Provisional Cast On Without a Crochet Hook

There are many ways to make a provisional cast on, but the result is always the same – the cast on edge is not really an “edge”, but a set of live stitches that we can pick up later on.

Many of the ways involve a crochet hook, but not all knitters have one or like to use it. In this tutorial, we’ll discuss a simple way to make a provisional cast on using only yarn and knitting needles.

To cast on stitches using this way, we will need a piece of scrap yarn that is a bit longer than the expected length of the cast on edge.

If you plan to use the open stitches shortly after you cast them on, use a cable part of a circular needle instead of scrap yarn.

No matter which option you choose, this method boils down to four simple steps.

STEP 1. With the working yarn, make a slip knot, and place it on a knitting needle.

STEP 2. Place a piece of a scrap yarn below the needle and at the back of the working yarn. Hold the needle, the yarn tail and one end of the scrap yarn in your right hand.

STEP 3. Take the working yarn in your left hand, and move the yarn to the back of the scrap yarn and then to the front of the needle.

STEP 4. Then move the working yarn over the needle and to the front of the scrap yarn. We’ve just cast on one stitch.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 to cast on as many stitches as you need for your project.

Turn the work and get ready to work the first row. Make a knot or a bow at each end of the scrap yarn to protect stitches from slipping off the yarn.

Watch these steps in a video tutorial:

When it is time to use the live stitches of the cast on edge, undo the bow at one end of the scrap yarn, and slip the stitches one by one from the yarn to the knitting needle.

If you decided to use a circular needle instead of the scrap yarn, the task is even easier – move the stitches from the flexible part of the needle to one of the needle tips.

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