This cast-on was developed by Judy Becker, as in Judy’s Magic Cast-On.
This is currently my favorite toe-up sock cast-on.
To cast on 16 stitches work as follows:
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1> Make a slip knot, leaving a 12″ tail, and place it on a double-pointed needle (dpn).
Take a 2nd dpn and place it on top of first needle
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2> The the yarn leading to the ball and wrap it 4 times around both needles, starting by going underneath and behind the 2 needles, then up and over the front 4 times, then end with coming back up behind the 2 needles.
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3> Lengthen and twist bottom dpn out of the way to make it easier to knit loops on top needle.
Take a 3rd dpn, insert between needles in first loop, yarn over and knit a stitch.
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4> Repeat for remaining 3 stitches on top needle — 4 knit stitches on top needle.
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5> With RS facing, rotate work clockwise so that bottom loops become top loops — slip knot is first stitch on top needle.
Unravel the slip knot — 4 stitches on each needle.
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6> Hold both strands (working yarn & tail) together to continue.
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7> Holding both strands together, lengthen and twist bottom needle out of the way for easier knitting, then knit top 4 stitches with double strand—4 double stitches on top needle, 4 single stitches on bottom needle
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8> With RS facing, rotate work clockwise so that bottom loops become top loops—single stitches on top needle.
Still holding both strands together, knit top 4 single stitches—4 double stitches on each needle
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9> With RS facing, rotate work clockwise so that bottom loops become top loops—yarn on right side.
Drop tail and continue with working strand only.
Work across top needle by working each loop as its own stitch—8 single stitches on top needle
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10> With RS facing, rotate work clockwise so that bottom loops become top loops—4 double stitches on top needle.
Work across top needle by working each loop as its own stitch—8 single stitches on each needle: 16 stitches total with Stockinette stitch growing in between them.
With RS facing, rotate work clockwise to get ready for first knit round before increasing for the toe.
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DONE!
16 stitches cast on without working actual increases!
By wrapping the yarn for example 4 (5, 6) times around the needle at the beginning, you can cast on multiples of 4 stitches, i.e. 16 (20, 24) stitches.