled through a few videos and feared I'd never learn the long cast. Your video saved me! Thank you so much.

[jcfarrell]

Thank you! I've gone through multiple videos & web sites to try to refresh my muscle memory but it wasn't working until you showed how to do it. Perfect!

[MaraMcTavish]

Thank you! This is the only video I've seen where I actually got it right when I tried it myself.

[craftsbytinag]

Just wanted to say thank you so much so many tutorials I’ve watched and been unsuccessful but your video was so clear that I got it first time

[lj]

Thank you...this is the best and easiest to comprehend tutorial I've found.

[jules]

This is so much faster, thanks for the quick and simple explanation!

[arrows]

I love your videos because you explain everything slowly and simply as you go. I get frustrated with some videos where they talk so much just to fill the silence while they're demonstrating. Subscribing to you. Thank you.

[chloeshakespeare]

thanks for making it so easy to cast on, even though I have knitted since I was knee high to a grasshopper i have never been able to cast would lumber my mam with the casting on job, so thank goodness I have eventually learnt!!

[JohanneBrunner]

Finally a cast on video I get! Many thanks!

[sumayyahrashid]

I used to know how to knit until I started to crochet, then I forgot. So now I'm learn in ng again, this video is a good video

[allisonarkush]

Thanks, that was the exact type of video I needed, and well done

[knittinghelp]

Long Tail Cast-on is considered a very stretchy cast-on and advisable for patterns that say to cast on loosely, such as socks.

[llstone]

Thank you for the description about knitting with your thumb as a needle. It is quite helpful to imagine it as such. :)

[triplebeam-dreamer]

I love this method UNTIL I stop casting on before I have enough stitches. Any tips on how to pick it up again midway, for example if I have cast on a few stitches, then have to go do something else and return to cast on more stitches?

[vg]

very helpful. Best instructions i have seen. thanks

[Pandalove]

What do we do after this? This video was very helpful but I don't know what to do next?

[barbarasanders]

How do you keep the tension even as you are casting on? And loose enough to be "stretchy"? I now understand the cast on stitch, thanks to this very clear video, but mine doesn't look nearly as loose as what is shown at the end - it's way too tight, or it starts loose & then gets tight. Am I holding the feeding yarn too tightly, or wrong, or what? Thanks.

[witchmojo]

Good grief, this is a faff! So much easier to just do normal cast-on. This is taking forever to do, such a slow method. Wouldn't do this at all but the pattern calls for it. First time I have ever been called to use it and hope never to have to again :) Still, thank you for a clear tutorial.