Casting On in Knitting

Dear users, dear authors,
How does casting on in knitting work?

Hi Josefa,
there are different methods for casting on stitches.
For socks, you can cast on the stitches more loosely than, say, for dish towels. :-)
Then there’s also the double-sided cast-on. That’s how I cast on stitches for the toe, for example.
Or you can crochet the stitches onto the knitting needle...
Different methods depending on your needs. :-)

I actually always use the long-tail cast-on. It’s pretty easy, and if I don’t want it to be too tight, I use a thicker knitting needle for the cast-on and then switch to the actual (thinner) needle for the first row or round.
If a provisional cast-on is needed—for example, if you want to knit in both directions from a single cast-on—I use the provisional crochet cast-on. With this method, the stitches are crocheted onto the needle using waste yarn. Once one side is finished, the provisional cast-on is undone, the stitches are picked up, and you can immediately continue knitting in the other direction. This allows you to avoid shoulder seams, for example.
If you need to cast on new stitches while knitting (for example, when knitting a top-down sweater after putting the sleeve stitches on hold), there are several options. The Cable CO is super easy and creates a nice cast-on edge. In contrast, the Backward Loop cast-on creates a stretchy edge.

I’m completely lost here! Do these techniques have German names too?

The Long Tail Cast-On is the classic cross cast-on.
Cable CO is the cable cast-on.
The backward loop cast-on is similar to the thumb cast-on.