Long-Tail Cast On Without a Slip Knot

Whenever we start a project made of soft yarn, especially when this project is worked in the round, it is better to cast on stitches without forming a stiff knot at the bottom of the first stitch.

The slingshot version of the long-tail cast on is just the method to use in this case.

Here’s how it works step by step.

Measure a yarn tail that is around four times as long as the future cast on edge.

SETUP. Stretch the yarn between your left thumb and index fingers and hold both strands with the other left fingers. Make sure the working yarn is on your index finger and the yarn tail is on your thumb.

Place a knitting needle on top of the strand and push it down to pull the strand so that it forms a V-shape.

STEP 1. Insert the tip of the needle from the bottom up into the loop formed around your left thumb.

STEP 2. Pick the working yarn from right to left and pull the yarn through the loop.

STEP 3. Take your thumb out of the loop and put it into the space between the working yarn and the tail.

Stretch your thumb and index fingers to pull the strands apart and tighten the bottom of the new stitch.

Repeat steps 1–3.
At first, you will form two stitches, and then you will be adding one stitch at a time.

Watch these steps in a video tutorial:

To make the cast on edge more elastic, align two knitting needles and use them as one when you cast on stitches using this method.

Once you make all stitches you need, ease one needle out and start to work on the project.

After a few rows or rounds, you will see that the cast on edge is more relaxed than the edge formed when we cast on stitches with one needle.

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