Tubular cast off (it's pretty)
includes 4 illustrations--click any illustration to enlarge
The tubular cast OFF described today is identical to the tubular cast ON of the last post in every way but one: you create them differently. But when the creation process is complete, these two are identical twins. The structure of the fabric is the same, they look the same, they stretch the same. Knitters often complain that their casts on look so different from their casts off, but after this post, YOU, dear reader, will no longer be able to complain about this particular annoyance. In examining the exposed fabric edge, the most eagle-eyed expert will find it impossible to say whether your tubular ribbing edges were created by a cast ON or a cast OFF.
The tubular cast ON, the subject of the previous post, is a three-phase process:
Phase 1 is a row of stockinette stitches cast on over a provisional tail,
Phase 2 consists of four double-knitting foundation rows which are knitted into the heads and tails of the cast-on row, and
Phase 3 is the 1x1 ribbing which follows.
The tubular cast OFF, the subject of today's post is done exactly in reverse, also in three phases:
(below) Hold TWO circular needles in your RIGHT HAND. To make it easier on you, these should be a little THINNER than the needles used to create the ribbing. (If you are a perfectionist, no fears: transferring these stitches onto these smaller needles will NOT affect your gauge in any way--for more information about why this is true, click here.) Slip a KNIT stitch to the front needle. Specifically, slip the stitch as shown: untwisted. (Unlike in phase 2, there is NO KNITTING in this step, just SLIPPING.)
(below) Next, slip a PURL stitch to the back needle--slipped UNTWISTED as shown. (Again, unlike in phase 2, there is NO PURLING in this step, just SLIPPING.)
Alternate the two procedures: A knit stitch to the front needle, a purl stitch to the back needle and so on, until ALL the stitches have been separated.
(Below) At the end of the separating process, you should have 1/2 the stitches (the knits) on one needle, and 1/2 the stitches on the other needle. The project should look like this:
Now that the stitches are separated, the final step is to GRAFT the stitches together. For this, you will use the KITCHENER stitch. If you know how to Kitchener stitch with a yarn and threaded needle, have at it. If you don't know, follow THIS link for a new, easier method of doing the Kitchener stitch with knitting needles. The separated stitches are exactly like the front and back stitches in all the Kitchener diagrams. In other words, the separated stitches are just like the front and back stitches of a sock toe (the most common form of Kitchener stitching).
(Below) Here is the final result "in the wool." Nice, hey?
One last tip: If you are Kitchener stitching in the ROUND, and you want the round to end beautifully, here is the trick: If you are using a method of Kitchener stitch which involves a prep step for the first two stitches, IGNORE the prep step. If you are using the TECHknitting method, no worries as there is no prep step. When you work the first knit stitch, simply work it 1/2 (insert yarn in correct manner, pull it through BUT instead of dropping the stitch off the needle as you would normally do, put a bobby-pin or other holder through this stitch. Do the same with the first purl stitch--work it 1/2 and put a bobby pin through it as you drop it off the needle. When you come to the end of the round, RETURN the pinned knit stitch to the front needle (right arm forward) and the pinned purl stitch to the back needle (also right arm forward). Use these returned stitches to perform the last half of the Kitchener stitch maneuver on the final repeat. Tada! a perfect ending. (If this closing tip sounds mysterious and difficult, it will all come clear when you try it with yarn and needles--really! Is it worth it to fool with the final stitch like this? I think so: the last photo, above, includes the round end as finished according to this tip and I don't think it shows at all.)
ADDENDUM 5-6-09. If you click this link, you will be taken to a post by Revknits, who adapted the 1x1 tubular bind off for a 2x2 rib--and did a great job of it!
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 2: Why cuffs and bands are wonky, and what to do about it (November 14, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 3: Hems and facings:(November 22, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 4: Knitting shut hems and facings (December 9, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 5: Sewing shut hems and facings (December 23, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 6: Your steam iron: a mighty weapon in the fight against curling and flipping (December 25, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 7: Zig-zag bands (December 29, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 8: Provisional tail method of 1x1 tubular cast on (January 11, 2008)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs: the wrap-up (January 23, 2008)
The tubular cast OFF described today is identical to the tubular cast ON of the last post in every way but one: you create them differently. But when the creation process is complete, these two are identical twins. The structure of the fabric is the same, they look the same, they stretch the same. Knitters often complain that their casts on look so different from their casts off, but after this post, YOU, dear reader, will no longer be able to complain about this particular annoyance. In examining the exposed fabric edge, the most eagle-eyed expert will find it impossible to say whether your tubular ribbing edges were created by a cast ON or a cast OFF.
The tubular cast ON, the subject of the previous post, is a three-phase process:
Phase 1 is a row of stockinette stitches cast on over a provisional tail,
Phase 2 consists of four double-knitting foundation rows which are knitted into the heads and tails of the cast-on row, and
Phase 3 is the 1x1 ribbing which follows.
The tubular cast OFF, the subject of today's post is done exactly in reverse, also in three phases:
- Phase 1 is the 1x1 ribbing,
- Phase 2 consists of four double-knitting foundation rows (created exactly like the four double-knitting foundation rows of the cast-ON) and
- Phase 3 consists of two parts:
- part 1 is a preparation row or round to separate and prepare the stitches for grafting.
