How to Knit a Cable Cast On

The cable cast-on actually has nothing to do with cables. It is a loose and stretchy cast-on that is great for large lengths of cast-on stitches or for buttonholes. It is done much like the knitting-on or crochet cast-on, but done by working in between two stitches rather than knitting into the stitches.

Instructions

1. Create a slip knot. Do this by wrapping the end of the yarn around your fingers once leaving a tail of yarn to weave in later. Pull the yarn up through the loop, and pull on the two ends of the yarn. This will give you a slip knot.

2. Put the slip knot on the needle that will go in your left hand.

3. Insert the needle into the slip knot, and do a knit stitch. Leave the slip knot on the left-hand needle. You will have a stitch on both needles.

4. Put the new stitch onto the needle in your left hand. Make sure that the stitch is placed on the needle knit wise. Both of the stitches you have made are now on the same needle.

5. Slip the needle that is free of stitches in between the stitches on the other needle and under the needle.

6. Wrap the yarn like you normally would for a knit stitches, and pull the stitch between the two stitches to the front of the needle.

7. Place the new stitch on the needle in your left hand with the other stitches. Make sure to place the stitch knit wise on the needle.

8. Repeat steps 5 through 7, using the last two stitches on the needle until all of the stitches are cast on.