<p>The looseness or tightness has some effect from how close one cast-on loop is to its neighbor. I tend to cast on too tightly and have sometimes held a circular needle together with a narrower double-point. If experimenting with where you place each loop doesn't change things, you might cast on to a smaller needle than you use for the rest of the piece.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-30T18:40:26.893Z
2016-04-30T18:40:26.893Z
skg
<p>Getting a circular cast-on up and running can indeed be tricky. Fortunately, there are several techniques that can help.</p>

<p><strong>Use a sturdy cast-on</strong> The long-tail cast-on is a good one for this as it basically includes the first row of knitting. Be careful if you need stretch, though.</p>

<p><strong>Add some weight to the cast-on</strong> This can be done by putting some stitch markers in the cast-on (helps get the number of stitches right, too!) or by knitting a short provisional section flat and then joining (you go back later, unravel the provisional section, and use that yarn to cast-off).</p>

<p><strong>Try DPNs</strong> If the cable part is what grieves you, you might try casting on with double-point needles, instead. They can have their own fussiness, but it works for some folks.</p>

<p><strong>Practice</strong> Yeah, nobody likes to hear this one, but it's so very true. Even after more than a decade of knitting, it still sometimes takes me a few tries to get a circular cast-on going well.</p>

<p>Additional resources:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/circular-knitting-3-in-1-techjoin_26.html">TECHknitter's 3-in-1 circular join</a></li>
<li><a href="https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41253330/Dee&#39;s%20No-Twist%20Circular%20Knitting%20Cast%20On%20Tutorial.pdf">Dee's No-Twist Circular Knitting Cast-On Tutorial</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-21T14:17:54.427Z
Also, if you're using DPN's, sometimes it's easier and helps with consistency to cast on all of the stitches to just one of the needles and then distribute them appropriately to the rest of the needles after.
McCaverty
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-27T18:42:54.207Z
I figured part of it was my newness to the idea of circular needles. Have you ever run into issues where it gets twisted really badly while casting on?
neongreenfruit
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-27T19:06:01.780Z
Yes, the cast-on will tend to spiral around the cable. The three methods I listed will all help with that, to differing degrees.
Belisama
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-27T18:28:38.717Z
2016-04-27T18:28:38.717Z
Belisama
<p>When casting on to circular needles is there a technique to not making it too tight or too loose? I realize the first row after casting is hard, but I've really struggled casting on partly because the loops on the needle part are super loose but the loops, when they end up on the cable part of the circular needle are very loose. (If this is too vague or confusing please let me know)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-27T18:09:03.000Z
Why is the looseness a problem? Are you having trouble making gauge? Are the stitches difficult to work? Because looseness (or tightness) per se is fine.
Belisama
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-27T18:13:07.400Z
I'm having trouble working up the second row, does that answer your question?
neongreenfruit
<knitting><casting-on>
When casting onto circular needles how can I make certain that the tightness is correct?
neongreenfruit
# When casting onto circular needles how can I make certain that the tightness is correct?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-27)

When casting on to circular needles is there a technique to not making it too tight or too loose? I realize the first row after casting is hard, but I've really struggled casting on partly because the loops on the needle part are super loose but the loops, when they end up on the cable part of the circular needle are very loose. (If this is too vague or confusing please let me know)

**Tags:** knitting, casting-on

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Why is the looseness a problem? Are you having trouble making gauge? Are the stitches difficult to work? Because looseness (or tightness) per se is fine.  
> **username_0**: I'm having trouble working up the second row, does that answer your question?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-04-27. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

Getting a circular cast-on up and running can indeed be tricky. Fortunately, there are several techniques that can help.

**Use a sturdy cast-on** The long-tail cast-on is a good one for this as it basically includes the first row of knitting. Be careful if you need stretch, though.

**Add some weight to the cast-on** This can be done by putting some stitch markers in the cast-on (helps get the number of stitches right, too!) or by knitting a short provisional section flat and then joining (you go back later, unravel the provisional section, and use that yarn to cast-off).

**Try DPNs** If the cable part is what grieves you, you might try casting on with double-point needles, instead. They can have their own fussiness, but it works for some folks.

**Practice** Yeah, nobody likes to hear this one, but it's so very true. Even after more than a decade of knitting, it still sometimes takes me a few tries to get a circular cast-on going well.

Additional resources:

* [TECHknitter's 3-in-1 circular join](http://techknitting.blogspot.com/2007/01/circular-knitting-3-in-1-techjoin_26.html)
* [Dee's No-Twist Circular Knitting Cast-On Tutorial](https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/41253330/Dee's%20No-Twist%20Circular%20Knitting%20Cast%20On%20Tutorial.pdf)

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I figured part of it was my newness to the idea of circular needles. Have you ever run into issues where it gets twisted really badly while casting on?  
> **username_1**: Yes, the cast-on will tend to spiral around the cable. The three methods I listed will all help with that, to differing degrees.  
> **username_3**: Also, if you're using DPN's, sometimes it's easier and helps with consistency to cast on all of the stitches to just one of the needles and then distribute them appropriately to the rest of the needles after.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-04-30. Score: 1

The looseness or tightness has some effect from how close one cast-on loop is to its neighbor. I tend to cast on too tightly and have sometimes held a circular needle together with a narrower double-point. If experimenting with where you place each loop doesn't change things, you might cast on to a smaller needle than you use for the rest of the piece.


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