When you cast on a large number of stitches, it takes just one distraction to lose count and start over. A simple and reliable solution is to use stitch markers to separate every group of ten stitches. Below you’ll find practical methods, when to use each one, and which markers work best for this technique.
Why It’s Easy to Lose Count While Casting On
During the cast-on, every stitch looks almost identical. Your eyes get tired, your rhythm breaks, and even a small interruption can throw you off. By dividing the cast-on into clear groups, you create checkpoints that help you keep track without constantly recounting.
Which Stitch Markers Work Best
Choosing the right type of marker is essential if you want it to stay in place without stretching or distorting your stitches.
Recommended stitch markers
- lightweight plastic locking stitch markers;
- lightweight metal bulb pins (pear-shaped pins).
These markers:
- don’t stretch or distort the stitch;
- are easy to open and close;
- clip securely onto a single stitch or bar;
- work with most yarn weights.
Marker color
Use contrasting colors so each group of stitches is easy to see:
- dark markers for light yarns,
- light markers for dark yarns.
Markers to avoid
Less suitable options include:
- heavy metal markers;
- decorative markers with beads or charms;
- large, bulky markers;
- simple ring markers for cast-on (they slide off easily and don’t stay anchored).
These can pull on the stitch, distort the edge, or fall off while you’re casting on.
Using Stitch Markers to Mark Every Ten Stitches
When casting on many stitches, you can place the marker onto a specific stitch or onto the bar between two stitches. Both methods are used by experienced knitters to mark each group of ten.
Two Ways to Count Stitches Using a Marker
Method 1: Attach the marker to the 10th stitch
This is the simplest and most intuitive approach.
How to do it:
Cast on 10 stitches, then clip a locking stitch marker into the “leg” of the 10th stitch. Continue casting on the next 10 stitches and repeat the process.
Why this works:
- clear rhythm: “10 stitches — marker”;
- easy to read in long cast-on sections;
- suitable for most yarn weights.
Method 2: Attach the marker to the bar between the 10th and 11th stitch
This method is ideal when you want maximum neatness and definition in your cast-on edge.
How to do it:
- Cast on 10 stitches.
- Work the 11th stitch so it sits on the needle.
- A small horizontal bar (strand) will appear between stitch 10 and stitch 11.
- Clip the stitch marker directly onto that bar and close it.
Why this works:
- it doesn’t touch or distort the 10th stitch;
- keeps the cast-on edge very even;
- excellent for fine, delicate, or slippery yarns (silk, alpaca, mohair blends);
- the marker hangs lightly and doesn’t pull on the edge.
Which Method Should You Choose?
It depends on your yarn and your priorities:
- Want a simple, fast rhythm? Attach the marker to the 10th stitch.
- Working with delicate or slippery yarn and want a perfectly even edge? Attach the marker to the bar between the 10th and 11th stitch.
Both methods are valid and widely used — choose the one that feels most natural in your hands.
A Third Method: Placing the Marker on the Needle
There is also a third common approach: placing the stitch marker on the needle. This is used in projects where the marker needs to move with your knitting and act as a mobile reference point.
Typical examples include:
- top-down raglan increases;
- skirts and dresses with wedge shaping;
- cardigans with shaping lines;
- any project with regular increases or decreases in specific positions.
In these situations, a marker on the needle makes it easy to slip it from one needle to the other and never miss an increase or decrease.
In short:
- marker on the needle — for moving landmarks (raglan, shaping, wedges);
- marker on the stitch or bar — for fixed checkpoints and accurate counting (especially in the cast-on).
Summary
Knitters use three main marker techniques:
- marker on the stitch — the easiest way to keep track when casting on many stitches;
- marker on the bar — the neatest option for fine, delicate yarns;
- marker on the needle — the most efficient for mobile reference points in raglan and shaping.
Choose the method that matches your yarn, your project, and the stage of your knitting — and your stitch count will always stay under control.
