It is becoming that time of the year when a lot of seasonal knitters are starting to pick up needles once again and new knitters are tempted to drive right into projects. Which is exactly why we have three new video tutorials to make sure that your projects get started without any problems! This video series is all about different ways of casting on.

Casting on stitches is the very first step in any project – and nothing takes away the excitement for a new project faster than running into somethign new or unfamiliar at the first step of your pattern. Generally, I use the long tail cast on for most of my projects. This is a quick and easy cast on that I find works for a lot of things. However, there are many different cast ons and one of these just might suit your project better than others. Sometimes you need a stretchy cast on, while other times you might need something firmer. Either way, knowing the many different ways of casting on gives you the option of choosing a cast on that best fits your project and its needs.

In our cast on video series, we have three new videos for you! Learn how to do the knitted cast on, which is a flexible cast on that works well with the stretch of knitted stitches and the cable cast on, which doesn’t have a whole bunch to with cables but it does creates a firmer edge. We also cover the provisional cast on, which lets you unravel your cast on edge to reveal live stitches that you can pick up and knit or graft onto another knitted piece.

Out of all three videos, I think my favorite is the provisional cast on – simply because I have tried this cast on countless ways, only to be left with a tangled mess that requires me to undo each cast on stitch one at a time. I never quite got the hang of the part where the instructions tell you to pull your provisional cast on yarn to unzip your stitches – until I tried Kerin’s twist on this technique! You’ll need some scrap yarn, a crochet hook, and the needle you’ll be working with. If it is your first time working a provisional cast on, I would do a couple of practice runs before working it into a pattern. But once you get the hang of this cast on, there are so many creative possibilities.

Find the videos for the knitted cast on, cable cast on, and provisional cast on by going to the Knit Picks Tutorials page or to the Knit Picks Channel on youtube.

Check out the video below to see Kerin’s quick and easy way to create a provisional cast on!