• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
    • Punch Needle
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • TikTok
    • YouTube

Knitters, the provisional cast on is pretty great.

January 13, 2014 4 Comments

How to do a provisional or invisible kitting cast on

Cowls are such a popular & stylish thing to knit these days that I finally had to jump on the bandwagon with some Christmas knitting last month. The first thing I learned to do was something called a provisional cast on. Basically it’s a way to start a knitting project invisibly. It lets you leave stitches “active,” so at the end of your cowl, you can sew the starting end’s loops to the finishing end’s loops to form a scarf that doesn’t have a distracting seam. You can also do this by knitting in the round. Sometimes, though, knitting in the round doesn’t make sense for a particular project, and sometimes, you might not be a knitter at the point of knitting in the round yet. I think using the provisional/invisible cast on is easier than learning to knit in the round, for what it’s worth. :)

To do the provisional cast on, you simply have to begin by making a length of chain stitch that’s a few stitches longer than you’d like to cast on. You’ll be tossing this chain later, so you can just use some scrap yarn that’s similar to the yarn for your project. Since I’m making a cowl with bulky yarn and don’t own a big, fat crochet hook, I opted to make my chain with finger knitting, which you can learn to do here.

One side of your chain will have ridges on it (the item pictured first below), and the other will have V’s.

How to do a provisional or invisible kitting cast on

Grab your finished chain, and stab your knitting needle through one of the ridges on the non-V side of it.

How to do a provisional or invisible kitting cast on

Wrap your yarn over your needle as if you were knitting normally, and pull the yarn back through the ridge. Keep doing this until you have enough stitches cast on.

How to do a provisional or invisible kitting cast on

How to do a provisional cast on (video tutorial)

For folks who prefer video, here’s all that again, but in another format:

Grafting your ends

That’s it! When you get to the far end of your work, you’ll pull out the chain stitching from the edge of your work and sew those loops to the loops on the other end of your work using a kitchener stitch (a.k.a. grafting). Here’s a tutorial for how to work the kitchener stitch. :)

How to do a provisional or invisible kitting cast on

If my instructions aren’t quite clicking for you, I also like these provisional cast on tutorials, some of which use a different technique for accomplishing the cast on: The Purl Bee / knitty / knittinghelp.com (video tutorial)

Filed Under: How-to Tagged With: cast on, cowl, crochet, diy, infinity scarf, invisible cast on, knit, Knitting, provisional cast on

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

Previous Post: « Weekly Reader
Next Post: DIY Library Pockets »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • Faux Woven Cowl – The Warmest in the World!Faux Woven Cowl – The Warmest in the World!
  • Picks of the WeekPicks of the Week
  • Picks of the WeekPicks of the Week
  • How to Make Fabric YarnHow to Make Fabric Yarn

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Comments

  1. Judy Harris

    October 15, 2014 at 8:15 am

    I learned something new today…many thanks -I do a lot of knitting but I too thought Brioche Knitting involved underwater treading!!!! it gets cold here so, no underwater treading…consequently no Brioche Knitting…..Thanks you so much,again!!! Judy

    Reply
  2. nivia

    October 22, 2014 at 5:43 pm

    I am gonna do this, it’s great I didn’t realize I didn’t have to knit in the round. I can only find straight needles where I live and I haven’t really bought online much. Thanks

    Reply
  3. Elaine Eckart

    February 14, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    I have been knitting for lots of years, but never thought of this bright idea. Love it. Makes the finished project outstanding.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A Provisional Cast On Trick - Threadpanda says:
    September 1, 2022 at 4:52 pm

    […] provisional cast on is just a cast on that you can take out later. Many people use a crochet chain to start. Another variation is to crochet directly onto the needle. You can also just cast on with […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Elaine Eckart Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

EMAIL NEWSLETTER

Never miss a tutorial with these short & sweet monthly updates.

Find Me on Social Media

  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi GustadDiscover Unique Items

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé
❤️ Email preferred

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see w Since it won’t be clean for long, swipe to see what my home studio looks like these days. Nothing will ever quite be like the old Hands Occupied Studio, but I’m pretty pleased with how I shoehorned everything in this space. Function over form + a layer of yarn cuteness-meets-chaos is how I’d describe my creative space needs. 😆 When I was still renting the studio, those needs included “doesn’t rain suspicious brown water from a crack in the ceiling for a year,” so this is an improvement! 😆
.
For a time lapse of the studio organizing and tszuj-ing process, scroll down a couple posts on my feed. (There’s also a video or two featuring the old studio if you’re curious.) Happy June, friends! 
.
#handsoccupied #handsoccupiedstudio #knitdesigner #craftdesign #yarncrafts #latchhook #makerlife #heidigustad #chicagocrafter
Who doesn’t love magic loop knitting? Who doesn’t know what it is? How about when circular needles were invented?
.
In todays new bl0g post + video tutorial, you’ll learn about the magic loop method for knitting in the round, how to do it and why to use it, and when it came to be. The 🔗 is in my b1o. 🧶 
.
#handsoccupied #magicloop #knitting #howtoknit #knittinginspiration #knittingintheround
Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches Finally organizing & putting the finishing touches on my home studio. After losing my studio space last fall, it’s feels really great to *occupy* this new space all the way. 😉
.
I started by removing general clutter & returning straggler supplies from various WIPs, videos & design deadlines to their homes. Next, I hung a third peg board in the space - this one is mostly for display and less for organizing tools or projects. For the first time ever, I’m displaying projects from my book, plus a couple other faves. (The best thing about designing more yarn crafts besides knit & crochet is that I have some really fun -and delightfully pettable 😆- samples around.) I finished by adding a square dowel to my small supply storage tower to keep it from tipping over, plus re-arranging and de-cluttering the closet. 
.
This cleaner space already has me feeling so much more creative and less overwhelmed. Now to find a safe spot in the basement for the tower of project samples in Rubbermaid tubs I liberated from my WIPs closet. Also why are there five?! 
.
Here’s to keeping it clean for a few weeks! 🧶 
.
#handsocupied #handsoccupiedstudio #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #yarncraft #knitter #crocheter #latchhook #latchhookbook
It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone It’s a disaster in here and my video microphone isn’t cooperating, but it could be worse! How’s your day? 
.
(If we haven’t yet met, I’m Heidi and I’m a pattern designer and tutorial creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting & latch hook. You can learn more about my work and regularly find new tutorials in my profile. ☺️👋🏻)
.
#handsoccupied #craftstudio #knitter #yarncrafter
How to knit a one-row buttonhole 🧶 . Sweater k How to knit a one-row buttonhole 🧶 
.
Sweater knitters, listen up! Learn how to knit a buttonhole over the course of a single row of knitting, a.k.a. a one-row buttonhole. In this technique, a combination of binding off and casting on stitches on opposite sides of the work creates a symmetrical, stretchy buttonhole. 
.
The time limit on these is 90 seconds, so this quick tutorial is perfect to save for future reference. (Did you know you can make folders of saved items like tutorials? 👩🏼‍🏫) 
.
If you’re brand new to the technique or want to see this demonstration slower and more in-depth, my bl0g and You/2be are the place to be. Thanks for watching & let me know if you have any questions or requests for future tutorials in the comments. ☺️
.
#handsoccupied #knitting #onerowbuttonhole #learntoknit #sweaterknitting #knittutorial #knitting_inspiration
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy