I-cord tassels

(No posts for a long time because I broke my ankle.  It's better now, though!)

 Although similar in concept to regular tassels, I-cord tassels have fewer, thicker strands, for a different look.

1: Make several lengths of I-cord. The photo to the right shows 2 tassels, each made from 2 double-length cords and folded over.

2: The lengths are attached at the point of the garment by tacking them down (several stitches) using matching yarn threaded onto a blunt, large-eyed (tapestry) sewing needle.

3. As you can see, a short length of yarn is wound around the cords, perhaps 1/2 or 3/4 inch down from the connection point. This joins the separate lengths of I-cord and prevents them sticking out in all directions, while creating a small bobble above for the winding for the classic "tassel look."

4. For shorter tassels, a simple wind at the top to hide the tacking is all that is required, as the shorter cords look well sticking out in different directions.

5: For added effect, the ends of each length of I-cord is knotted in a simple overhand knot.

One final tip: The ends of all the sewing and winding yarns are simply hidden in the center tube of the I-cords, making this an easy-peasy project, indeed.

--TK
You have been reading TECHknitting on "I cord tassels."

Jogless stripes redux, coming May 5, 2009

update, February 2011: The article previewed below is now serialized in TECHknitting blog, beginning here. 

* * *
TECHknitting hits print!

Among the wonderful articles and patterns in the upcoming Summer 2009 issue of INTERWEAVE KNITS, there will be an article by TECHknitter (that's me!) on the subject of Jogless stripes.


Parts of the information covered has been seen before, but in a different format and with different illustrations (click here). In the magazine, this information is re-presented with all-new illustrations. Not previously covered on TECHknitting blog and new to the magazine is instruction on jogless barber-pole (aka helix) stripes, with a neat trick for making this kind of stripes easier (much easier!) as well as a trick for making the elusive single-row jogless stripe. Pick up a copy and see for yourself--on sale May 5th, or by subscription (click here).

I'm excited about this debut, and hope you will like TECHknitting in this new medium (print!)
--TECHknitter

Crossing stitches: one way to avoid a hole on a vertical opening in knitwear

On the community knitting board Ravelry, the subject has twice lately come up of crossing stitches to avoid a hole where a vertical opening (pocket slit, buttonhole, sleeve opening, division for the heeltab of a sock) is being made. Although it is not the only method for avoiding holes in this area, crossing stitches is a decent utility method for solving the problem and deserves a post of its own.

Illustration 1 shows the nature of the problem. Specifically, when two columns of stitches are to be separated, the only thing holding the fabric together under the separation is a single stand of yarn (illustrated in green). That single strand tends to stretch out, and will eventually leave a hole in this area.


Illustration 2 shows that by crossing the stitches in the row just under the separation, there will now be five strands of yarn to take the strain (green) rather than the single strand in illustration 1. (As to how to cross the stitches, the easiest way is probably to spear one stitch with a bobby pin and let it hang on the back or the front of the work, knit the next stitch, and then replace the stitch from the bobby pin onto the left needle, and then knit it. Whether you allow the bobby-pinned stitch to fall to the back or the front determines whether the front stitch of the crossed pair slants right or left)


Illustration 3 shows an application of this principle at the heel tab of a sock.


Illustration 4 shows crossed stitches at the bottom of a vertical opening such as a pocket slit or a vertical buttonhole, or at the bottom of a sleeve opening.



Illustration 5 is the same as illustration 4, but shown "in the wool." As you can see, the stitches are crossed differently in illustrations 4 and 5, and it is up to you to decide which way you like better--structurally, it makes no difference at all.


Crossing stitches makes a sturdy utility reinforcement--very good for socks, buttonholes, glove fingers, sleeve openings and children's clothing. However, this method makes a noticeable pucker in the fabric, and therefore is perhaps not so wonderful for a v-neck sweater, where (depending on the further edge treatment) the pucker created by crossing the stitches might be on very obvious display.

A note to knitting geeks: there is one additional application of crossing stitches which is quite lovely. When you KNOW you are going to use a Norwegian sleeve "psuedo-steek" (no additional stitches added for the steek) you can cross the stitches in the row UNDER where the cut for the sleeve steek is going to end. In other words, after you have secured the two columns of stitches on either side of the intended cut, then when you come to cut the "ladder" between the two columns, there will be a nice pair of crossed stitches at the bottom of the ladder, just waiting to take the strain at the bottom of the newly-made opening.

