The very next row after the cast-on row can be so tight that it’s very difficult, or even impossible, to get the needle tip inside the stitch. You can have all the stitches on the needle and the yarn ready for your next stitch, but if the stitches hold the needle tip at bay, you might think that you can’t knit or that you’re doing something wrong with the knit stitch. But in reality, the problem actually began in the cast-on row!
The way in which you do your cast-on row will actually set the amount of space that your next row will have. So, you need to make sure that you create stitches in a way that they won’t end up being so tight that once all the stitches are on the needle and you’ve pulled the row neat and tidy in some way, you can no longer move the stitches. A neat and tidy cast-on border is good, but that should not end up with your stitches so close together that the needle cannot get into them. Ideally, your cast-on row will create an edge that will not become stiff after a row or two and your edge won’t feel too stiff when you hold your knitting up against the light and you can see the stitches.
One good idea is to make a small test edge and check how easy the stitches move along the needle after you cast on a few stitches. Choose a smooth, medium weight yarn and a needle size you normally like for knitting with that yarn. Make a short cast-on edge of, say, ten or twelve stitches, and check how easily the stitches slide around the needle when they have all been made and when you use a bit of tension to move them along the length of the needle. They should move as a group with just a little effort.
One other thing to note is that when you cast on a stitch, you’re using the whole width of the needle, not just the sharp tip of the needle. Since the tip of the needle is narrower than the body of the needle, the first couple of stitches you cast on that are pulled quite close to the tip of the needle might look small on the needle shaft. When you cast on, try to make sure that your finished stitch has some of the space from the body of the needle in it, not the space at the tip only, and let the stitch fall down a bit after it is cast on to the body of the needle so that it’s a little bigger on the body of the needle, even if you cast on the first stitches with the sharp point of the needle in mind.
It’s also important to note that when doing your cast-on stitches, it should be nice and loose. If you don’t cast on your first couple of stitches loosely on the needle, they might end up being too tight if you’re trying to hang onto your tail of yarn and keep your yarn as neat as possible. If you do this, then it’ll probably mean that your tail end might not end up being long enough for your tail and the tail might not have enough yarn to work with for your first stitch. Don’t try and save yarn or have a super neat edge to begin with! Your tail can be used later to weave into a row of your finished project when you need to, using something like a tapestry or yarn needle.
Once you have completed your cast-on, go into the first row, but make sure that you knit slowly and listen to the feedback you’re getting from the needles and the edge of your row. If the needles are going into each of your stitches relatively easily, without too much force, then your stitches are going to be great for your first practice and you’re doing a good job. But if you have to do some serious force, twisting or pulling your stitches down on the needles or if you have to force yourself down to the stitches to get them started on your knitting, then your cast-on edge will be a problem!
If you treat your cast-on row as a row of knitting, then it won’t be as likely to end up in a state of being too tight to knit in. It will not be some sort of preparatory row or “set-up” for your first stitch of a project! If you do a few little cast-ons and knit on a short length of each and compare, you’ll see what a great difference a loose and comfortable edge can make. And remember that a great edge isn’t necessarily the most neat-looking edge; it will be the edge where your first row is able to go, where your first row can go without any resistance at all!