Click here for the instructions: Judy’s Magic Cast-On.
Click on the above link and scroll to the bottom for a printer-friendly version. Or right-click on this link and choose “save link as” for a PDF version of the instructions. (Note, those are Windows instructions. Mac people, do the equivalent on your system.)
After you have learned Judy’s Magic Cast-On, the page at this link might be of interest: Starting A Small Circle With Judy’s Magic Cast-On.
FAQ
Q. Figure-8, Turkish, Judy’s Magic Cast-On – they all seem the same. Are they? How are they different?
- Figure 8, Turkish and Judy’s Magic Cast-On all start at the very end of the toe. None of them require picking up stitches, short rows or grafting.
- The first round of Judy’s Magic Cast-On creates an actual center row of stitches and subsequent rounds circle this row. The first round of both the Turkish cast-on and the Figure-8 cast-on make a row of stitches on both sides, and the center of the piece lies between these two rows.
- Judy’s Magic Cast-On has no row of “pseudo knit stitches” – i.e. knit stitches without the purl-bump twist on the back.
- Stitches made with Judy’s Magic Cast-On have the same tension as the rest of the knitting and do not require tightening up later.
- With Judy’s Magic Cast-On, both ends of the yarn remain on the same side of the work. This is very handy if you use the tail to double your stitches on the first row of a circular pattern – that is you knit a round with the yarn and tail held together, and then knit the next round by knitting one stitch in the each loop from the yarn and one stitch in each loop from the tail. The tail and the yarn are at opposite ends of the work with both Figure-8 and Turkish, making this technique unavailable.
Q. What about using a long-tail cast-on or the increase cast-on?
The long-tail cast-on creates a row of ridges on the outside of the sock. The increase cast-on creates a row of ridges on both the inside and outside of the sock. If these ridges bother you, then you would probably like one of the other cast-ons better. If you don’t mind the ridges, then these are also perfectly good methods.
Q. Which is best?
They all work. Know the strengths and weaknesses of each and use the one that is most appropriate to the piece you are making. In case of a tie — use the one you like the best or seems easiest.
Q. I’m using Judy’s Magic Cast-On, but I keep ending up with bumps on the outside of my toe. What gives?
You might be starting with the toe inside out. When beginning the first round, hold the needles with the points to your right and the side with the purl bumps is on top, then knit from the needles closest to you. This will seem a little counterintuitive. But your sock will “grow” downwards. Having the purl bumps on top will ensure that the purl side ends up on the inside and the knit side on the outside.
Q. How do you get the stripes in self-striping sock yarn to “fall right?”
The absolute middle of the sock toe will be between the two needles that are used for the cast-on. You are probably casting on between 20 and 30 total stitches, and that doesn’t take much yarn. If you want the first toe round to be one color, start the first loop in the middle of the color repeat so that the working yarn and the tail are both the same color. If you want a little stripe of a different color at the toe, start the first loop where the color changes. If you want both toes to start the same, measure how far it is from the needle to the next color change when starting the first sock, and start the second sock at the same place in the color repeat. If you want your socks to stripe randomly, start in random places.
Q. My tension is off. How do I correct that?
Try to cast on with the same tension around the needles that you have when you knit.
If you find that you have to tighten up the cast-on loops after you’ve worked a round or two, try making sure that each loop is snug around the needle next to the previously cast-on stitches before making the next loop. The two strands need to twist around each other to make the purl bumps on the under-side. If you make the stitch and don’t snug it up against the other stitches before making the next, the twist will be loose and your stitches will be loose.
If you find that the loops are too tight, try using larger needles for Judy’s Magic Cast-On, and then knit off onto smaller needles. Remember not to pull on the yarn as you loop it around the needles. Because you are holding both ends of the yarn, the loops will not slip off.
Q. Does it matter which direction I loop the yarn around the needles?
Not at all. But, it will make a difference in how the stitches are mounted. If you loop the yarn around the needles in a counter-clockwise direction (looking at the needle with it pointed towards you), then the stitch will be mounted with the leading leg to the front of the needle. If you loop the yarn around the needle clockwise, the stitch will be mounted with the leading leg towards the back. Remember to knit through the back leg when knitting these stitches on the first round so that the stitches are not twisted.
Click on this link for the original Knitty article: Judy’s Magic Cast-On For Toe-Up Socks
Click on this link for corrections to the original Knitty article: Errata
Supplemental Information to the Knitty article:
I’ve seen some comments here and there that Judy’s Magic Cast-On as it’s shown in Knitty.com leaves a little knot on one side of the toe because you start with a slipknot. I thought that would be an easier way to anchor the yarn to the needle, figuring that when one is learning a new technique it doesn’t help to have to deal with yarn that keeps slipping. As I often do, I over-thought and confused the issue.
What I usually do instead of a knot is to loop the yarn around the needle as shown in this picture, with the tail to the left of the working yarn (assuming that you are holding the yarn in your left hand and the needle in your right hand). This “knotless” technique alleviates both the little knot at the side of the toe and the problem some people have had with the slipknot being loose.
I’m actually very pleased to know that knitters have tried this and found it useful! Please don’t hesitate to ask questions. You can email me at .
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for devising the Magic Cast on. I was about to give up on toe up socks until I found your tutorial. So simple and elegant and easy…just perfect.
