A guide to provisional cast-ons

A provisional Cast-on is a temporary way of casting on stitches that enables you to go back and work on these ‘live’ stitches later. They have a multitude of uses: for knitting something onto them such as a neckband or an i-cord; for creating a folded hem; for grafting the stitches together with another set of live stitches; or for creating symmetrical pieces that are started in the middle, such as a lace shawl. 

By undoing or ‘unzipping’ your provisional cast-on, you’ll have a set of live stitches on which to work in the opposite direction, and the join where the two directions of fabric meet will be smooth and invisible.

Crochet provisional cast-ons are commonly used, as they’re quick to work and give a nice ‘zip’ edge to undo once you’re ready to work back on the live stitches. You can create a provisional cast-on by crocheting a chain, then using a knitting needle to pick up stitches in the back of the crochet chain.

You can also use a crochet hook to work your provisional cast-on stitches straight on to your knitting needles, and we examine both methods below. Because crochet chains will only unzip in one direction (starting at the opposite end from where you did your initial slip knot), it can be helpful to identify this end – either by placing a stitch marker in the final stitch, or by tying a knot in the yarn tail at the end of the chain.

We’ll also look at two other methods: the long-tail provisional cast-on, which uses a tail of waste yarn alongside your project yarn, and Hazel Tindall’s ‘afterthought’ knitted method.

How to work the crochet chain method: step-by-step instructions

This technique involves crocheting a chain then picking up stitches on the underside.

Step 1

Using a smooth yarn, crochet a chain at least 5 or 6 chains longer than the number of stitches you’ll need for your cast-on.

Step 2

Place a stitch marker in the final stitch. Turn the crochet chain over – you’ll be picking up stitches into the little bumps on the bottom side of the chain.

Step 3

Insert your knitting needle into the first bump on your chain.

Step 4

Wrap your project yarn around the needle and pull through the crochet chain onto the needle, forming your first stitch.

Step 5

Continue in this way, picking up stitches until you have the desired number. 

Step 6

When you come to ‘unzip’ your cast-on, follow steps 7 and 8 as for the next method. 

How to work a crochet provisional cast-on around a knitting needle: step-by-step instructions

This method uses a crochet hook to create provisional cast-on stitches onto a knitting needle. It can feel a little fiddlier to work than the crochet chain method, however. 

Step 1

Make a slip knot in waste yarn and place it on a crochet hook. Hold the knitting needle in your left hand and the hook in your right. Tension the yarn in your left hand so it is around your little finger and over the index finger. 

Step 2

Keeping hold of the yarn tail, take the hook over the needle and underneath the working yarn. 

Step 3

Catch the yarn on the hook and draw it through the slip knot. 

Step 4

Manoeuvre your index finger so the working yarn is now behind the needle once again.

Step 5

Catch the working yarn again once more and draw the loop through the stitch on the hook.

Step 6

Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the desired amount of stitches have been cast on.

Step 7

Then continue to work a crochet chain of 5 or 6 stitches and fasten off. This marks the end you need to ‘unzip’ from later. 

Step 8

Picking up the live stitches
Undo the fastened-off loop at the end of the crochet chain and gently pull the end of the yarn until the chain stitches start to come apart. 

Step 9

As each live stitch becomes free, slip it purlwise on to your working needle, until all stitches have been slipped and the waste yarn has been removed. 

How to work a provisional cast-on over waste yarn: step-by-step instructions

This is an easy and fun technique that’s similar to the long-tail cast-on method. When you come to unravel the cast-on at the end, you can just slip the live stitches straight on to your knitting needle and pull the waste yarn tail out. 

Step 1

Holding both the main yarn and the waste yarn together, tie a slip knot and place it onto the knitting needle. Hold the needle in your right hand with the tip pointing to the left, and hold the yarn strands as if you were going to work a long-tail cast-on, with the waste yarn going over your index finger and the working yarn over your thumb. This slip stitch does not count as a stitch.

Step 2

Point the needle down between the two strands and bring it towards you, picking up the working yarn.

Step 3

Take the needle back, up and over both strands of yarn (one stitch is now cast on)…

Step 4

…then around behind them and underneath towards you.

Steps 5 + 6

Finally bring the needle back up behind the waste yarn, catching the working yarn on the needle to make a second stitch.

Step 7

Repeat steps 2-6 until the desired amount of stitches have been cast on.

Step 8

Turn the needle so it is in your left hand, ready to work across the stitches. Make sure the waste yarn is hanging over the working yarn as shown.

Steps 9 + 10

Knit across the stitches using the working yarn to complete the first row, excluding the slipped stitch at the end of the row. Continue to work as stated in your pattern on these stitches. 

Step 11

Picking up the live stitches
When you come to remove the waste yarn, you’ll find you can just pull from one end. However, I would recommend first slipping the live stitches on to your knitting needle so they are all safe and secure before taking the yarn out. 

You’ll notice that every other stitch is twisted from this cast-on – you can either sort this out when you slip the stitches, by alternating slipping them knitwise or purlwise, or else you can work every other stitch into the back loop when you come to work across them in the following row, which is slightly less fiddly.

Step 12

The live stitches are ready to be worked. In our photograph, they have all been slipped purlwise. 

How to work Hazel Tindall’s method: step-by-step instructions

If you’d prefer not to use a crochet hook, Shetland knitting expert Hazel Tindall recommends a nifty method. It involves knitting a few rows using waste yarn, then knitting a row in a strong, smooth cotton yarn – like you would for an afterthought heel or pocket. This thread is pulled out later to reveal the ‘live’ stitches. 

Note that you’ll be picking up one less stitch than you originally cast on, because you’ll be picking up the bumps in the space between the stitches, so remember to factor this in when casting on with your waste yarn.

Step 1

Using any waste yarn, cast on one more stitch than the total number you require for your project, then knit a few rows. 

Step 2

Change to a smooth cotton yarn and work one row.

Step 3

Change to your project yarn, and work following your pattern instructions.

Step 4

Your finished work will contain a row worked in the cotton yarn.

Step 5

The back of the work will have a row of bumps in your project yarn, sandwiched between the cotton stitches – you will be picking these up next.

Steps 6 + 7

Hold your work with the waste yarn section at the top, and the project yarn section at the bottom. Using your knitting needle, pick up the first line of bumps in your project yarn, going from top to bottom through each bump.

It can be helpful to use a thin knitting needle for this stage, and change to your project needles when you come to work on the live stitches. 

Step 8

Once all the stitches are on your needles, pull firmly on the cotton thread to remove it. The waste yarn section will fall away, and your live stitches will be on your needles ready to be knitted.

Create temporary edges with these four provisional cast-off methods

Now you’ve mastered this technique, you can use it on all sorts of knitting projects where you want to go back and work on your ‘live’ stitches later.

Boost your knitting skills with Simply Yarn!

Inspired to learn more knitting techniques and get great results? Explore our expert guides on Simply Yarn! Useful tutorials include Judy’s Magic Cast-on and the German Twisted Cast-on.

Read more:

• Learn the Italian cast-off method
• How to add zips to your handknits
• 130+ knitting stitches for beginners and beyond