--TECHknitter You have been reading TECHknitting on "crossed stitch reinforcement for the bottom of a vertical opening in knitwear."

Casting on additional stitches at the end of a row or over a gap by the loop cast-on method: a trick for beautiful fabric

Today's installment of TECHknitting shows a trick for casting on (adding) stitches at the end of a row, such as where instructions state to "add X stitches at the end of the row." This trick works equally well over a gap, such as over a peasant thumb on a mitten, or over a pocket opening, or over a buttonhole.

Way back, in the fourth post ever released on TECHknitting blog, the looping-on method of casting on was introduced, with that post indicating that this method is fragile and of limited usefulness. Yet, there are some times when this cast-on, so unsuited to ordinary duty, simply shines--a real Cinderella of a cast-on. Specifically, when done right, the looping-on cast-on turns out to be ideal for adding stitches at the end of a row.

Now, the experienced knitters among you may be shaking your heads, and well you might: the loop cast-on at the end of a row usually ends up making an untidy mess of loose, loopy foundation stitches--a sad embarrassment at seaming time, and a truly terrible looking mess on an exposed edge. Yet, with all its faults, the loop cast-on can very easily be made directly from the running yarn of the adjoining row, and this ease of construction is simply not true of the alternative methods.

What if the advantages of this looping-on (ease of construction) could remain, but the loose mess could be eliminated? Well, here is a TECH-trick to do that--a trick which will tighten up this easy, yet messy method into respectability and true usefulness.

Step 1: Let us suppose that you have piece of stockinette fabric (illustrated in light blue) and you need to add four stitches at the end of a row of knitting. In this trick, we will get to four stitches eventually, but we are actually only going to start by adding only three loops. These three loops are illustrated in lavender. (To learn how to do the looping-on cast-on, click here.) The yarn connecting the garment stitches and the three newly-made loop st is illustrated in dark purple, and we will come back to that connector shortly.

Step 2: Turn the work.


Step 3: Knit the first stitch of the loop cast-on. This can be frustrating because the loop keeps wanting to untwist as you try to knit into it, but persevere. In the illustrations below, the first loop has been knitted, and the stitch knitted is illustrated in green.

Step 4: Knit the remaining 2 loops. You will now have on your right needle, three stitches plus a horrible, nasty, long length of yarn (illustrated in purple) connecting these 3 stitches to the rest of the knitted fabric, as shown below. Do not despair! This has been foreseen and will be eliminated in step 5.

Step 5: We will now preform the trick which will remove that extra slack, smarten up the loop cast on, and raise the stitch count to the proper number. Here's how: grasp the excess yarn (purple) between your thumb and forefinger, give it a half twist in the clockwise direction, and replace it on the LEFT needle.


Step 6: knit this stitch as you have done the previous loops


Step 7: the final result


Do you see what you've done? You've made a new loop, thus using up the excess yarn AND correcting the stitch count.

By this trick of casting on one less stitch than we need, then making the additional stitch out of the inevitable slack on the next row, we have turned the sloppy slack created by the loop cast on from a disadvantage into an asset.

In the example above, we have 4 stitches to add on by the loop method. However, if you have to add on a substantial number of stitches at the end of a row, the ratio to cast on is about 1/3 fewer stitches than the pattern calls for, then pick up the extra stitches by making loops, evenly spaced, all along the return row, with the last added-in stitch occurring just where the cast on is connected to body of the fabric, as shown in illustration 5.

As an example, if you had to cast on 30 stitches at the end of a row, you'd cast on only 20. On the return trip, you would loop up the extra 10 stitches, evenly spaced, all along the row, with the last (10th) stitch coming at the very end of the row of loops, just where the row is connected to the body of the garment.

The illustrations show stitches added at the right side of a stockinette fabric. You can add stitches on the left side just the same way, and you can purl into the loops on the return trip just as easily as you can knit into them.

Addendum added 4-7-09: To cast on over a gap (thumb, pocket opening) simply cast on fewer stitches, then pick up the extra stitches out of the slack on your next trip through, just as you would on the return trip after casting on at the end of a row.

