The Italian Cast On is a ribbing cast on. This means that it was specifically designed for use with a 1×1 ribbing stitch. This cast on has a distinctive, seamless look and an extremely stretchy edge. It works wonderfully on scarves and hats.
Prep: Hold your yarn across you fingers like a slingshot, and place the needle across the bar in the middle of your fingers. Scoop the needle downward and towards your body to twist into your first stitch.
Step 1: Take working needle around the outside of the upper strand of yarn, and under the bottom strand.
Step 2: Take the needle under and over the bottom strand, and back to the top.
Step 3: Come around the outside of the bottom strand, and through the middle gap.
Step 4: Come over the top of the top strand.
Step 5: Bring the needle back around and under the bottom strand, back to the position of Step 1 (2 sts made).
