Provisional Cast On: Two-Step Method
There are a few ways to make a provisional cast-on. There is the two-step provisional cast-on method (aka Crochet Chain Provisional Cast On) which uses a crochet chain as a base, pictured below, or there is a One-Step Provisional Cast On Method that we tend to use more frequently these days, be sure to check it out as well!
A provisional cast-on keeps cast-on stitches “live” so that they can be knit later. It’s a very useful technique when you’re not sure what kind of edging you’ll want or how long to make something. With a provisional cast-on, you can make these decisions at the end of a project, allowing you to respond to the actual garment. I made this tutorial to go with my 70’s Ski Hat Project Journal, the provisional cast-on is used to make a cashmere lining for the hat.
Here’s our Two-Step Provisional Cast On (aka Crochet Chain Provisional Cast On) tutorial where we show you how we do it…
- With some smooth waste yarn and a crochet hook, chain a few more stitches than you will be casting on. Cut the tail and pull it through the last stitch.
Examining the chain, the front side is made up of V’s.
The back of the chain has bumps in it.
- Insert a knitting needle into each bump on the back of the chain, and using the yarn you are knitting with, pick up and knit however many stitches you’re provisionally casting on.
Then just knit!
- When you’re ready to use the provisionally cast on stitches, thread a knitting needle through the right side of each stitch. It’s like weaving – over a strand, under a strand…
- Then remove the crocheted chain by untying the end and gently unraveling the whole chain.
You’re ready to knit in the other direction!
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So cool! This finally made sense to me!
Thanks for all the cool and useful tutorials!
i’m coming out of the woodwork on this one to say thanks! this is such a great blog (one i check out just about every day!) and truly love everything i find. very inspiring, beautiful, and handy!
Hi, thanks for the tutorial. I have one question/problem; the first stitch that I pick up doesnt make a stitch, just a strand wich confuses me a little. Should i weave it in before i remove the crochet chain or what do i do?
Thank you!
Hi Heidi,
I agree, the first stitch of the provisional cast on can be a little confusing! If you start by picking up the right “leg” of the first “V” and don’t bother with what may feel like the first stitch (that loose strand you refer to), you should end up with the correct number of stitches.
It’s so tricky to explain, so please let me know if this doesn’t work for you, and I can try again!
Thanks for your question and good luck!
Whitney
Dear Whitney,
Thanks so much for this. this is the best. BER
i just sat thru about 10 different youtube videoS trying to figure out how to do this and beginning to feel totally incompetent! I read your instructions once and could do it. THANK YOU!
Just wanted to say thanks so much for posting this!! It's so helpful and the purlbee site is just so pretty and full of good stuff.
Thanks again 🙂
Heather
Hi Whitney,
I want to add my thanks for this very helpful posting! I also have a question: how do you thread the needle through purl stitches? I made a provisional cast-on for knit 2/purl 3 ribbing.
Thank you!
Denise
Hi Denise,
You thread purl stitches the same way you do knit ones. Specifically, you find the right leg of the purl stitch and weave your needle under it. It's a little difficult to explain in words, but I hope this helps! Please let me know if you need more guidance, and I'd be happy to help!
Whitney
Thank you for this tutorial. I would like to know if the row after picking up stitches from the crochet chain can only be a knit row, or if it's possible to have that first row consist of both knit and purl stitches. The pattern I am working calls for a provisional cast on followed by a row of knitting and purling (to begin a cable chart). Thanks for clarifying!
Hi Sonja,
Yes, you can knit, purl or knit and purl the first row!
Thanks for asking!
Whitney
Thank You! This is easier than the other methods I tried- I just couldn't get them to work right. This worked perfectly the first time. Thank you again!
Can you tell me why you would do a provisional cast on.
Hello Rhonda.
There are a few reasons to do a provisional cast on… Primarily it is used when you would like to leave your cast on edge live in order to either graft it to another edge or work in the oposite direction or add a specific detailing to it, etc. In the Everyday Linen Raglan (https://www.purlsoho.com/create/everyday-linen-pullover/) it is used to do a hemmed edge without sewing for instance. -Laura
Thank you!!! I love simple and clear tuts!
I always, always come to Purl Bee first when I need to learn a technique…because I know you'll have a great tutorial with lots of helpful close-up photos. (for instance, I never even try to memorize kitchener stitch – I just have your tutorial bookmarked…) And of course, here is what I needed to know – once again! Thanks a thousand times over, Purl Bee Gang! You gals rock!