A note for knitting geeks:
If you look carefully at illustration 7 (the completed cast on) you'll see that it looks just like a long tail cast on. In fact, a long tail cast on IS a row of loops with a row of knitting inserted. (More details about the long-tail cast-on here.) The reason the loop cast on is so loose when performed at the end of the row is because the foundation row of loops is made around a needle, instead of the way long-tail cast on is usually made, with the foundation loops snugged up around the knitted loops. In other words, by making the loops around a needle, they simply end up too big.

When you start to knit into these too-big loops on the return trip, the slack accumulates and turns into a really nasty-looking loose foundation edge. By casting on fewer stitches and then drawing the slack up to form the extra stitches necessary to complete the stitch count, this slack is eliminated. Of course, you can achieve the same effect by working the cast-on loops onto a much smaller needle, but then you have the problem of holding an extra needle parallel to your left needle, which involves acrobatics and a dexterity not required by the trick shown here.

One final refinement for ultra-perfectionists:
It sometimes occurs that even when the last loop is made at the end of the row, just before the body of the garment, you will STILL find an unacceptable length of yarn stretched there, just waiting to make a horrid mess at the join. If this is the case, create yet another loop to get rid of the slack, place this surplus loop on the left needle, and knit (or purl) this surplus loop away by k2tog'ing (or p2tog'ing) it together with the first stitch of the fabric of the garment.

--TECHknitter You have been reading TECHknitting on: "An improved method of casting on at the end of a row by the loop method."

Ordinary chain bind off, part 3: binding off circular knits

Includes 13 illustrations Click any illustration to enlarge

When using an ordinary chain bind off to cast off a circularly knitted garment, there are several methods of dealing with the last stitches:

• the gappy default
  
• Method 1--an OK method
  
• Method 2--a pretty good method
  
• Method 3--an excellent method
  

The gappy default:

The gappy default is to simply chain bind off all the way around, and then to end the bind-off by pulling the tail yarn (yellow) through the last stitch (blue). In this default method, the knitter simply accepts the gap between the first stitch bound off (green) and the last stitch bound off (blue) as shown on the illustration below.

The OK method (method 1)

To close the unsatisfactory gap left by the default method, a refinement has been added by many knitters, as follows:

1a: After binding off the last stitch (blue) thread the tail (yellow) onto a blunt tipped, large-eyed sewing needle ("tapesty needle"). Insert the tapestry needle up into the blue stitch from underneath, as if you were pulling the final tail through the last stitch in ordinary chain bind off per the default method. Next, insert the needle from the back to the front, under BOTH arms of the first stitch bound off (green). Illustration 1a shows the tail (yellow) worked through the last stitch bound off (blue), and the needle inserted under the two arms of the first stitch bound off (green).

1b: Th needle, which has been drawn through the green stitch to the front, is then re-inserted into the top of the blue stitch, inserting from the top, downwards, as shown.

1c: This method creates a bridging stitch (yellow) between the last stitch bound off (the blue) and the first stitch bound off (green). As you can see, the bridging stitch actually acts as an additional chain bind-off stitch inserted into the top of the bind off. Truthfully, in thin yarn, this extra stitch (yellow) is unlikely to ever be noticed, but in bulky yarn, that extra (yellow) stitch may cause an awkward bump.

The GOOD method (method 2)

In order to maintain the pattern of bound-off stitches around the top without inserting an extra stitch, method 2 has you stop the chain bind off one stitch before the end. Thus, the last stitch bound off (blue) stops when there remains one fabric stitch "live" (not bound off) and that is the orange stitch. Specifically:

2a: To work method 2, the first step is to thread the tail (yellow) onto a tapestry needle. The needle is then inserted purlwise into the last remaining live fabric stitch (orange) as shown in illustration 2a, and next inserted up into the last stitch bound off (blue) from underneath.

2b: The needle is drawn through the top of the last stitch bound off (blue) and next inserted from the back to the front, under BOTH arms of the first stitch bound off (green).

2c: The needle, which has been drawn through the green stitch to the front, is then re-inserted into the top of the blue stitch, working from the top downwards, and then inserted knitwise into the top of the orange stitch, as shown below.

2d: As you can see, the result of method 2 is really pretty good. The (yellow) bridging stitch which you have created with the tail yarn is not an extra stitch as it was in method 1: although the yellow stitch was worked with a sewing needle, it is actually a knitted chain bind-off stitch worked into the top of the final live fabric stitch (orange). In fact, this little trick of making knit stitches with a sewing needle is the same idea as the Kitchener stitch (also called grafting). In other words, method 2 grafts the top of the last stitch bound off (blue) to the top of the first stitch bound off (green), while also binding off the last live fabric stitch (orange) all this while following the same path which the other knitted bind-off chains have followed.

