Provisional Cast On- Three Ways. No Crochet Hook!

If you love knitting tubular cowls (Like my Scandi Bloom, Buffalo Check Mobius, and Featherdown Cowls) you'll want to master the provisional cast on. Don't be nervous; I've got a method that is easy peasy and doesn't get tangled and stuck when it's time to pick up the live stitches.

No crochet hook needed!

Psst...want a free pattern for my Featherdown Cowl? Sign up and I'll send it right to your inbox. Then you can use your new skills right away!

 

I used to really fear the provisional cast on. No matter what I tried, the crochet hook method never worked for me. Without fail I ended up with stitches that would not pull free from my cast on when it came time to pick them up. Then I came across a tutorial from Suzanne Bryan for Provisional Cast On without the hook, and I was…hooked. (bad joke)

 

Then I looked at my silicone try on cords, and realized they would make the perfect “scrap yarn” for picking up stitches later on to kitchener everything together. Of course you can use scrap yarn, extra circular needle cords, or silicone try on cords (I've got some in the shop now if you need some.)

 

Finally, I felt confident I could conquer a provisional cast on without fear or agitation. Since I learned that first method, I've seen more methods that work beautifully, and all three require zero crochet hooks. Here's a video I created demonstrating all three methods. 

 

Now all you need is some pretty yarn to make your cowls.