Sooner or later, almost every knitter wants to cast on from the center. Whether you're making the crown of a top-down hat, the toe of a toe-up sock, the top of a mitten, or the base of a knitted bag, starting neatly from the center can be a challenge.
With a traditional cast on, you're often left with a small hole in the middle of your work.
Fortunately, there's a simple solution. Pinhole Cast On, also known as the Circular Cast On or Emily Ocker's Circular Cast On, creates a fully adjustable center that closes completely, leaving no hole. Named after its creator, Emily Ocker, this technique produces a neat, professional-looking finish on both the right and wrong sides of your knitting. It's one of the best ways to start knitting in the round from the center.
Welcome to SoSimpleKnit.com
If you're new here, welcome!
My name is Nataly, and at SoSimpleKnit.com I share practical knitting tutorials, helpful tips, and easy-to-follow techniques that make knitting more enjoyable and less frustrating.
Whether you're picking up your needles for the very first time or you've been knitting for years, you'll find clear instructions, proven techniques, and step-by-step guides designed to help you knit with confidence.
Along with free tutorials like this one, you'll also find a growing collection of carefully designed PDF knitting patterns in my shop. Every pattern includes detailed instructions, plenty of photos, and thoughtful explanations to guide you through every step—from the first cast-on stitch to the final bind-off.
If you enjoy learning new knitting techniques that make your projects cleaner, easier, and more enjoyable, you're in exactly the right place.
Now let's take a closer look at one of the most useful techniques every knitter should know: the Pinhole Cast On, a simple and reliable way to cast on knitting from the center without leaving a hole.
A Little Personal Story
For a long time, I thought crochet had one big advantage over knitting. With crochet, it's so easy to start from the center—just make a magic ring, and you have a perfectly closed circle with no hole.
Whenever I saw beautiful knitted bags worked from the bottom up, I couldn't help wondering, How do you cast on knitting from the center with needles? How do you start with a perfectly round base without leaving a hole in the middle?
When I discovered the Pinhole Cast On, I was genuinely excited. I realized that you can cast on from the center with knitting needles just as neatly as you can with a crochet magic ring—and create a completely closed center with no visible hole.
Since then, the Pinhole Cast On has become one of my favorite knitting techniques.
What Is a Pinhole Cast On?
A Pinhole Cast On is a technique that allows you to cast on stitches from the center using an adjustable loop of yarn. After knitting the first round, you simply pull the yarn tail to tighten the loop, leaving a perfectly closed center with no visible hole.
If you're familiar with crochet, you'll immediately recognize this technique—it works much like the Magic Ring (also known as the Magic Circle or adjustable ring) commonly used in amigurumi.
When to Use a Center Cast On
A Pinhole Cast On is ideal for any knitting project that begins with a small circle. It's commonly used for:
- top-down hats;
- toe-up socks;
- mittens and fingerless gloves;
- round bag or basket bases;
- knitted toys;
- circular decorative projects, such as coasters and doilies.
What You'll Need
You only need a few basic supplies to cast on from the center:
- knitting needles for working in the round (double-pointed needles or long circular needles for the Magic Loop method);
- yarn;
- a crochet hook (optional). A crochet hook can make the cast-on a little easier, especially for beginners, but it's not required. In the video, I demonstrate both methods: with and without a crochet hook.
How to Do a Pinhole Cast On Without a Hole (Using a Crochet Hook)
1. Make an Adjustable Loop
Lay the yarn across your palm with the yarn tail pointing toward you. Wrap the working yarn around your finger, leaving a yarn tail about 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) long to create an adjustable loop.
Insert a crochet hook through the loop, catch the working yarn, and pull up a loop through the ring. This loop will become the first stitch of your Pinhole Cast On.
2. Cast On the Stitches
Insert your knitting needle into the adjustable loop and cast on the required number of stitches, one at a time. In this tutorial, I cast on 8 stitches, but you can adjust the number to suit your pattern.
The stitches remain attached to the adjustable yarn loop, which will be tightened later to create a perfectly closed center with no visible hole.
3. Divide the Stitches onto the Needles
Once you've cast on all 8 stitches, distribute them evenly across your knitting needles. In this tutorial, I place 2 stitches on each of four double-pointed needles to prepare for knitting in the round.
If you're using the Magic Loop method, simply arrange all the stitches on your circular needle according to your preferred setup before joining to work in the round.
4. Tighten the Center and Continue Knitting
Pull the yarn tail to tighten the adjustable loop. The center will close completely, leaving a neat, hole-free finish.
Once the loop is fully tightened, continue working your pattern as instructed, making any required increases according to your knitting pattern or design. Your project is now ready to grow from a perfectly closed center.
For a clearer understanding of the technique, I've put together a step-by-step video tutorial showing exactly how to cast on from the center using the Pinhole Cast On method. Follow along and see how easy it is to create a perfectly closed center with no hole.
Benefits of the Pinhole Cast On
There are several reasons why the Pinhole Cast On has become a favorite among knitters:
- creates a completely closed center with no visible hole;
- works well with almost any type of yarn;
- provides a clean, neat start for knitting in the round;
- looks professional on both the right and wrong sides of your work;
- is easy to learn, even if you're a beginner;
- is perfect for any project that starts from the center.
It's no surprise that many knitters consider the Pinhole Cast On to be one of the best alternatives to a traditional cast-on when beginning circular knitting.
If you've been wondering how to cast on knitting from the center without a hole, I highly recommend giving the Pinhole Cast On a try. This simple technique creates a beautifully neat starting point and is ideal for top-down hats, toe-up socks, mittens, bags, toys, and any project that begins in the round.
Once you've mastered this center cast-on technique, you'll be able to start circular knitting with the same clean, seamless finish that crocheters achieve with a Magic Ring. It's one of those small techniques that makes a big difference and before long, it will likely become one of your favorite knitting skills.
Thank you for being here! I hope to see you again in future tutorials and blog posts.
Nataly
SoSimpleKnit.com