double cast-on question

[gussy889]

I am a pretty inexperienced knitter. I have been watching the video instructions of a double cast-on. If not using a slip not, it looks like the first cast on stitch is actually 2 stitches...is this correct? I am also using a double yarn for my project, so I really need to know how to count these cast on stitches. Is it called a double cast-on because the first one is a double stitch?
Thanks!

[salmonmac]

The first stitch for the double cast on (also called long tail cast on or continental cast on) can be a loop over the needle as in the video on the Cast Ons section under the Free Videos tab at the top of the page. It can also be a slip knot. Whether you use a slip knot or just a loop over the needle to start, it still counts as a stitch. Count all the loops over the needle as stitches. In your case with doubled yarn, each stitch will be made up of two threads.

[MerigoldinWA]

salmonmac gave a good answer. I have seen patterns that asked you to knit each loop on the needle of a cast on done with double yarn to increase the stitches, so it depends on what your pattern wants you to do. If they are treating each double strand as as one stitch loop, then you need to be sure you work two strands as one. If they wanted you to increase by knitting each loop as a stitch you'd need to count each of the double loops individually.

[gussy889]

Thanks so much for your help! I thought I was doing something wrong when I tried that method of casting on and was unsure how to count my cast-on stitches.