The cable cast on is a great cast on method to have in your arsenal of knitting tricks, and yet oddly enough, it actually doesn’t have a lot to do with cables at all! The Cable Cast On is a way of casting on your stitches in a way that creates a strong, yet flexible foundation row that works well for edges that you don’t want to stretch out. This method also leaves you with a neat appearance on both the right and wrong sides of your work. Additionally, because it produces a firm and strong cast on edge, the cable cast on is one of my favorite ways to cast on stitches in the middle or end of a row and it also works particularly well on top of a section of bound of stitches, like a buttonhole.

And if you are anything like me, instructions can sometimes tend to turn into a jumbled mess when I am trying to learn a new technique on my own. However, watching the fluid motion of a technique is all it takes for things to click and make sense – which is why we have a video tutorial to help you through your first cable cast on! Like all new techniques, this cast on can seem a bit tricky at first but it is a great cast on to know as every method has its unique advantages.

It is also good to note that the cable cast on will leave you set up to start on a knit row if you are working in stockinette stitch, unlike the long tail cast on which produces the first knit row of stockinette as you work the cast on stitches. And since the cable cast on is a variation of the knitted cast on, you don’t need to worry about fussing with the length of your yarn tail (which tends to be the biggest issue knitters have with the long tail cast on).

What is your favorite go to cast on?