Make A Slip Knot

The first step for many popular cast ons.

Making a slip knot is super easy. If you have made it correctly, the knot can be tightened by pulling on the ball end of the yarn.

 
Text: How to Make a Slip Knot. The first step in many knitting cast ons. Image: A completed slip knot on a bamboo needle being held in a woman's hand. Logo: My Secret Wish Knitting
 

How to do it:

 

Basic Principle: You’ll be creating a knot that slides easily along the yarn to create a resizable loop.

 
 
 

Step One:

Holding the ball end of the yarn in your non-dominant hand, use the dominant hand to twist the yarn into a loop with the loose end on top.

The yarn should not be twisted around itself. There will be a simple circle with the loose end of the yarn laying on top of the ball end of the yarn.

 
Hands holding yarn as described in caption

Step Two:

Reach through the loop with the thumb and forefinger of your dominant hand and pinch the ball end of the yarn. Pull the pinched section through the loop.

 
Hands holding yarn as described in caption

Step Three:

Tighten the loop into a knot by tugging on the two yarn ends with your non-dominant hand, leaving a yarn tail between six inches and eight inches (15 and 20 cm) long.

If you find tugging on both ends leaves a tail that’s too short, only tug on the ball end of the yarn.

 
Hands holding yarn as described in caption

Step Four:

Place the loop on a needle. Pull on the ball end of the yarn to tighten the loop, but be sure not to overtighten.

 
A completed slip knot on a needle

Step Five:

Your slip knot is complete! In most cast ons, it counts as the first stitch of your cast on row.

 
 

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