- part 2 is the final trick of the whole thing: the stitches separated in the previous part are grafted together. This creates a row of stockinette stitches on the very edge of the garment which is identical in every way with the row of stockinette stitches of the tubular cast ON.
Phase 1: 1x1 RIBBING
1. This step is easy: you create a 1x1 ribbing, as deep as you would like. ( BTW: 1x1 ribbing means a k1, p1 ribbing.)Phase 2: FOUNDATION ROWS
2. This step consists of FOUR foundation rows or rounds. These are the foundation for phase 3. If you are working in the round, place a marker. If you are working flat (back-and-forth) no need for a marker.- ROW/ROUND 1: Knit each KNIT stitch, and SLIP each purl stitch.
- ROW/ROUND 2: depending whether you are working a row or a round, proceed as follows:
- row 2: Turn work, and repeat row 1
- round 2: slip maker. Now PURL every purl stitch and SLIP every knit stitch.
- ROW/ROUND 3: Repeat row/round 1
- ROW/ROUND 4: Repeat row/round 2
Phase 3: GRAFTING
As stated above, this phase is in two parts. For some reason, the first part of this phase often confuses folks, so here are some illustrations:(below) Hold TWO circular needles in your RIGHT HAND. To make it easier on you, these should be a little THINNER than the needles used to create the ribbing. (If you are a perfectionist, no fears: transferring these stitches onto these smaller needles will NOT affect your gauge in any way--for more information about why this is true, click here.) Slip a KNIT stitch to the front needle. Specifically, slip the stitch as shown: untwisted. (Unlike in phase 2, there is NO KNITTING in this step, just SLIPPING.)
(below) Next, slip a PURL stitch to the back needle--slipped UNTWISTED as shown. (Again, unlike in phase 2, there is NO PURLING in this step, just SLIPPING.)
Alternate the two procedures: A knit stitch to the front needle, a purl stitch to the back needle and so on, until ALL the stitches have been separated.
(Below) At the end of the separating process, you should have 1/2 the stitches (the knits) on one needle, and 1/2 the stitches on the other needle. The project should look like this:
Now that the stitches are separated, the final step is to GRAFT the stitches together. For this, you will use the KITCHENER stitch. If you know how to Kitchener stitch with a yarn and threaded needle, have at it. If you don't know, follow THIS link for a new, easier method of doing the Kitchener stitch with knitting needles. The separated stitches are exactly like the front and back stitches in all the Kitchener diagrams. In other words, the separated stitches are just like the front and back stitches of a sock toe (the most common form of Kitchener stitching).
(Below) Here is the final result "in the wool." Nice, hey?
One last tip: If you are Kitchener stitching in the ROUND, and you want the round to end beautifully, here is the trick: If you are using a method of Kitchener stitch which involves a prep step for the first two stitches, IGNORE the prep step. If you are using the TECHknitting method, no worries as there is no prep step. When you work the first knit stitch, simply work it 1/2 (insert yarn in correct manner, pull it through BUT instead of dropping the stitch off the needle as you would normally do, put a bobby-pin or other holder through this stitch. Do the same with the first purl stitch--work it 1/2 and put a bobby pin through it as you drop it off the needle. When you come to the end of the round, RETURN the pinned knit stitch to the front needle (right arm forward) and the pinned purl stitch to the back needle (also right arm forward). Use these returned stitches to perform the last half of the Kitchener stitch maneuver on the final repeat. Tada! a perfect ending. (If this closing tip sounds mysterious and difficult, it will all come clear when you try it with yarn and needles--really! Is it worth it to fool with the final stitch like this? I think so: the last photo, above, includes the round end as finished according to this tip and I don't think it shows at all.)
ADDENDUM 5-6-09. If you click this link, you will be taken to a post by Revknits, who adapted the 1x1 tubular bind off for a 2x2 rib--and did a great job of it!
* * *
This is part 9 of a series. The other posts are:
How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 1: Opera and Soap Opera (November 1, 2007)This is part 9 of a series. The other posts are:
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 2: Why cuffs and bands are wonky, and what to do about it (November 14, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 3: Hems and facings:(November 22, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 4: Knitting shut hems and facings (December 9, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 5: Sewing shut hems and facings (December 23, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 6: Your steam iron: a mighty weapon in the fight against curling and flipping (December 25, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 7: Zig-zag bands (December 29, 2007)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs, part 8: Provisional tail method of 1x1 tubular cast on (January 11, 2008)
*How to knit better bands and cuffs: the wrap-up (January 23, 2008)
--TECHknitter
(You have been reading TECHknitting on: "Tubular bind off")
(You have been reading TECHknitting on: "Tubular bind off")
contents © 2006-2009 by techknitting@hotmail.com
23 Comments:
This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for another great tutorial.
When I do tubular bind-off, I do the prep stitches in grafting, then "complete" them when I come back around.
