Backwards loop cast on: the quick mid-row method
The backwards loop cast on is the quickest way to add stitches mid-row: underarms, buttonholes, glove fingers. How to work it, and when not to use it.
By Julia WallinCo-founder and editorThe backwards loop cast on makes a new stitch by twisting a loop of yarn onto the needle. It is the quickest and simplest cast on, and the usual way to add a few stitches in the middle of a row. It is also called the e-loop, e-wrap or single cast on. Patterns often just say "cast on 4 sts using the loop method".
How to work it
Wrap the working yarn around your thumb so the strands cross and form a loop.
Insert the needle tip into the loop on your thumb, from below.
Take your thumb out and pull the yarn gently to snug the stitch against the needle. Keep it loose enough to knit into on the next row.
Repeat.
Mid-row you can skip the thumb: twist a small loop so the yarn from the needle lies over the working yarn, and insert the needle from front to back. It works the same on right-side and wrong-side rows.
The loops slip off the tip easily until knitted, so push them along the needle as you go.
Loop direction and gaps
With the working yarn crossing in front, the new stitch leans to the right. A mirrored loop leans to the left. For a few underarm stitches this rarely matters.
If the loops leave gaps on the next row, knit them through the back loop to twist them closed.
When to use it
Use it to add a few stitches during a project: under the arms of top-down or seamless sweaters, above buttonholes, between glove and mitten fingers, for thumb gussets and for shorts crotches. When a pattern says "cast on X sts" mid-row, it means this or the cable cast on. The backwards loop is quicker and stretchier. The cable cast on is firmer and neater.
It is not suited to starting most projects. The edge is loose, thin and uneven, and the slack tends to grow as you work the first row. On a long cast on this is hard to control. To start a project, the long-tail cast on is almost always better. It is built like a backwards loop with a knit row worked into it at the same time, which makes it neater.
Frequently asked questions
What is the backwards loop cast on?
A cast on where you twist a loop of yarn directly onto the needle. It is used to add stitches in the middle of a row, not to start a project.
When do patterns use the backwards loop cast on?
Whenever you need new stitches in the middle of a row, for example under the arms of a top-down sweater, above a buttonhole or between glove fingers.
Why is my backwards loop cast on so loose?
That is how this cast on works. The loops share slack with their neighbours as you knit them. Snug each loop as you make it, cast on only a few stitches, and use the cable cast on when you need a firm edge.
Backwards loop or cable cast on for underarms?
Both are common. The backwards loop is quicker and stretchier, which suits an underarm. The cable cast on is firmer and neater, so follow your pattern if it names one.
Co-founder and editor at knyt. Knits every guide before it is published.
