Help interpreting pattern directions

How-to Questions
1

So I just frogged the hat I was knitting and I’m starting over. I’m confused about the directions. It says to cast on 89 stitches. Then “Pass the first cast-on stitch over to the left needle, and knit the first two together, for a total of 88 stitches.”

I’m confused because the first cast-on stitch is already on the left needle! Should I just skip that part, and knit the first 2 st together?

2

If you will be knitting in the round they are doing this so you have a closer join. When knitting in the round you will have stitches on both needles.