The cable cast on is a versatile cast on to have at your disposal. It is a cast on that is easy to learn, easy to execute, and works on many projects.
How to work a cable cast on
Begin: Cast on 2 stitches.
Repeat: *put the right needle through the space between first two stitches. Knit to create a new stitch. Move this new stitch from right needle onto left needle and repeat from * to correct number of stitches.
Alternative cast ons you can use include the long tail cast on, e-wrap or backwards loop cast on, or flexible long-tail cast on.