How to Cast On: A Beginner's Guide to Knitting with Jennifer Knits

Ready to learn how to knit? Let's start at the very beginning.

Before you can knit your first row, you need to get your stitches onto your needle.  This is called casting on, and it's the first step in almost every knitting project.  There are many ways to cast on but you don't need to learn them all at once.

In this video Jennifer shows you her go-to method and takes you through it slowly so you can follow along at your own pace.  Pause or replay the video as many times as you need. It may feel a little awkward at first, but once your hands get used to the motion, it gets much easier.

Remember - your first cast on doesn't have to be perfect, you're learning!

Once you have your stitches on your needle, you're ready for the next step: learning the knit stitch.

Happy Knitting!

Jennifer Knits

What You'll Need 

You don't need much to get started - just some knitting needles and some yarn.

If you're brand new to knitting, we recommend starting with a smooth, medium to bulky weight, light colored yarn.  It's much easier to see your stiches while you're learning and you'll be able to see where your needle needs to go.

Shop our Beginner Knitting Essentials for yarn, needles, and everything you need to get started.