But what is the purpose of the foundation rows? Mine seem to work just fine without them. When I had a mighty struggle (which I lost) with 2x2 tubular bind-off, the foundation rows seemed to be making the bound-off edge tight and inelastic.
Hi AuntieAnn: The foundation rows are what creates the sides of the "tube" for tubular bind off. What you are doing is knitting 2 rows of fabric on the front, and 2 rows of fabric on the back, then uniting the two 2-row fabrics at the top with the grafting. If you look at the second to last illustration, you can see that each of the two needles is actually at the "top" of a separate piece of fabric, and both of those fabrics grow out of the ribbing: the back fabric grows out of the purls, and the front fabric out of the knits. You should knit the foundation rows with a not-too-tight tension, because each is only half as long as the ribbing. (In this, as most other things in knitting, use makes master, and swatches rule!) Thanks for writing.
--TK
I found your blog through Ravelry, and I am hooked.
What great articles you deliver!!!! So precise and so clear.
Thank you so much for your work, I really appreciate it.
You are amazing. What an elegantly simple technique! You should publish all these in a handbook, you provide the clearest, easiest to understand instructions and explanations I've ever seen. Thank you so much.
Genius! I have recently learnt and adopted the tubular cast-on, but was always unhappy about the look of the sewn bind-off, which is what most sources tell you to use in this case. Your solution looks much neater. Thankyou!
I can't wait to give this a try. Thanks for such precise instructions!
Great job
Thanks for your last two posts. I've printed them so I can study them. These are things that I've never done well, although I have managed a good tubular cast on when I start with a row of single crochet (that is eventually removed).
I'm trying this cast-off for the first time, and when slipping stitches for the foundations rows, I've been leaving the yarn in back or front, depending on if I'm knitting or purling. But it's not looking right. Do I need to bring the yarn to the opposite side when slipping stitches? Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth--Thanks for your question. When you slip, the yarn GOES TO THE MIDDLE. In other words, when you are knitting the knits and slipping the purls, the yarn goes BEHIND the slipped stitches. When you are purling the purls and slipping the knits, the yarn goes IN FRONT of the slipped stitches. By keeping those slips in the middle--inside the tube, the walls of which you are creating during the foundation rows--they are hidden and will not show when the tops of the tube are grafted (kitchener stitched) together. --TK
Why not a 3 needle bind off instead of kitchener? What would be the difference?
Hi TechKnitter! Your bind-off is a thing of beauty, and it really makes a difference in how professional my knitting looks. Is it possible to do the same bind-off with 2x2 knitting?
Hi Lisa:
Good question! In structural terms, both the three-needle bind off and the kitchener stitch finish off knitted fabric so it will not run. However, the tubular bind off (kitchener stitch) makes the fabric look like it has no edge--like the fabric simply goes around the top of the ribbing. By contrast, the three-needle bind off makes a distinct edge--not bad, just not as pretty as the tubular bind off.
Hi Jen:
I have not yet found a method of binding off 2x2 ribbing that looks ANYTHING like as nice as this trick for 1x1 ribbing. If a trick for binding off 2x2 ribbing reveals itself to me, I will certainly post it, but none has so far.
Thanks for writing
--TK
this is the first time I've come across TECHknitting. it's wonderful! thank you to whomever putss this site together. pictures are great and text is very readable. all I need now is an extra day/week to read it all!
shirley - in the twin cities, where spring has finally arrived
p.s. my response is not to tubular bindoff, but to flat-topped cap, and the site in general
I know I'm a few months late to the tutorial, but I have a question -- Do you have to start with twice the number of stitches for the "foundation up" rows as you had in the actual garment? I'm at the top of a sock with 72 stitches of 1x1 rib: do I need to increase to 144? It seems like if I just start slipping every other stitch of the 72 and then graft them that I'll end up with a stretchy but too-tight bind off. Thanks so much!
Larissa-
No, leave it at 72 stitches, and it will work out fine. It's amazing!
To bind-off a 2x2 ribbing, you can use the "Invisible bind-off for 1x1 rib" technique (the kind that uses a tapestry needles), with this adaptation: Treat the 2 knit stitches as one knit stitch, and treat the 2 purl stitches as one purl stitch. Be sure to watch your tension. The end results look good!
Slip wyif.
I did it the standard way hand had a bit of frogging to do.
I agree with AuntieAnn... I did the two foundation rows, slipping stitches, and found the edge much less elastic than the rest of the ribbing. The whole thing still works without those two rows, and (i think) it's tidier. So while I know that those 4 rows make the tube, does it really matter?
I have 41 stitchs - 21 k and 20 p. What would I do with last stitch?
I am know sure if I misread the instructions but it seems you left out one vital point...In the four foundations rows of phase 2; bring the yard forward after knitting knit stitch and before slipping purl stitch, then return yarn to back of work.
It seems no-one else had a problem so maybe it was me!
I love your website and have been using it a ton! A question on this method though--can you do more than the 4 foundation rows to make the tube and still have the same result? I'm doing a Christmas stocking and would like a larger contrasting rib at the top. Is it better to just do a length of ribbing and then switch to the tubing you show, or should I do the tubing the whole way up the (probably 1") rib?
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