1. Are you new to knitting? Woman’s Weekly’s knitting expert Tina Egleton offers her advice on how to knit if you’re a beginner. In this complete guide, we get you started with the first step of any knitting project,  how to cast on.

Ready to have a go? Follow our detailed pictures below which show you each step in more detail.

Learn how to knit in no time at all by starting with getting  solid understanding of the basics. In this step-by-step guide we teach you how to cast on.

How To knit: Casting on – the thumb method

1. Pull out about 1 metre from a ball of yarn and make a simple slip knot. Place it on needle and pull ends to tighten stitch against needle.

 

2. Insert point of needle under loop on left thumb.

 

 

3. Pass yarn in right hand under tip of needle from the back, bringing yarn round to front and over top of needle. Use point of needle to draw this loop of yarn through loop on left thumb, release loop and pull short end of yarn to tighten stitch against needle.

4. Repeat from until required amount of stitches are on needle.

 Here are two more commonly used methods of casting on:

How To Cast On: Cable method

1. Make a slip-knot at the beginning of yarn. Insert right-hand needle in the stitch on left-hand needle. Bring the yarn around point of right-hand needle and pull through. Place this stitch onto left needle.

2. * Insert point of right-hand needle between last two stitches on left-hand needle. Bring the yarn around point of right-hand needle, pull through and place this stitch onto left needle. Repeat from * until the required number of stitches have been cast on.

How To Cast On: Knit on method

1. Make a slip-knot at the beginning of yarn. Insert right-hand needle in the stitch on left-hand needle. Bring the yarn around point of right-hand needle, pull through.

2. Place this stitch onto left needle. Repeat until the required number of stitches have been cast on.