I hope this is not a dumb question, but could the provisional cast on be used to join the ends of a cowl scarf so that you don't have to sew them together? I REALLY dislike having a seam on the scarf, so I tried to figure out how to do it with the kitchener stitch on the last one I made, but I didn't know there was such a thing as a provisional stitch at the time, so eventually I gave up.
I'm open to other suggestions (if they're not TOO complicated!) if there's something that would work better.
Thanks so much–I've learned a lot already just by reading the tutorial and comments.
Janis
Hi Janis,
Yes, a Provisional Cast On is a great way to avoid a seam in your cowl! One word of warning is that if you are knitting a stitch pattern other than stockinette or garter, your Kitchener Stitch won't be invisible and you will, in effect, have a “seam”. A good example of a cowl knit with a Provisional Cast on is our Striped Cotton Cowl, right here: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/striped-cotton-cowl/2011/4/10/whits-knits-striped-cotton-cowl.html
By the way, another solution is to knit your cowl in the round with circular needles. Lots of our cowls are knit this way, for example our Garter Gaiter: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/garter-gator/2012/12/6/garter-gaiter.html
I hope this is helpful information! Please let us know if you have any other questions and good luck!
Whitney
Hi! I am using provisional stitches to make a shrug with no seams. (Thank you for the pictures!) When I use them to add the second sleeve (k1p1 rib), the provisional stitches are offset one-half stitch in the opposite direction. Is this wrong? Is there another way around this? Thanks for your comments.
Hi Denise,
Yes, that's true. Like Kitchener Stitch, a Provisional Cast On works best with either stockinette or garter stitch. In the case of a Provisional Cast On, that is because to work in the opposite direction (or “upside down”) you have to work a half-stitch over, as you say.
I don't know of a way around this problem, although I'm sure there's a knitting engineer out there who has come up with one!
Thanks for your question!
Whitney
If I understand the problem correctly (I may not) the problem is that you drop a half a stitch on both ends of the provisional CO (meaning when you “turn around” you will have in essence dropped a stitch.)
The fix that I have found is to cast on one more stitch than actually need and hide it with a k2tog in the second row of your first knitted end. That way when you turn around, you will have the same number of stitches as the rest of your pattern. I’m not 100% sure if it fixes the k1p1 rib sleeve as well but it fixes the other “dropped” stitch problems I was having.
The solution is to use a different provisions cast on – like Judy’s Magic Cast On where the provisional row isn’t one stitch less than the first working row.
Thank you Whitney and Justin on the reply below!
I used the provsional cast on on the Rib-Wise Tank and was trying to enlarge the height after ending it, as it felt too short after finishing. After row 2, I realised the knit stitches seemed twisted and then realised they looked half stitch moved ahead…
I understood it was because of the opposite direction, but found no solution. Even tried knitting on the reverse side, but no good solution.
I think Justin’s instruction won’t help the visual result, as I have the same stitch nr (no problem on that..) and according to you, Whitney, you mention it would work for stockinette or garter… There are no new solutions for this, are there? If not, I am seriously considering going ahead with it, as it is only visible in the side rib pattern. But still it will make the beautiful side rib a bit messy and not so attractive… :'(
I am thinking of trying the extra bottom row in plain stockinette . Perhaps the result improves… I will try and let you know. And if you have any new solutions/ideas I would appreciate it so much if you could share.
Thank you!!
Hi Gisela,
Thanks for reaching out! Unfortunately there isn’t really a way to seamlessly continue ribbing when working down from a provisional cast on, as you are finding out. I often find if it’s impossible to make something look perfect, the best thing to do is something entirely different so it looks like you meant to change the pattern, so your solution of continuing in stockinette or garter sounds like it could work quite well!
Best of luck and happy knitting!
Julianna
Thank you Julianna! ?
I finally decided to go with the Rib 1p 1k for the bottom, as it seemed to be the finishing most aligned with the overall design.
Nothing better than learning from one’s mistakes. Now I know the possibilities of this provisional cast on method ?
Thank you again for all the help and all the beauty and knowledge you share in Purl Soho ?
Thank you so much! It makes sense now!
