Kids' Knitting - Cast On - PurlsAndPixels

Your first row

“Cast on” is knitter-speak for putting your first stitches on the needles. There are a lot of different ways to cast on. Here, you’ll learn the “long tail cast on.” It’s called this because you pull a long piece of yarn (or “tail“) out of the ball before you start. Using that long tail, you will make loops that wrap around your knitting needle. These “cast-on stitches” make the base of your knitting project.

Check your knitting pattern to see how many cast-on stitches you need for every new project. Since we will make a coaster first, you can start by making ten (10) cast on stitches.
Grab your knitting needles and your yarn. It is time to cast on your first knitting project!

The long-tail cast-on is a way of creating your first knitted row of stitches. In this kids’ knitting lesson, you will learn the long-tail cast on so you can knit your first project.

Super-bulky yarn cast on to a circular knitting needle, ready to begin knitting a flat coaster.

Below are both video and written tutorials to help you learn how to cast on stitches. Working on the Beginner Coaster? You can check your pattern here.

Kids’ Video Guide: How to Cast On

Cast On for Kids (Beginner Knitting Lesson)

Kids’ Picture Guide: How to Cast On

After you have made and placed your slipknot, follow the steps below to hold your yarn and needles so you can start making cast on stitches. Then, you’ll begin adding cast-on stitches to form your first row.

How to Hold the Yarn for a Cast On

Hold Step 1: Pinch

Hold the knitting needle tip with the slipknot in your right hand. Pinch your left thumb and pointer finger together, holding the other three out.

Knitting needle with a slipknot held in the right hand while the left thumb and pointer finger pinch together.

Hold Step 2: Under

Place the pinched fingers under the ends of the slipknot.

Pinched fingers placed under the yarn strands near the slipknot to prepare for the long tail cast on.

Hold Step 3: Grab

Close your hand over the yarn and grab the yarn with the last three fingers on your left hand.

Left hand closed over the yarn with the last three fingers holding the yarn strands.

Hold Step 4: Rotate

Rotate your left hand so that you can see your last three fingers and spread out your thumb and pointer fingers, so each holds one strand of yarn.

Left hand rotated so the thumb and pointer finger each hold a strand of yarn for the cast on.

Once you are holding the yarn and needles correctly, you will start making cast-on stitches.

How to Make Cast On Stitches

Cast On Step 1: Under 1

Move the needle tip under the strand of yarn that is looped around your left thumb.

Knitting needle tip moving under the yarn strand looped around the left thumb.

Cast On Step 2: Over 2

Bring the needle tip over the next two strands moving toward your palm.

Needle tip moving over the next two yarn strands toward the palm during the cast on.

Cast On Step 3: Grab the Yarn

Grab the second strand of yarn with the needle tip by placing it over the yarn and pulling the needle and yarn toward your thumb.

Needle tip grabbing the yarn strand and pulling it toward the thumb to form a new loop.

Cast On Step 4: Pull it Through

Pull the yarn and needle tip through the yarn loop that is on your thumb.

Needle tip pulling the yarn loop through the loop held on the thumb.

Cast On Step 5: Slide Off Thumb

Slide the loop off your thumb. Make sure to keep the loop on your knitting needle. The loop you just made on your needle is your second cast on stitch.

New cast on stitch slid off the thumb and placed onto the knitting needle.

While continuing to hold the yarn in the same way, repeat cast on steps one through five to make as many stitches as your pattern instructs. For our coaster, stop casting on stitches when you have 10 on the needle.

Up Next

Turn your work. Go to Kids’ Lesson 4 to continue.

Start Lesson 4: Turn (coming soon)

Knitting work ready to be turned to begin the next lesson.

Return to the Kids’ Knitting Guide.

Kids’ Knitting – Cast On