Provisional Cast-On Tutorial

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.

There are a few ways to make a provisional cast-on. This is my favorite...

• 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 pick up however many stitches you're casting on.

Then just knit!

• When you're ready to use the 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!

Comments

[Coley]

So cool! This finally made sense to me!

Thanks for all the cool and useful tutorials!

[melissa]

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!

[Heidi]

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!

[purlbee]

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

[BERMD]

Dear Whitney,

Thanks so much for this. this is the best. BER

[beth]

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!

[Heather]

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

[Denise]

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

[purlbee]

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

[Sonja]

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!

[purlbee]

Hi Sonja,

Yes, you can knit, purl or knit and purl the first row!

Thanks for asking!
Whitney

[Debbie]

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!

[Rhonda Bailey]

Can you tell me why you would do a provisional cast on.

[purl bee]

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 (http://www.purlbee.com/everyday-linen-pullover/) it is used to do a hemmed edge without sewing for instance. -Laura

[Kerstin]

Thank you!!! I love simple and clear tuts!

[Abby]

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!

[Janis]

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

[purl bee]

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: http://www.purlbee.com/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: http://www.purlbee.com/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

[Denise]

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.

[purl bee]

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