What is a provisional cast-on?

A provisional cast-on is any method of starting a piece of knitting that leaves the first row of stitches 'live'. Rather than having a cast-on row with a finished edge, a provisional cast-on means that you can pick up the stitches in the first row later and use them the way you would any other row of live stitches anywhere else in your knitting project.

When to use it:

Because a provisional cast-on creates a row of 'live' stitches, you can go back to your first row and use those stitches to do a number of different techniques that require stitches to be on the working needle.

This is very helpful when you need to graft the cast-on edge to another row, if you need to knit in the opposite direction from the cast-on, or if you are knitting something like a folded hem where you need to connect the cast-on edge to a row further up your project.

Other ways to work a Provisional Cast-On:

Like many knitting techniques, there is more than one way to work this cast-on. To see other options, check out our posts about The Daisy Chain Method and The "One Step" Crochet Method. All three versions are completely interchangeable so it's 100% knitter's-choice on which one to use.

INSTRUCTIONS

To watch my quick video reel, see How to Provisionally Cast on using a Barber Cord.

MATERIALS

Everything you need for your knitting project + a barber cord or a spare cable.

If you are using a barber cord, it's helpful to have one that is decently longer than your cast-on is going to be, so that there is extra room at each end. If you are using a spare cable, put end-caps on both ends so that the cast-on stitches don't slide off.

You do not need waste yarn.

CAST-ON

If you are using a flexible barber cord, you can start by tying a knot with your yarn and your cord. If you are using a spare cable, you can use a slip knot or similar to anchor your yarn tail to your spare cable. You don't need to leave much of a tail, because you'll be using the "working end" of the yarn, rather than the tail, to actually do the cast-on.

To set up, you'll want to hold the end of the yarn and your cord/cable in your right hand, with your project needle in between. Tension the yarn and the cord/cable with your left hand, with the yarn on the bottom. If you anchored your yarn with a slip knot, just hold that knot still with your right hand so it doesn't slide around.

To start adding stitches to your needle:

Take your needle down through the middle (between the yarn and the cord/cable), go DOWN UNDER THE YARN, and then back up to the middle.

Take your needle up to the top (above the cord/cable) and go DOWN UNDER BOTH the cord/cable and the yarn, and then back up to the middle.

Take your needle down through the middle (between the yarn and the cord/cable), go UP UNDER THE CORD/CABLE and the back to the middle.

Essentially "under one, under both, under one" is the repeat I say in my head as I'm working this.

Keep repeating these three steps until you have the correct number of stitches added to your project needle. If you are doing this correctly, each repeat of these steps will add one stitch to your project needle, and one stitch to your cord/cable.

Once you have the correct number of stitches cast on, you can either join to work in the round, or turn your work to start knitting.

Be aware that this cast-on can look a little unfamiliar before you start knitting off of it. And the first round of stitches can feel very loose! This doesn't mean you've done it wrong, and once you get going it will start to look and feel a bit more like regular knitting.

REMOVING THE PROVISIONAL CAST-ON

The good news with this method is that there is less work when you're ready to go back and use the stitches from the provisional cast-on.

If you used a barber cord: Stick the end of your needle into the hole at the end of the barber cord, and make sure it's secure. Then you can slide all the stitches off the barber cord right onto your needle!

If you used a spare cable: Simply take the end caps off, and a pair of needle tips to the end, and you're ready to go!

Happy Doodling!

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Blog co-written by Jamie Lomax and Grey Lundy.