Cable Cast-On

Explanation

Cable cast-on is worked by knitting a new stitch between the last two stitches on the needle and placing it back onto the left needle, rather than using a long tail as in long-tail cast-on. The result is a firm, visibly twisted edge that resembles a bind-off, which makes it popular for buttonholes and for casting on new stitches mid-project, such as at a mitten thumb. The edge is less stretchy than long-tail cast-on, so it works best where elasticity is not essential.