Hi,
I'm terribly confused about how you inserted your knitting needle into the "bumps" on the crocheted chain. In your pictures, the yarn used to crochet is nude, but after you insert the needle, the yarn becomes orange. Is there a step here that I'm missing? How did you get the orange yarn on the needle? And, when I insert my needle into my bumps, I don't know how to "begin knitting" since there's not a "tail" for me to use, as you do in typical knitting.
I hope these questions make sense.
Thanks!
You did not respond to Mary’s question, above, about how the orange yarn got on the needle, and how to then begin knitting the first row after the provisional cast on since there is no working yarn tail to knit with. Can you explain that as I have the same questions! I know the answer is something very basic I’m just not getting. Thank you!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for writing in. Firstly, you will insert your needle into the spine of the crochet chain (the purl-bump-looking side). Wrap your yarn around the needle and pull it through the bump as if you were making a new stitch. This is called “picking up stitches” and you will do this for however many stitches you need to start knitting your project. I hope this is a bit clearer. Thank you.
Best,
Adam
Hi Mary,
All excellent questions! I can totally see how you got confused, and I have edited the tutorial slightly to hopefully clarify your point.
I never mentioned that you begin to use the yarn you're knitting with when you pick up the bumps! So, you use scrap yarn just to crochet the chain, then you use your "regular" yarn to pick up into the chain and begin to knit.
Does that make more sense? If not, please let me know and I'll try to explain it better! Thanks so much for your question and good luck!
Whitney
Hi Whitney,
I was confused the same way that Mary was, i kept wanting to put the crochet chain "bumps" onto a needle. I finally just held the chain taunt in my left hand and knit my new color onto an DPN. Was this correct?
I am working on the eleventh hour throw. What size crochet hook and provisional yard do you recommend for this technique with that project?
Thanks!
JoAnn
Hi JoAnn,
Yes, you do knit into the crochet bumps with the double pointed needle and the new yarn (if you're working on an Applied I-cord).
For the Eleventh Hour Blanket, you could use a size O (https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/1092-Skacel-Addi-Bamboo-Crochet-Hooks) or size P crochet hook (https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/6175-Boye-Size-P-Crochet-Hook) with a scrap yarn that is about the same weight as one strand of Cascade Magnum (just use one strand of the yarn you used to knit the blanket!). It's very helpful if your scrap yarn is a different color than the yarn you're going to knit with, and usually, a smooth cotton is ideal, but with such a large gauge, that's hard to come by!
Thanks for your questions. Please let us know if you have more and good luck!
Whitney
Thank you so much for this very easy way todo a provisional cast on. I will definitely be doing it this way from now on. Dorothy
Thank you so much! could I use this for toe-up socks?
Hi Carol,
Yes! In fact, I used this very cast on for our toe-up Little Cable Knee Highs: https://www.purlsoho.com/create/2012/11/21/whits-knits-little-cable-knee-highs/
Thanks for asking and good luck with your socks!
Whitney
You website is awesome! I just discovered it and just love the patterns & tutorials, so much better than You-Tube, thank you!!
I have been trying to figure out a provisional cast on technique for ages and kept getting confused , this explanation makes it look easy! now to practice crochet! lol Keep up the great work.
Such a superb idea…Many , many thanks for sharing this
I agree your simple tutorial is much easier than utube! No more intimidation! Thanks!
Thanks for this tutorial! Now I just need to learn how to crochet!
Do I have to use a waste yarn or could I crochet it straight on the needle using the planned yarn as a non-provisional cast on?
Hi Amber!
Using a piece of waste yarn allows you to undo the crochet chain when you’re ready and gives you live stitches that you’ll be able to knit in the opposite direction without a join. The waste yarn essentially holds the stitches until you’re ready to undo the chain and work with them again. If you crochet straight onto the needle, you don’t be able to “unzip” the waste yarn and create live stitches. Does this make sense? It can sometimes be a bit confusing until you have the work in front of you and are trying it, so if you have additional questions, please let us know!
You people rock. I have spent all day searching for a simple provisional cast on. I’ve knitted, I’ve knotted and I’ve become totally confused and fed up. I found a provisional cast on by crocheting around the knitting needle. This is the one I decided to live with. Then I found your provisional cast on. My brain was starting to go there (I can do basic crochet but I am no oficianado). Of course, simple and effective. As I said you people rock. P.S. I didn’t find this on YouTube. I’m going now to have a look.Thanks for everything.
can’t wait to try this method for casting on
This crochet chain method of provisional cast on is easier, and produces better results, than the usual knot cast on using the ‘over/under/through’ method. Thanks for posting it!
like Peta, I have also knitted, knotted, fed and unfed yarn, and got fed up trying to find an easier and better way. I now love you people….. This is sooooo much easier and better. Thankyou 🙂
Can I use this method to make an Afghan
Hello, Linda!
