This is for those of you who wish to learn to knit and for anyone who wants a refresher course as it has been so long since they did any.
There are many ways to cast on but for simplicity, I am only going to show you one which gives a nice firm and tidy edge and is easy to do.
Likewise, I am not going to tell you how to hold your needles as you will find the way that is most comfortable for you as you learn.
The pictures are taken from a face on perspective so that you can sit in front of your screen and copy as you read - in theory Laughing

CASTING ON

First make a loop

Hold the loop in your left hand and pass the yarn through it to create a slip knot

Slide the loop onto the lefthand needle.
Insert the right hand needle into the loop from front to back until the righthand needle is lying crossed behind the lefthand needle.

Wrap the yarn right around the righthand needle going anticlockwise behind the needle and back around to the front to where you began.

The yarn should be lying between the two needles and off to the right

Make a stitch by using the righthand needle to pull a loop of yarn through the first stitch towards you.

Now stretch this loop until you can hang it onto the lefthand needle to make the second cast on stitch, then pull on the yarn to tighten it up again.

Now you have two stitches on the lefthand needle

Insert the righthand needle in between the first and second stitches on the lefthand needle

Wrap the yarn around the righthand needle as before,

And use the righthand needle to pull a third stitch through

Hang this onto the lefthand needle as you did before giving you three caston stitches.

Insert the righthand needle between the third and second stitches and make a fourth stitch in the same way

Continue making stitches in this way until you have twenty or more on your lefthand needle.

This tuition was submitted by Julie