How to Knit the Picot Cast On

Picot points add a dash of feminine flair and elegant sophistication to any knitting project. While it may look complex, this textural edging is a surprisingly easy delight. Follow along on these simple steps to cast on what will surely be your new favourite design element.

First, make a slip knot, leaving a short tail.

Place it on your needle, pulling the ends gently to tighten it up.

We’re going to use the Knitted Cast On to cast on 4 stitches, for a total of 5 stitches once completed.

To do this, simply knit into the stitch on the left-hand needle like normal, but don’t drop the old stitch.

Slide the just-knitted stitch over to the left-hand needle.

You’ve now cast-on 1 stitch. Repeat this until you’ve cast-on 4 stitches, for a total of 5 stitches.

Knit the first 2 stitches.

Pull the first stitch up and over the second stitch, right off the right-hand needle (otherwise known as a bind off). This binds off 1 stitch.

Knit the next stitch on the left-hand needle and bind it off in exactly the same way.

After binding off 2 stitches, you’ll have 1 stitch remaining on the right-hand needle. Move it over, by slipping without twisting, back to the left-hand needle.

Repeat Steps 2 – 4 until you have cast-on the desired number of stitches (these are the stitches on the needle). One picot is created for every 3 stitches you cast on.