Before you knit, you have to get the yarn onto the needle. This process is called “casting on.” There are lots of ways to cast on, but the most common method is the Long Tail Cast On.

And even under the rubric of Long Tail Cast On, there are several variations! Below you’ll find two: the Thumb Method and the Slingshot Method. They look exactly the same in the end, but perhaps the Thumb Method is a little easier for beginners. Try them both and tell us which you prefer!

Here are our Long Tail Cast On tutorials where we show you how we do it!

Video Tutorial: Long Tail Cast On Thumb Method

Click To See Video Transcript

I’m going to show you how to do a long tail cast on using the thumb method. The first thing you want to do is measure about three and a half times the width of whatever you’re working on. At that point, you’re going to make a slip knot. Draw a circle in your hand with the yarn. Take that strand that’s on top of the circle to the back of the circle.

Then, use the tip of your needle to go under that strand. and gently pull up. You can pull on the two strands coming off of the knot to snug it up to the needle. Make sure it’s not too tight though. This is going to be your first stitch. So now you’re ready to set up for the thumb method. You have your long tail in front coming off the front of your needle and your working yarn attached to the ball coming off the back of the needle.

First just hold that working yarn with the needle in your right hand. Now Take your left hand, and with all four of your fingers, grab that long tail coming off the front of the needle. With your thumb, swoop it under that long tail, and put it out like this. Like you’re hitchhiking, kind of. Let’s do it one more time.

Hold the working yarn with your needle in your right hand. Grab the long tail with your four left fingers. Swoop your thumb under this strand, the long tail, and out like this. Like you’re giving a thumbs up. Then, you’re going to take the tip of your needle to the base of your thumb. Draw it up your thumb, picking up that strand.

Now, you have the needle and your thumb in this loop. With your right hand, take the working yarn and wrap it counter clockwise around the needle. After you do that, take the tip of the needle through that loop coming off your thumb. Let the thumb fall out. And then gently pull the long tail to tighten up that stitch.

Let’s make sure our setup is good again. And take the tip of the needle to the thumb. Draw it up the thumb, picking up that strand. Wrap the working yarn around the needle. Bring the needle through the loop coming off of your thumb. And then gently tighten. Take the needle to the base of your thumb. Draw it up your thumb, picking up that strand.

Take your working yarn, wrap it counter clockwise around your needle. Draw the needle through that loop on your thumb. Let your thumb fall out, and then gently tighten that stitch. So now we have four stitches. Let’s do a couple more. I promise as you do this, the more and more, it’ll get faster and faster.

So, needle to the thumb, up the thumb. Wrap the needle, needle through the loop, thumb comes out, gently tighten.

That’s a long tail cast on using a thumb method.

Step-By-Step Tutorial: Long Tail Cast On Thumb Method

Here’s the same information as our video, but this time shown with still photos and text…

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To figure out where to tie your slip knot, the first stitch in your long tail cast on, first measure out a length of yarn 3½ times the width of what you plan to make. So for a 6-inch wide scarf, measure out approximately 21 inches of yarn, and at that point, make a loop.

Bring the yarn that is on top around to the back of the loop.

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Slide the knitting needle under the yarn that is behind the loop.

Pull both lengths of yarn so that the slip knot is just grazing the needle. Try to resist the temptation to tug on the yarn, making your stitches too snug around the needle. If your cast on is too tight, your first row of knitting will be quite unpleasant and your finished piece will have a taut edge, so be gentle.

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Loop the terminus end of the yarn (the “tail”) around your thumb. The tail should come from the needle, around the back of your thumb to the front of your thumb.

With the tip of the needle, pick up the front strand of the loop in an away-from-you motion (i.e. from front to back), sliding the needle up your thumb.

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With your right hand, bring the yarn that is coming from the ball (the “working yarn”) behind and around the needle in a counter clockwise direction.

Now, with a toward-you motion (i.e. from back to front), bring the needle through the loop on your thumb, allowing the loop to pass over the tip of the needle.

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Slip your thumb out of the loop and pull both strands of yarn to gently secure the stitch on the needle.

Position a new loop on your thumb and continue to cast on in this manner until you have the correct number of stitches. (All patterns tell you how many stitches to cast on.)

Video Tutorial: Long Tail Cast On Sling Shot Method

Click To See Video Transcript

I’m going to show you how to do a long tail cast on with a slingshot setup. The first thing you want to do is measure three and a half times the width of whatever you’re knitting. Two, three, and a half. At that point you want to make a slip knot. Draw a circle with the yarn in your palm. Drag the yarn behind the circle, then take your needle and slip it under that strand.

Use your left hand to pull both strands coming out of the knot to gently tighten the slip knot. Make sure it’s not too tight. This is your first stitch. Now, with your long tail, and front, and you’re working yarn in back, you’re ready to set up your slingshot. 

So we have these two strands hanging from the needle. I’m going to use my index finger of my right hand to hold this in place. Then, take the index finger and thumb of your left hand and separate these two strands. Use your remaining three fingers to grab the strands below. Gently pull back with your right hand, and you have a slingshot. Let me show you that one more time.

You have your two strands, your long tail is in the front, your working yarn is in the back. Take your two fingers, your index finger and your thumb, separate the two strands. With your three remaining fingers, grab the strands below. With your right hand, gently pull back. Now you have your slingshot. 

So we have one stitch already from our slip knot. And now we’re going to cast on additional stitches. To do that, take the tip of your needle to the base of your thumb. Draw it up your thumb, picking up that strand. Then, take the tip of your needle to your index finger and draw it down your index finger picking up that strand coming from your index finger.

Now. Pull your needle through this loop, letting your thumb fall out of the loop. Use your thumb to then gently tighten that stitch. Alright, let’s do that again. Take the tip of your needle to the base of your thumb, draw it up your thumb, picking up that strand. Take the needle to your index finger, draw it down your index finger, picking up this strand.

Now draw the needle through this loop. coming off of your thumb, and let your thumb fall out of the loop. Now use your thumb to tighten that stitch. The more you do this, the faster you’ll get. Needle to your thumb, draw it up. Needle to your finger, draw it down. Through the thumb loop, let your thumb hang, fall out, and then tighten that stitch.

Bring your needle up, bring your needle down, through the loop, tighten the stitch. Let’s do it a couple more times. Take your needle to your thumb, draw it up your thumb, Your needle to your finger, draw it down your finger, through the thumb loop, let the thumb fall out, tighten the stitch.

And that’s how you do a long tail cast on with a slingshot set up.

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