Knitting Tutorial: How to Do a Picot Cast On

Want to learn how to do a picot cast on? Watch the video and get the written steps below. Find more tutorials like this on my knitting tutorial page!

If you’re a left-handed knitter like me, you already know the struggle of trying to translate standard tutorials into something that actually makes sense for your hands. When one of my amazing YouTube subscribers reached out and asked for a step-by-step demo of how to do a picot cast on—specifically left-handed—I knew it was time to get recording. So, grab your yarn and needles, because I’m walking you through how to do a picot cast on, the left-handed way and don’t worry right handed folks, I’ve got you too!

In this post, I’ll share exactly what materials I used, when and why you’d use a picot cast on, written instructions (that make sense for lefties and righties!), and a link to the full left-handed video tutorial. We’re keeping things fun, friendly, and easy to follow—as always.

What Is a Picot Cast On and Why Would You Use It?

If you’ve never done a picot cast on before, think of it like the charming cousin of a standard edge. It adds a little bumpy or scalloped flair to the bottom of your project—perfect for baby knits, feminine accessories, or anything that needs a decorative detail. The best part? It looks fancy but is actually super beginner-friendly once you know the rhythm.

You can use a picot cast on for:

Sweater hems
Baby dresses and cardigans
Shawls and scarves
Sleeves or cuffs that need a delicate touch
Any piece where you want a soft, whimsical edge

Once you know how to do a picot cast on, it becomes one of those little techniques you pull out to make your work feel extra special—without adding a ton of time or complexity.

Materials I Used

In the tutorial video, I used:

KnitPicks Heatherly Sport yarn (affiliate link) – this sport weight yarn is soft and smooth, perfect for showing off the little nubs of the picot edge.
Clover bamboo circular needles, size 6 (affiliate link) – I love bamboo for teaching tutorials because the stitches don’t slide around too much and the tips are gentle on your fingers.

You can really use any yarn and appropriately sized needles for this cast on, but if you want to match my video exactly, those are the ones I used.

How to Do a Picot Cast On (Right-Handed Instructions)

Estimate your long tail.
You’ll need enough yarn to cast on the total number of stitches, plus some extra for the picots. A good rule of thumb is about 1 inch per stitch, but it’s always better to have a little more than not enough.

Make a slip knot and place it on your left needle.

Using the long-tail cast on, cast on 4 stitches.
Your tail yarn should be in your left hand, and your working yarn in your right. Work the cast on as you normally would for a long-tail method.

Bind off 2 stitches.
Knit the first 2 stitches, then lift the first stitch over the second and off the needle to bind off. Knit one more stitch and lift the last stitch over the one you just knit. Now you’ve got your first picot!

Slip the remaining stitch back to the left needle.

Repeat: cast on 4 more stitches, bind off 2, return stitch.
Continue this sequence until you’ve cast on the desired number of stitches, keeping in mind that each repeat adds one picot bump and one live stitch to your cast-on row.

Written Instructions: How to Do a Picot Cast On (Left-Handed)

There are a few different ways to do a picot cast on, but this one uses the long-tail cast on as the base. It creates evenly spaced picots across the edge. Here’s how I do it:

Estimate your long tail.
I like to measure about 1 inch per cast-on stitch to be safe (including picots), plus a little extra. Make a slip knot and place it on your left needle.

Cast on 4 stitches using the long-tail method.
Remember: Lefties, your tail yarn is in your right hand and your working yarn is in your left. You’ll be working the mirror image of a right-handed long-tail cast on.

Bind off 2 stitches.
Use your right needle to knit into the first two stitches and pass the first stitch over the second. Knit one more stitch and lift the last stitch over the one you just knit. You’ve just created your first picot bump!

Return the remaining stitch to the left needle.

Repeat: cast on 4 stitches, bind off 2, return stitch.
Keep going until you have the total number of stitches you need, including all the picots and the stitches in between.

Tip: Every time you cast on 4 and bind off 2, you’re adding one picot and one working stitch to your cast-on row. So, if you want 20 stitches total including 10 picots, you’ll repeat the sequence 10 times.

Tips for Success When Learning How to Do a Picot Cast On

Take it slow. The first few times might feel awkward—especially managing the tension on your long tail—but it gets much easier after a few repetitions.
Use a light-colored yarn. This helps you see the stitch structure clearly, especially if you’re trying to figure it out while watching a video.
Count carefully. It’s easy to get lost in the rhythm and accidentally add or skip a stitch in the bind-off step.
Use markers if needed. You can place stitch markers between each finished picot section to keep your spacing even.

And remember, how to do a picot cast on doesn’t have to feel like a mystery. It’s just a series of tiny, repetitive steps—and us left-handed knitters can absolutely do it just as easily once we flip the method.

Where This Technique Really Shines

When I first learned how to do a picot cast on, I was knitting a baby dress for my daughter. I wanted something extra sweet on the hem without sewing lace on later. That tiny scallop edge completely elevated the look—and I’ve used it so many times since.

Here are a few ideas for patterns where a picot cast on is a perfect match:

Dresses – a picot hem looks adorable with the gathered waist and flared skirt.
Lace bonnets – add a dainty edge at the front or base of the bonnet.
Wrist warmers or mitts – start with a little picot detail to make them more gift-worthy.
Baby cardigans – because why not add a little cuteness overload?

Watch the Full Left-Handed Video Tutorial

I know sometimes you need to see the motion of the stitches, not just read about them. That’s why I filmed a full left-handed tutorial on YouTube just for this. I walk you through how to do a picot cast on step-by-step with close-ups, slow-downs, and all the tips I use when I’m teaching my own kids how to knit.

Watch it here:
And don’t forget to subscribe if you want more left-handed tutorials (there are tons more coming!).

Common Questions About the Picot Cast On

Q: Can I do this with different yarn weights?
Yes! Once you know how to do a picot cast on, you can adapt it to lace, worsted, even bulky. Just adjust your needle size and picot spacing accordingly.

Q: Does it stretch well?
It has a bit of give, but it’s more decorative than functional. I wouldn’t use it on something that needs serious stretch (like sock cuffs), but it works great for hems and necklines.

Q: Can I work in the round after this cast on?
Absolutely! After you finish your picot cast on flat, just join in the round carefully, making sure not to twist. It makes a super cute bottom edge on circular projects.

Q: What’s the difference between a picot cast on and a picot bind off?
A picot cast on creates bumps at the beginning of your knitting, while a picot bind off finishes with a decorative edge. They look similar but are worked totally differently.

Recap: You’ve Got This!

Learning how to do a picot cast on is totally doable. Whether you’re brand new to knitting or just want to add a new technique to your toolkit, this one’s a winner. You’re just casting on 4 stitches, binding off 2, and repeating—it’s rhythmic, relaxing, and turns out beautifully every single time.

And now that you’ve got the written steps, the material list (don’t forget—KnitPicks Heatherly Sport yarn and Clover bamboo size 6 circulars—affiliate links), and the video tutorial to follow along with, you’re all set to go give it a try.

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