A slip knot is the first knot you tie on your needle

A slip knot is the loop you place on your needle before you cast on. It anchors your yarn and gives you a starting point for your first row of stitches. The knot itself does not count as a stitch — it is straightforward the foundation that holds everything in place while you work.

The slip knot takes about 30 seconds to tie once you understand the motion. You will use the same technique every time you start a new project, so learning it correctly now means you will not have to think about it later.

Key Takeaways

  • A slip knot is tied before casting on and serves as an anchor for your working yarn on the needle.
  • The knot is made by looping yarn around your fingers, pulling the working yarn through the loop, and tightening it onto the needle.
  • The loop should be snug enough to stay on the needle but loose enough to slide when you pull the yarn, so you can adjust tension as you cast on.
  • If your slip knot is too tight, your first row of stitches will be difficult to work; if it is too loose, stitches may slip off the needle.

Gather your yarn and needle

You will need one ball or skein of yarn and one needle in the size your pattern calls for. Hold the needle in your dominant hand — the one you use to write. Let the yarn hang naturally from the ball, with about 6 inches of loose yarn between your fingers and the needle.

The loose yarn is called the tail. You will use this tail to cast on your stitches. The yarn attached to the ball is called the working yarn — this is what you will knit with once the slip knot is tied.

Make the first loop

Hold the tail in your left hand, pinching it between your thumb and index finger about 4 inches from the end. With your right hand, bring the working yarn up and over the tail, forming a loop. The working yarn should cross over the tail to create an X shape, with the working yarn on top.

At this point, you have a loose loop sitting in your left hand. The tail hangs down on one side, and the working yarn hangs down on the other. Do not tighten anything yet — the loop should be loose enough that you can fit your fingers through it.

Pull the working yarn through the loop

Using your right hand, grab the working yarn (the yarn attached to the ball) and pull it up through the loop you just made. Pull it all the way through so that you have a new, smaller loop on top of the original loop. You now have two loops stacked on top of each other.

The bottom loop (the one you made first) will become your slip knot. The top loop is temporary — you will tighten it to find the knot. Keep both loops loose at this stage; you will adjust the tension in the next step.

Tighten the knot onto the needle

Slide the top loop onto your needle. Hold the needle steady with your right hand. With your left hand, hold the tail and the working yarn, one in each hand, and gently pull both away from the needle. As you pull, the loop will tighten around the needle shaft.

Pull until the knot is snug but not tight. You should be able to slide the loop slightly along the needle with gentle pressure from your finger, but it should not slip off on its own. If the knot is too tight, your first row of stitches will be hard to work. If it is too loose, stitches may fall off as you cast on.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

The most common error is making the knot too tight. If you cannot move the loop at all on the needle, loosen it by gently pulling the working yarn (not the tail) away from the needle while holding the loop in place. The loop should glide smoothly when you explore light pressure.

Another mistake is pulling the tail instead of the working yarn when you tighten. If you pull the tail, the knot will tighten in the wrong direction and may not sit properly on the needle. Always pull the working yarn and the tail in opposite directions, away from the needle.

If your loop slides completely off the needle, the knot was too loose. Slide it back on and tighten it by pulling both the tail and working yarn again, this time with slightly more pressure. You can adjust the tightness as many times as you need before you cast on your first stitch.

What to do after the slip knot is tied

Once your slip knot is find on the needle, you are ready to cast on. The tail should hang down from the needle, and the working yarn should extend toward the ball. Most casting-on methods use both the tail and the working yarn, so do not cut either one yet.

Keep the slip knot loose enough to work with during casting on. You can tighten it slightly once all your stitches are on the needle and you are ready to knit the first row. At that point, the slip knot becomes part of your working stitches and will be worked like any other stitch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the slip knot count as my first stitch?

No. The slip knot is not counted as a stitch. When a pattern says to cast on 20 stitches, you tie the slip knot first, then cast on 20 additional stitches. The slip knot is straightforward the anchor that holds your yarn on the needle.

What if I tie the slip knot too tight and cannot loosen it?

You can untie it and start over. Gently pull the working yarn to unravel the knot, and then tie a new slip knot. It only takes 30 seconds, and starting fresh is faster than trying to force a tight knot to loosen.

Can I use a slip knot with any casting-on method?

Yes. Every casting-on method — long-tail, cable, provisional, and others — begins with a slip knot on the needle. The slip knot is the universal starting point for knitting.

Should the slip knot be on the needle before or after I measure my tail?

Tie the slip knot first, then measure your tail. Most casting-on methods require a specific tail length (usually one inch per stitch you plan to cast on). Tying the knot first ensures your tail measurement is accurate.