Judy's Magic Cast On
Judy Becker's Magic Cast On is the standard cast on for toe-up socks knit on two circular needles or one long circular (magic loop). It creates two parallel rows of live stitches with a closed centre, mimicking the look of a Kitchener-stitch toe.
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Setup
Hold two needle tips parallel with the working yarn looped over your fingers in a long-tail configuration. Half the cast-on stitches go on the top needle (worked from the index finger strand) and half on the bottom needle (worked from the thumb strand). The two needles end up holding equal numbers of stitches.
First round
After casting on, turn the needles and knit across the top stitches. The bottom stitches will be twisted on the first round (this is normal); knit them through the back loop to untwist, or simply knit them through the front and accept a slight texture difference at the toe.
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Why it works
The cast on effectively creates the toe of a sock as a closed pouch of live stitches, joined at the bottom by the cast-on edge. Increasing on alternate rounds expands the pouch into a toe shape that fits the foot perfectly.
Limitations
Only useful for projects that begin with a closed end: socks, mittens, and some hats. Not appropriate as a general-purpose cast on.
Abbreviation reference
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| CO | cast on |
| k | knit |
| tbl | through the back loop |
Tips
- Mark the right side with a removable stitch marker so you do not lose track during the first few rounds.
- Pull the cast-on tail tight after the first round to close the gap at the centre of the toe.
- For magic loop, leave a long enough loop on either side of the cast on to maintain easy needle exchange.
In depth
Judy's Magic Cast On replaces what was once a fiddly provisional-cast-on-and-graft toe with a single setup. The two needles function as the top and sole of the toe, and the closed cast-on edge becomes the very tip of the toe — no Kitchener stitch required.