Suspended Bind-off Tutorial

Sarah

Sorry I don't have any exciting knitting to show you -- I've been pretty busy with school and haven't had a chance to work on anything I can blog about, so Laura (smart lady) suggested I post a tutorial on the suspended bind-off. It's a great method: almost as easy as a regular bind-off, but much more elastic. If you're one of those knitters who usually has to run and find a larger needle every time you bind off, I think you'll find this useful!

Step 1: Knit the first two stitches to be bound off.

Step 2: Slip the first stitch you knit -- let's call this stitch "Fred" -- over the second stitch you knit, and onto the left-hand needle.

Step 3: Bring the right-hand needle around and insert it into the next stitch on the left-hand needle. You aren't doing anything to Fred, he's just sitting there while you work the stitch next to him.

Step 4: Now that you've knit into the stitch next to Fred, you've got two stitches on the right-hand needle again, and you can allow Fred to slide off the left-hand needle.

Step 5: The first stitch has been bound off. Repeat steps 2 through 4 to continue binding off.

Step 6: When you've reached the end of the row, only two stitches will be left.

Step 7: Slip the right-hand stitch over the other stitch and off the needle. Now cut your yarn, leaving a long enough end to weave in, and bring it through the remaining loop and pull tight to close. You're done binding off!

This is what the bound-off edge should look like. It's nice and elastic, so if you tend to bind off too tightly, I think you'll really like this method.

Comments

[Oiyi]

This looks interesting. I am going to give this one a try the next time I bind off a scarf. I always find the bind off of my scarfs to be tighter than the cast on side. I love your tuts! The photos and instructions are always clear.

[Dave`]

Very cool! I'm wondering if this would work for toe-up socks. I'm still searching for a bind-off that's loose enough and looks good, i.e., doesn't flare. Hmmm, experimentation may be in order. :-)

[Carol]

I will have to try that next time!

[Teyani]

great tutorial - I know how much it takes to put these together.

I'll have to try this method- it looks like fun.. or maybe it's just cause you called him "fred" (grin) very clever.

[Andi]

Thanks for the tutorial. I'm going to have to give this a try!

[Suzanne V. (Yarnhog)]

My spatial orientation skills are abysmal, so I'm not sure, but I think that is a different way of doing the bindoff for Icarus. It seems less involved than the one I did, but I think binding off 500+ stitches probably always seems really involved.

[Miss Scarlett]

Your pictures are incredibly clear - how do you manage that?

This is the bind off method I use all the time -- I didn't know there were others! It is amazing how much there is to learn in this craft.

Just so you know - you can still bind off too tightly with this method too. Trust me.

[E]

Thanks for a great tutorial. Many are very confusing, but not yours. Pictures and descriptions are very clear and concise.

[Amy Heidecker]

how is this any different than the regular bind off? In the end, Fred does the same thing... I don't see the advantage, and I don't end up with a more elastic bind-off...

[SAM]

That looks a little like the 'cable cast-on'. now both sides of my work will look the same thanks.