Thank you for your question. You can use this method to make an Afghan, espeically if you are interested in adding a border. Because this cast on keeps cast-on stitches “live” so that they can be knit later it is a useful technique when you’re not sure what kind of edging you’ll want or how long you want to make the Afghan. A provisional cast-on keeps cast-on stitches “live” so that they can be knit later. If you have further questions, please let us know!
Best,
Kumeko
Thank you for passing this along.
Just making sure about picking up the live stitches on garter stitch fabric. Since there is no “V,” do I simply go through what would be the live loop that would have been exposed had I had pulled out the crocheted chain? I’m thinking this is correct but would like clarification. Thanks! (I’m making an 1898 hat and for some reason – neatness? – the pattern says to use a provisional cast-on.)
Hello Barbara,
Thanks for writing us! You should pick up the stitches attached to the crochet chain and knit downward from there. If you are knitting in the round, like on most hats, you should continue knitting the picked up stitches in a purl if you started your first row after the provisional cast on with a knit. This will maintain the garter bump. If you are knitting flat you will purl all stitches, both sides, to maintain the garter bumps and not end up with a line of “v’s”. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
What do you mean by knitting in the opposite direction?
Hello Connie,
Thanks for writing in! When you cast on provisionally you are knitting from the chain upward. When you pick up the provisional cast on stitches to do your edging or your hem you are knitting from the chain downward. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
I’m terribly confused. My pattern asks me to “pick up and knit 34 stitches” from the provisional cast on. Do I just pick them up? or do I pick them up then actually knit them? I have already picked up stiches along one side of the raglan edge and now I’m at the collar – my working yarn is still attached and if I just pick up and don’t subsequently knit, then my working yarn won’t be in the right place. Any advice you can give will be very helpful. Thanks
Hello Joanna,
Thanks for writing in. I’m sorry you are confused with the provisional cast on! “Pick up and knit” means that you insert your right needle into the live stitch, wrap your yarn around the needle and pull that yarn over through the live stitch to create a new row on top of your provisional cast on. If your provisional cast on is already attached to a piece of knitting and the pattern asks you to pick up and knit, you do not want to insert your needle into the provisional cast on. Rather, you will pick up the stitches attached to the provisional cast on and then pull out the crochet chain after call stitches have been picked up. I hope this makes it a bit clearer.
Thanks,
Adam
when you say “Insert a knitting needle into each bump on the back of the chain, and using the yarn you are knitting with, pick up however many stitches you’re casting on.” do you mean, 1) stick needle through bump, 2) wrap working yarn once around the needle, 3) repeat 1 & 2 until you’ve got the desired number of stitches in the working yarn? It’s not obvious from your pictures. A video or more pictures would be helpful. Thank.
Hi there!
Yes, you are exactly right! Make the crochet chain, insert the needle into the spine of the chain and wrap the main yarn around, pulling it through the bump. You’ll “pick up” as many as you need for the project. I hope this helps!
Best,
Adam
Hello,
Just trying to clarify; I’m knitting the Braided Cable Cowl. In that pattern you graft the two ends, one being this provisional cast on, together with kitchener.
When I am slipping the stitches from the cast on onto the spare needle am I just slipping the stitches that were originally picked up in the purl bumps of the cable chain? I’m a bit confused about the weaving part of this tutorial. I loved the video for the One Step Provisional, perhaps one for this Two Step would be useful too!
Thank you so much!
Hi Jenna,
Thanks for writing in! For the two-step method, you are threading your needle through the stitches closest to the cast on. In other words, you are inserting your needle into the stitches that were picked up at the beginning of the project. I hope this clears things up! Let me know if you have any more questions!
-Adam
What a simple clever idea, sadly I am unable to purchase things at the moment as sailing in the Med for the foreseeable future, will keep this in mind and send info onto twin. Love your site and love your things. Great
Is there some reason this doesn’t work if the first row worked into the crochet chain is a k1p1 rib?
