What is the long tail cast-on?

The Long Tail Cast-On is a way of getting your stitches on your needle to start a project that, fittingly, uses a "long tail" of yarn to create the stitches.

When to use it

I use this cast-on method for almost everything (as long as I don't need a provisional cast-on). It's quick and, once you get the hang of it, it's very easy. It's also a very common method a lot of designers use in their patterns, so it's super useful to know.

Doodle patterns that use this technique

All Pacific Knit Co. patterns that don't specifically call for a provisional cast-on will use the long tail cast-on method.

INSTRUCTIONS

MATERIALS

The yarn and needles for your project (you don't need anything else).

SET-UP

Step 1: Grab a ball of yarn and find the end. Pull out a length of yarn that is about 1 inch long for every stitch you are going to cast on (or just a really, really long tail if you can't be bothered to measure).

Step 2: Keep the tail of the yarn closer to you, and the ball of yarn further away. In your left hand, have the tail over your thumb, and the end connected to the ball (the 'working yarn') over your index finger. Open your hand so there is a nice space between your thumb and index finger, and hold both ends against your palm with your other fingers.

CAST-ON

With your right hand, take your knitting needle and place under the middle of the length of yarn stretched between your thumb and index finger.

 

Angle the needle up and towards yourself so the tip of the needle comes over the yarn (closer to the thumb).

 

Rotate your left hand away from you, so that you are looking more at your palm.

With the tip of the needle, go in front of the length of yarn going between your thumb and your palm.

Scoop under that bit of yarn, taking the tip of your needle up the length of your thumb, until the needle is pointing upwards again.

 

Rotate your left hand towards you, so your palm is facing more downward.

With the tip of the needle, scoop under the yarn that is coming from your index finger.

 

Rotate your left hand away from you again, taking the loop of yarn that is around your thumb and looping it over your needle.

 

Spread your thumb out again, making the loop on the needle reasonably snug.

 

As you do these last two steps, the tail of yarn should catch over your thumb again, and you'll be back to where you started (except that the needle is now sitting 'above' the yarn stretched between your thumb and index finger).

Note: the first time you do this set of steps, you will have TWO stitches on your needle, and every subsequent time you repeat this set of steps, you will be adding ONE stitch at a time to your needle.

 

Repeat the steps until you have the required number of stitches on your needle.

Note: If you run out of tail yarn to keep going, you'll need to start again. This still happens to me sometimes, and I've been doing this for over a decade.

START KNITTING! 

You can either turn your work to knit flat, or join your work to knit in the round. 

 

Happy Doodling!

 

Blog co-written by Jamie Lomax and Grey Lundy. Yarn used is from Fangirl Fibers.