Casting on is easy

You now know how to make a slip knot.   You are ready to learn how to cast on.  The words "casting on" means you are making the bottom row of knitting.  The cast on row is as important as the basement of a building.  You want it to be able to hold up what you are going to be building.  The cast on row is like setting the stage.  Getting ready to knit.

Slide the slip knot onto one of your needles.
Hold your needle that has the slip knot in your left hand.
Take the empty needle in your right hand.
Hold the needles so the points of the needle are pointing to each other.
The string to your ball will be dangling down off the slip knit.

Now, look at the slip knot.  The part of the stitch facing you is called the "front' of the stitch.  The backside of the stitch is called the back of the stitch.

TIP:  When you knit into the back of the stitch, the stitch will twist.  This is a fancy stitch that makes the cuff of the sleeve more elastic.  I will teach you more about that later.  For now always try to knit into the front of the stitch.

Okie dokie artichockie ready to cast on.
But before we do ...
Here is a little poem to help you remember how to knit

In through the front door
Once around the back
Peak through the window
Out Jumps jack

How the poem relates to making a stitch.

In through the front door.

Take your empty needle in your right hand and put it into the left front side of the stitch.  Poke it in left to right and make a "T" with the needles.

The "T" gets made with the right needle being pointing up behind the left needle.

Once around the back

Reach behind the needle and take hold of the yarn that hangs off the slip knot.  Lift it up a little and wrap it around the "T" up needle.  When you wrap it circle the yarn around the needle from the right over to the left and in between the two needles.  Give it a little pull ( not to tight)  to help the yarn settle into place.

Peak through the window.

This is kind of tricky at first.

Tuck the needle in your right hand down and back out of the slip knot loop.  When you do this you will naturally catch the piece of yarn you just looped around. Gently pull the needle towards you and There is your new stitch.

Out Jumps Jack!

You knit a stitch.  In order to do your first row you place the stitch that you just made that is sitting on your right needle back onto your left needle.  Take the left needle and pick the stitch off the right needle.  Slide it on and gently pull the piece of yarn that hangs from the ball and the stitch will snuggle in next to the slip knot.  Fantastic!  You have two stitches.

Tip:  Be careful to keep using the string that attaches to the ball of yarn.  Its easy in the beginning to grab the short tail.

Keep going.  Make another stitch by going into the new stitch that you just made.  In through the front door - needle goes into the new stitch left to right.  Once around the back -Wrap it around the back in a circle from the right to the left. Peak through the window - tuck the right needle back out of the stitch from the right to the left and catch the strand you just wrapped around.  Out jumps jack  you just made another stitch.  Put the new stitch onto the left needle.  And look - you have three stitches.  Keep going until you have twenty stitches.

Sit back and admire your work.
Look at what you have done twenty little stitches and the fun has just begun.