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for reaching out! This should work just fine if you start with either ribbing or moss stitch immediately after picking up the bumps from the crochet chain. The provisional stitches might look like they are in stockinette or not match the stitch pattern, but this won’t be a problem when you unravel them to reveal the live stitches.
I hope that clears things up!
Julianna
I just received my yarn for the Drift Vest. It is beautiful by the way.
In getting started to knit the vest, it says to cast on stitches. Do I used the Provisional Cast-On?
Thank you,
Debbie from Ky
Hello Deborah,
Thank you for reaching out and for your kind words! For the Drift we used the long tail cast on.
Happy knitting!
-Marilla
If I accidentally don’t pick up and knit through the right bump (ie one or two go through a different part of the chain) will it be ruined when I get the end of my project and remove the provisional cast on?
Thanks!
Hi Jess,
Great question! Ultimately no, your project won’t be ruined, but removing the scrap yarn will be more difficult if you don’t catch the correct bumps. Although it won’t affect how the stitches look and you will still be able to pick up the live stitches, the scrap yarn won’t easily pull out of the stitches in one step as we show, and you will probably have to unravel it stitch by stitch. You may want to try our One-Step Method instead – it’s my favorite way to work a provisional cast on!
Best,
Julianna
I just tried this and it does not work with K1 P1 ribbing, the crochet stitch will not pull out. I’m doing a rib collar that starts on one side then needs to be picked up on the other side to complete.
It works with just a first knit row but I don’t want that to show.
Hi Jeanie,
Thanks for reaching out! Although it seems like starting with a knit row would show, it actually doesn’t. When you knit the first row after a provisional cast on, the main color doesn’t form any stitches in the fabric below the needle – instead, the provisional yarn becomes the first row below the needle, and the main color just wraps around the needle, ready to go into the second row of knitting. You should be able to knit your first row after the provisional cast on and then move into your ribbing without any issues when you join your collar!
Best,
Julianna
I thought I was clear and had done it right in the past…that is till I hit the thread a needle part.? Over one and under one? So do you mean it is only catching every other bump? Try me again please.
Hi Donna!
Thank you for your comment! The provisional cast on is a way to crochet a chain and then use your knitting needle to pick up all the bumps along the back of the chain to create live knit stitches. You will pick up every bump to create a stitch in each bump, and we referred to this action as similar to weaving because of the movement involved of inserting your needle under the bump and wrapping your yarn over the needle to make a stitch! The advantage of a provisional cast on like this is so that you can come back to these stitches later and pick them up to knit again, like for adding more length to the hem or sleeves of a sweater!
I hope this helps, but please let us know if you have any questions!
Warmly,
Margaret
I attempted the provisional stitch for weeks. Ripped my work 4 times this was to be my last time.
I used a smaller double knitting needle with the plastic between to pick up the bumps on the crochet edge I could pick up about 10. Stitches. It was necessary to pull these stitches to the other needle.Then purled each with my yarn. And the needle size called for in my pattern.. It went fast and easy. So many thanks.
Hi Barbara,
We are so happy to hear that after a few attempts you were successfully able to cast on using the provisional cast on method! I also find it easier sometimes to pick up the stitches by placing them on a needle first before knitting them, so I’m glad you were able to make that work for you too. Please let us know if you have any questions!
Happy knitting!
Carly
Finally!!!!!!!! a provisional cast on that makes sense, and I am not intimidated by. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I get it now.
This is the best explanation I have ever seen of a provisional cast on. Thank you. Easy to see and understand.
Great instructions for Provisional cast on. All others left me baffled and frightened that all my work would unravel.
I am impressed I can hardly wait to try this
Thank you I am 76 and have been knitting since
I was 10yrs old.
I have used this method before, but your pictures and explanation are so clear and easy to understand. I wish I has seen this first. Thank you.
Question: I am using this method ( two step provisional cast on) for the Kit and Caboodle tote. After I complete the provisional cast on using scrap yarn and main yarn, is my next row the set up round in the pattern.. (K1, knit front and back )etc…. or do I have to knit a row first? I was confused as to whether I had already done the set up round with this type of cast on. I know the pattern says to use the one step method and I was not sure if both methods needed a set up round of one row of knitting. Thank you for your help!
Hi Jenner,
Great questions! After the provisional cast on, you will complete the first set up row by knitting before moving on the first set up round in the body. So yes, you will work both in this case. I hope this helps!
All the best,
Gavriella