Many people who are new to knitting will watch someone cast on using the thumb method and think it is really difficult. However if you can tie a slip knot and knit, you can do this too.
Leaving a long tail of yarn (enough to cast on the required number of stitches), tie a slip knot, as shown in steps 1-4 of our post How to cast on using 2 needles:
Bring the long tail of yarn over your thumb as shown:
Hold the working yarn as shown between your fingers and move the right hand needle away from your thumb:
Insert needle into yarn as shown:
Using your thumb as the second needle knit the stitch as normal, using the yarn attached to the ball, DO NOT try and knit with the shorter tail end of the yarn:
Slide the stitch off your thumb onto the needle and pull to tighten, the tail end of the yarn should be looped over your thumb as shown ready to work the next stitch:
Continue adding stitches to the needle in the same way until the required number of stitches are on the needle:
