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February 03, 2022
The Long Tail Cast-on method is a classic knitting technique that’s known for its speed and stretchiness. It's one of the most popular ways to teach new knitter's to cast on, and for good reason!
This method uses a long tail of yarn along with one needle and your hand to establish the stitches that you’ll knit from. The Long Tail Cast-on is structurally identical to a backwards loop cast on plus a row of knitting, making it sturdier and less prone to stretch out as you knit than a simple loop cast on. You can use the Long Tail Cast-on for just about any knitting project. If you’re just learning how to cast on and knit, the Long-tail cast on is an indispensable skill for your toolkit!
The long tail cast-on is worked onto one needle. If you're using circular needles hold one tip in the right hand and let the other dangle.
Video
Step-by-step tutorial
Set up for Long Tail Cast-on
Pull a length of yarn from the ball.
Getting just the right length of tail can be tricky, but it’s better to have more yarn than not enough! To estimate the yarn tail length, measure out about 1" / 2.5cm per cast-on stitch in worsted weight yarn. You’ll need a little less in thinner yarns, a little more in chunkier yarns. An alternative rule of thumb is to use 3 times the width of the project you're casting on for, plus about 6" / 15cm extra.
Make a slipknot and place it on the right-hand needle (easier for beginners) OR lay the yarn over the right needle without a slipknot.
The ball end of the yarn should be away from you and the tail end closer to you.
Holding the needle in your right hand, use your left hand to grasp the two tails hanging from the needle. Insert your left index finger and thumb between the tails.
Open your index finger and thumb, letting the yarn slide down onto your thumb and finger to create the “slingshot” or a V shape. You’ll return to this hand and yarn position after each cast-on stitch.
Cast on with Long Tail Cast-on method
Step 1. Bring the right needle tip slightly towards you, then insert it into the left thumb loop from below.
Step 2. Grab the strand from your index finger with the right needle, from right to left.
Step 3. Draw the index finger strand down through the loop on your left thumb.
Step 4. Release the yarn from your left thumb.
Step 5. Use your thumb to tighten up the stitch and return to the slingshot position.
Repeat steps 1–6 to continue the Long Tail Cast-on until all of your stitches have been cast on.
Learning how to cast on for knitting is one of the very first things you learn as a knitter, and the Long Tail Cast-on is a versatile and easy method that’s perfect for hats, shawls and sweaters.
Tips:
- Avoid pulling the yarn too tight when casting on so the bottom edge of your project doesn't pull in and pucker. Make sure your stitches can move smoothly and easily on the needle, and aim for about a needle's width of space between each cast-on stitch.
- For a very stretchy cast-on space the stitches further apart.
- For looser stitches that are easier to knit into on the next row, try casting onwith a larger needle, or both of your needles held together.
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Free resources
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KALS, step-by-step pattern guides and free patterns
Learn brioche with the free Daniel's Hat pattern
Tombreck - a free chevron beanie pattern
Working the brioche neck detail on the Polwarth sweater
Inverleith t-shirt knitalong
Basics
Casting on
Long Tail Cast-on
Alternating Cable Cast-on
Crochet Provisional Cast-on
Garter Tab Cast-on for shawls
Tubular Cast-on for ribbing
Decorative Channel Island Cast-on
Disappearing Loop Cast-on
Binding off
Tubular Bind-off for ribbing
3 Easy Stretchy Bind-offs(p2tog bind-off; k2togtbl, k1 bind-off; Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind-off)
Tubular Bind-off for brioche stitch
Increasing
Paired increase methods compared
Lifted increases
Yarn overs
Decreasing
Cabled decreases
Brioche stitch double decreases
Twisted decreases
Knitting in the round
How to Knit in the round
How to Knit in the round using Magic Loop
How to Knit in the round using DPNs
Short rows
Wrapless short rows
Swatching and gauge
Gauge 101
How to knit a swatch
Swatching in the round
Swatching in pattern
Tips and tricks
Avoiding ears when binding off
Tighter purl stitches for neater cables and ribbing
One row buttonholes
Cabling without a cable needle
Reading knitting patterns
How to read a knitting chart
Understanding "continue in pattern"
Understanding pattern repeats
Finishing
Weaving in ends
How to block a shawl
How to block a hat
Garmentknitting
How to swatch for a sweater
Joining the body and sleeves on a seamless bottom up sweater
Sizing
Choosing a size
Inclusivegarment knitting
How to pick a garment without a model for you(specifically addresses finding garment patternswhen your gender identity isn't represented and the styles you want to knit might not be sized to fit your body)
How does ease affect inclusive size ranges?
Specific stitch patterns
Lace
Identifying and fixing mistakes in lace knitting
Colourwork
Getting started with stranded colourwork
Understanding colour dominance
Crochet steeks
Choosing colours
Working stranded colourwork over small circumferences
Decreases in stranded colourwork
Holding the yarn for stranded colourwork
Ladderback Jacquard (a neat way to deal with long floats)
Cables
Cabling without a cable needle
Cabling without a cable needle on the wrong side
Twisted decreases
How to knit cabled decreases
Closed ring cable increases and decreases
Brioche
How to work brioche stitch in the round
Other crafts
Cross stitch
How to begin your first large cross stitch project
How to finish a cross stitch project with an embroidery hoop frame
Mending
How to darn with Arounna Khounnorag of Bookhou