Judy's Magic Cast On

Judy’s Magic Cast On is a popular method for starting toe-up socks. It’s a double-sided cast on that’s also good for other projects, like top-down mittens and hats. In this video, Mary Beth Temple explains how to work this cast on.

Mary Beth is working this cast on two double-pointed needles, but you can also use a circular needle and bring the tips together. With the tips pointing to the left and with one needle on top of the other, Mary Beth drapes the yarn over the top needle, with the long tail closest to her and the working yarn furthest from her. She takes the two yarns and configures them in her hands in the same manner as a long tail cast on. The long tail is over her index finger and the working yarn is over her thumb.

She then begins working Judy’s Magic Cast On following these steps:

1. Bring yarn from index finger under the bottom needle and then between the needles to add a stitch to the bottom needle.
2. Bring yarn from thumb between the two needles and over the top needle to add a stitch to the top needle.

Steps 1 and 2 are repeated until the desired number of stitches are on the needle. Mary Beth checks her work by flipping the needles over the Wrong Side. She confirms that the stitches are secured, because she can see the yarn twisting on the back.