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Judy's Magic Cast-On

Judy's magic cast on steps 1 to 5
Judy's magic cast on steps 6 to 10

Judy's Magic Cast-On

Step 1: Leaving a long tail, make your slip knot and place it on your circular needle. Hold the tail and working yarn as you would for a long-tail cast-on, but with the positions reversed (as shown). Hold both needle tips together and you are ready to begin! (Hold needles together for the duration of the cast-on).

Step 2: Bring needle 1 over the tail, then up underneath it, catching it over needle 1. 

Step 3: This will create a loop around needle 1, pull the loop so that it is snug. You have cast on a stitch!

Step 4: Now bring needle 2 over the working yarn, then up underneath it, catching the yarn over needle 2. 

Step 5: This will create a loop around the needle 2, pull the loop so that it is snug. Another stitch created!

Step 6: Repeat steps 2-5 until you have cast on the desired number of stitches (e.g. 20 Sts, 10 on needle 1 and 10 on needle 2).

Step 7: Now you can begin knitting the stitches on needle 1. Make sure the tail is tucked behind the working yarn when you knit the first stitch. (Note that the needles are now rearranged as for magic loop and the stitches which were on needle 2 are now on the cable.)

Step 8: After knitting all the stitches on needle 1 your work will look like this.

Step 9: Now knit the stitches on needle 2 through the back loop as they will be twisted from the cast on. 

Step 10: You will now be ready to work toe increases as instructed in your sock pattern!

Thanks so much to Judy Becker who invented this nifty technique! 

Now that you've mastered Judy's Magic Cast On, check out the other Pom projects which use it: 

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