Congradulations on a wonderful invention! (and many, many thanks)
melissa
1Remark from Melissa — Wednesday, 3/7/2007 @ 5:27 PM
[…] Mods: Knit both socks at one time – love this new technique. I also changed the toe to use Judy’s Magic Cast On instead of the pattern toe just because I find it to be easier than the one called for. I also knit […]
2Remark from A Finished Object - WOW! « Melissa Sue’s Craft Corner — Wednesday, 3/11/2009 @ 8:32 PM
[…] over at Twisted, which seems to be a Michelle/Michele magnet. Michelle in the middle taught me Judy’s Magic Cast On last year; I just re-learned it so I’ll be ready for class […]
3Remark from Sock Summit Friday « PDXKnitterati — Saturday, 8/8/2009 @ 12:57 AM
I learned JMCO at a sock workshop with Wendy Johnson. I have to tell you that this cast-on rocks my world. I use it for toe-up socks, but it’s also my go-to provisional cast on because I have live stitches with no additional fiddling.
I’ve also discovered how to use it to do a the tubular cast.
THANK YOU!
4Remark from cynthia — Sunday, 6/6/2010 @ 1:54 PM
I would like to learn your magic cast on Thank you Cheryl
5Remark from Cheryl Rance — Wednesday, 10/13/2010 @ 9:29 AM
[…] learning the brilliant Judy’s Magic Cast on, and practicing it a few times, out came the two colors. Everyone cast on for two socks at a […]
6Remark from Melissa Morgan-Oakes Toe Up Class | Lion Brand Yarn Studio — Monday, 4/11/2011 @ 8:33 AM
[…] out Judy Becker’s website where she discusses her magic cast-on […]
7Remark from My top 10 knit tools and techniques list « Pascale’s Points — Saturday, 9/3/2011 @ 1:15 PM
[…] learning the brilliant Judy’s Magic Cast on, and practicing it a few times, out came the two colors. Everyone cast on for two socks at a […]
8Remark from Melissa Morgan-Oakes Toe Up Class — Friday, 11/11/2011 @ 1:32 PM
I’ve been looking at your cast on, planning to try it for some toe-up socks for the first time. In Cat Bordh’s video it seems slightly different, in that the wrap for the top needle goes in the opposite direction, and then, when knitting the first row, you don’t have to knit in the back of the stitch to correct the twist. Am I interpreting this correctly? None of the written tutorials are showing this (that I’ve found).
9Remark from Kate — Saturday, 11/12/2011 @ 8:34 PM
Judy, learning your cast on has seriously changed my knitting habits. You are a true knitting Goddess and I thank you for sharing your genius so freely with the knitting world. My nephew sends a hug because he now has the bestest magic mittens (I told him that you had made them magic)
10Remark from Mara — Sunday, 1/1/2012 @ 8:09 PM
[…] but I was too lazy for that, so I picked size 10 1/2. The other thing I did was to start with Judy’s Magic Cast-on, and then knit in one direction until I got bored and bound off, then I knitted off the other side […]
11Remark from I’m making a vest | The Life and Times of Liza Olmsted — Saturday, 2/18/2012 @ 3:23 PM
[…] which uses short rows for the toes, but it was too complicated at first. So for these socks I used Judy’s magic cast on for the toe. In the end I wasn’t entirely happy with the way it looked so as […]
12Remark from baby socks 1 | Gwen Barnes — Thursday, 5/24/2012 @ 3:54 PM
[…] that with the stripey yarn, it doesn’t make so much sense to do the short-row toe; the magic toe gives a more symmetric stripe pattern around the toe. So on these socks I’m doing the magic […]
13Remark from Tycho’s first sock to heel | Gwen Barnes — Saturday, 5/26/2012 @ 9:47 AM
[…] Sock Calculator on Eddie’s Room (Uses Judy’s magic toe-up cast-on and shadow-wrap short-row […]
14Remark from All the best knitted sock calculators — Sunday, 5/12/2013 @ 7:03 AM
I love the Judy’s Magic Cast-on for toe-up socks and use it all the time — as well for starting knitting in a circle. I’m just not certain how it serves as a provisional cast-on method. I am guessing that you simply begin knitting on one of the two circular needles you use to cast on … but I guess that means you must cast-on twice as many stitches as required for the project? And then, do you simply let the stitches on the additional circular needle hang there until you need them?
15Remark from Carol — Wednesday, 5/29/2013 @ 3:24 PM
[…] A couple of videos on starting a triangular shawl with a garter tab and using Judy’s magic toe-up cast-on. […]
16Remark from » How to begin knitting a triangular shawl (videos) — Wednesday, 8/14/2013 @ 1:30 AM
I’m trying to start a toe-up sock using Judy Becker’s method but am having trouble with the first cast on stitch. When I go to knit it, it’s a loop instead of a stitch. If I continue to knit, it remains a loop and looks terrible! I’ve tried numerous times but no luck. Do you have any idea what I’m doing wrong? Thanks!
17Remark from Nancy — Sunday, 12/8/2013 @ 7:40 PM
Hi, I think your blog might be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your blog site in Opera, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other then that, awesome blog!
18Remark from Louie Simmond — Wednesday, 6/1/2016 @ 7:01 AM
great technique for toe-up socks! I’m new to sock knitting and am using this for my second pair (ever!) and find it quick, easy and beautiful. thank you for sharing!
19Remark from sara — Friday, 3/9/2018 @ 7:51 AM