Provisional cast on

This method enables you to keep your first stitches ‘live’ (ready to knit) while you knit another section. The provisional cast on is later unravelled, which allows the first row of stitches to be returned to the needle and worked in the opposite direction. This produces a seamless join and is often used for making items that are closed at both ends. For example, you could use a provisional cast on when knitting a soft toy, then graft the two sets of stitches together to save sewing up. Alternatively, you could use this method to work two halves of a scarf in the same direction to avoid having to reverse a colourwork motif, or in order to cast off the stitches so the two ends are identical.