A slip knot is your starting point for every knitting project
A slip knot is the loop you place on your needle before you cast on. It holds the yarn in place and gives you a find anchor for your first row of stitches. Without it, your cast-on stitches have nothing to grip, and your work unravels before you begin.
The slip knot itself is not counted as a stitch — it is straightforward the foundation. Once you finish casting on, you will slip it off the needle or work it into your first row, depending on your cast-on method. Learning to tie one takes about a minute, and the motion becomes automatic after a few projects.
Key Takeaways
- A slip knot is a temporary loop that anchors your yarn to the needle before casting on.
- You create it by looping yarn around your finger, pulling the working yarn through, and tightening it onto the needle.
- The slip knot is not counted as a stitch in your final cast-on.
- The loop should be snug enough to hold but loose enough to slide slightly when you pull the yarn.
The four-step method to tie a slip knot
Start with the yarn in your hand. Hold the yarn tail (the short end) between your thumb and index finger of your left hand, with the working yarn (the long end attached to the ball) draped over your index and middle fingers.
Cross the working yarn over the tail yarn to form a loop. The working yarn should pass in front of the tail, creating an X shape. Push the loop down toward your fingers so you have a clear opening at the top.
Reach through the loop with your right hand and pull the working yarn back through the opening. You now have a new loop on top of the original one. This new loop is what you will place on your needle.
Slide the new loop onto your needle and pull both the tail and working yarn to tighten it. The knot should sit snugly on the needle without being so tight that you cannot move it. You should be able to slide it slightly along the needle shaft with gentle pressure.
Common mistakes that loosen your foundation
The most frequent error is pulling too hard on the tail yarn. This tightens the knot so much that it becomes difficult to work your first cast-on stitches, and you may accidentally split the yarn with your needle. Pull just enough so the knot does not slip off the needle on its own.
Another mistake is making the loop too large. If the loop is oversized, your first stitches will be loose and uneven. The loop should be roughly the size of your needle shaft — large enough to slide onto the needle without forcing, but not so large that it hangs slack.
Some knitters tie the knot around the needle itself rather than creating a separate loop to place on the needle. This makes the knot part of your cast-on count, which throws off your stitch total. The slip knot should always be a separate, temporary anchor.
How tight should the slip knot be
The slip knot should be firm enough that it does not slide off the needle when you pick up the needle or begin casting on. At the same time, it must be loose enough that you can move it along the needle shaft with one hand while holding the needle in the other.
Test the tension by holding the needle in one hand and gently pushing the knot toward the tip with your other hand. It should move with light pressure but not slide freely. If it moves too easily, tighten the tail yarn slightly. If it does not move at all, loosen it a little.
The tension matters because a knot that is too tight restricts your working yarn and makes your first row harder to work. A knot that is too loose may slip during casting on, leaving you with an uneven edge or a dropped stitch before you even begin.
Slip knot placement on different needle types
On straight needles, place the slip knot about one inch from the pointed tip. This gives you enough room to work your cast-on stitches without crowding the knot, but keeps it close enough that you can control it easily.
On circular needles, place the slip knot on the needle itself, not on the cable. The cable is flexible and will not hold the knot securely. Position it the same distance from the tip as you would on a straight needle.
On double-pointed needles, place the slip knot on whichever needle you are using to cast on. Once you finish casting on and begin the first row, you will distribute the stitches across all the needles, and the slip knot will either be worked into the first stitch or slipped off, depending on your cast-on method.
What happens to the slip knot after you cast on
The fate of the slip knot depends on which cast-on method you use. With the long-tail cast-on, the slip knot becomes your first stitch and is worked into the first row. With the cable cast-on, you typically slip it off the needle once you have cast on all your stitches, leaving only the cast-on stitches on the needle.
Some knitters prefer to slip the knot off when ready after casting on, regardless of method, to keep their stitch count exact. Others leave it on and work it into the first row. Both approaches work — the choice is personal preference and what your pattern instructions say.
If your pattern does not specify, slip the knot off after casting on. This ensures your stitch count is accurate and prevents confusion about whether the knot counts as a stitch.
Practice tips for a consistent slip knot
Tie several slip knots in a row without casting on. This trains your hands to move through the motion without thinking about it. After ten or fifteen repetitions, the motion becomes muscle memory, and you will tie a knot the same way every time.
Pay attention to how the yarn feels in your hand as you tighten the knot. The tension should come from pulling the working yarn and tail at the same time, not from squeezing the loop itself. This gives you better control and a more consistent result.
If you are left-handed, you may find it easier to mirror the instructions — hold the yarn in your right hand instead of your left, and pull through with your left hand. The mechanics are identical; only the hand positions change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the slip knot count as a stitch in my cast-on?
No. The slip knot is a temporary anchor only. Depending on your cast-on method, you either slip it off the needle after casting on, or it becomes your first stitch and is worked into the first row. Either way, it is not counted as part of your cast-on stitch total.
What if my slip knot keeps slipping off the needle?
The knot is too loose. Pull both the tail yarn and working yarn a bit tighter to increase tension. The knot should not move when you pick up the needle, but should still slide with gentle pressure from your hand.
Can I use a slip knot with every cast-on method?
Yes. Every cast-on method begins with a slip knot on the needle. The knot itself does not change — only what you do with it after casting on varies by method.
Is there a difference between a slip knot in knitting and a slip knot in other crafts?
The basic structure is the same, but knitting slip knots are typically looser and larger than those used in rope work or fishing. This is because you need to be able to move the knot along the needle and work stitches around it easily.
What if I tie the slip knot too tight and cannot work my first stitches?
Slip the knot off the needle and retie it with less tension. There is no penalty for starting over — it takes only a few seconds. A loose slip knot is easier to fix during casting on than a tight one that slows down your entire first row.