How to Begin the First Stitch in Knitting

Loop a short length of yarn through a second circle of yarn as if you were tying a bow in your shoelace. Tighten the resulting slip knot onto your knitting needle. This is your first stitch.

Begin casting on the remainder of your first row by securing the yarn tails (trailing off the slip knot stitch on the needle) with the last two fingers of your left hand. Insert your thumb and index finger in between the two tails and spread the tails apart.

With your right hand, insert the knitting needle up through the loop created by the position of your left thumb, reach through the thumb loop with the needle and snag the yarn tail dangling from your index finger, and pull that tail through the thumb loop making a stitch on the needle. Pull the stitch firmly to tighten it on the needle. Review the attached video to see this process in action. Continue casting on in like manner until you have on your knitting needle the number of stitches your pattern requires.