Casting on is the first step in knitting, where you create the initial row of stitches on your needle. It's an essential technique, and there are a few different methods you could choose from. Since you're a beginner, I'll walk you through one of the most common and simple methods - the 'long tail cast on'. 1. **Make a Slip Knot:** First, make a slip knot about two tail-lengths for every stitch you plan to cast on from the end of your yarn. The slip knot forms the first stitch of your casting on. To do this, loop the yarn around your fingers and pull it through to create a knot - ensure that the point where the ends of the loop cross over is adjustable. 2. **Holding Your Yarn and Needle:** Now, hold the needle with the slip knot on it in your right hand. With your left hand, hold the two strands of yarn (the shorter tail end and the longer yarn attached to your ball of wool) - use your thumb and index finger to separate them, forming a V shape. 3. **Creating Further Stitches:** Move your needle up through thumb loop. Then, bring it over and around the index strand. The movement sequence is Up, Over, Down, then release the thumb loop. When you pull gently at the long yarn, a new loop should have formed on your needle. Repeat this process until you have cast on the needed amount of stitches. 4. **Finishing:** Once you have your desired number of stitches, you can begin knitting following your pattern. Remember that knitting takes practice – don’t expect to be flawless right away! It will take time and patience to get the hang of this. Also, be mindful that casting on too tightly can make your future rows difficult to knit into. Aim for a consistent, gentle tension. Once you're comfortable with this basic cast-on, you can try your hand at other techniques, such as the knit cast-on, or the cable cast-on, which each give slightly different edges and are used in different situations! Happy knitting!