The figure-of-eight cast on is a way of making an invisible, seamless toe when knitting socks from the toe-up. The name comes from the way in which the yarn is wrapped around the needles in a figure of eight. To work this cast on you will need three double pointed needles (DPNs) in the size you will use to knit the sock, plus your yarn.

1. In your left hand, hold your two DPNs alongside one another. Holding the tail yarn firmly at the front of the bottom needle with your left thumb, keeping the tail yarn to the left and the working yarn to the right, take the working yarn over the bottom needle and down between the two DPNs.

2. Take the working yarn under and around the top needle from front to back, then take the working yarn back down between the two needles. You should have a loop of yarn on the top needle. This is your first stitch.

3. Now make a stitch on the bottom needle by bringing the working yarn under and around the bottom needle, then taking it from front to back and back down between the two DPNs.

4. Repeat, making stitches alternately on the top and bottom needles wrapping the yarn using a figure-of-eight motion. You will need half the number of cast-on stitches on each needle. So if your patterns calls for eight stitches in total, you will need four stitches on each needle. You should always have an even number of stitches on each needle, finishing with the last loop on the bottom needle and the working yarn going from front to back between the needles.

5. Now to knit your first row. Take the working yarn and, using a third DPN, knit into each stitch on the top needle as normal. At this stage the stitches on the bottom needle may be rather loose. Use your third DPN to gently pull the loops tight, working from right to left.

6. With the loops tightened, turn the work through 180 so that the bottom needle is now at the top. (Be careful not to flip the work over). Keep the tail yarn over the bottom needle and between the needles to stop the stitches loosening. Knit into the back of the stitches on the top needle. (You will only need to do this on these stitches. All future rounds are knitted as normal).

All the cast on stitches have now been knitted once and on the second round you can divide them onto three or four needles to continue your toe.

Want to put your skills to the test?

Have a go at the figure-of-eight cast on technique by knitting this beautiful Capri Cowl for yourself, exclusive to Knit Now issue 143.

Download your copy today!