The EXCELLENT method (method 3)

Now circular knitting, as you know, is not actually done in circles. Rather, circular knitting is done in an endless spiral, where each round has no true beginning or end. This means that any method which simply binds the last stitch to the first will create a jog where the level changes. Specifically, the last stitch bound off (blue) is actually one row higher than the first stitch bound off (green) and so there is a little jog where the levels are drawn together: the green stitch is humped up slightly, while the blue stitch is drawn down. For sheer perfection, it is possible to modify method 2 by adding one more refinement to the top of a circular bind off, and this last refinement (method 3) does away with this level change--it eliminates that jog.

Normally, the jog of the level change in spiral knitting is smoothed over by simply sliding the first stitch of the round from one needle to the next, thus forcing it to span two rows. (This is the trick behind eliminating the jog in jogless stripes). However, simply slipping a stitch at the top of the work would result in the bar behind the slipped stitch perhaps showing on a rolled edging (as you know, a rolled edging exposes the purled side of a stockinette fabric, so that the bar behind the stitch slipped across would show).

Therefore, we've got to find another trick to reduce the height level between the first stitch bound off and the last stitch bound off (blue) and the trick we'll use in this case is to knit into the stitch below. Here's how:

3a: Begin this method by knitting a stitch into the stitch below. (Click here for further information on knitting into the stitch below.) In this case, the orange stitch above has been knit into the purple stitch below. Both of these stitches are then caught onto the same holder (in this case, the coil-less safety-pin illustrated). The chain bind-off now proceeds in the ordinary manner beginning with the following (green) stitch. (Note that as you start the chain bind off, it's important not to draw up the running yarn too tightly. If you skip ahead to step 3e, you'll see that it is necessary to leave a moderate amount of slack in the orange stitch. How much slack? In this, as in so many things in knitting, use makes master.)

3b: The bind-off proceeds around the garment, and comes back to where it began, stopping when the stitches on the holder are reached. The tail (yellow) is threaded onto a tapestry needle, and inserted purlwise into BOTH stitches on the holder, the orange and the purple. This step ends when the needle is inserted up into the last stitch bound off (blue) working from underneath, upwards, as shown.

3c: The needle is drawn out through the top of the blue stitch, and next inserted from the back to the front under BOTH arms of first stitch bound off (green).

3d: The needle, which has been drawn through the green stitch to the front, is re-inserted into the last blue stitch, working from the top, downwards, as shown. The needle is then inserted knitwise into the orange and purple stitches, as shown.

3e: As you can see, knitting the orange stitch into the purple stitch helps eliminate the jog. Leaving a moderate amount of slack in the orange stitch back in step 3a means that this orange stitch has enough play to stetch across the change of level. Also, because this orange stitch was knitted into the purple stitch below it rather than bing slipped, there is no slipped yarn acorss its back to show on the purl side of a rolled edging. As in method 2, the green and blue stitches are connected by the yellow bridging stitch, which also binds off the remaining live stitches (orange and purple).

As to which method to use, the choice is obviously yours.

My own usage is as follows: On a toe-up sock top, method 1 (the OK method) is fine--the yarn of a sock is so thin that the extra chain stitch squeezed in will never show. Plus, trying to work method 2 or method 3 means working a sewing needle in the correct sequence through very small stitches indeed--a job which would certainly require me to get up out of my chair and hunt out a pair of magnifying glasses. On a bulky hat brim, method 2 is the method I would use: The slight jog would look better to my eyes than the doubled bulk of method 3. However, on the bound off edge of a garment knit circularly in the range of 5 st/in to about 6.5 st/inch, I would certainly choose Method 3, the excellent method, especially if the garment has a rolled edge. Done correctly, method 3 simply will not show--it is even hard to find if you go hunting for it with your glasses on.

Of course, there is always a rascal in paradise, and so it is here. With all three of these methods, the tail remains loose and has to be worked in. For this, I personally would pull off the tapestry needle, re-thread the tail yarn onto a nice sharp needle, and skim in the end. For a rolled edge, I'd skim on the stockinette (front) face of the fabric, just in the first row down, where the skimming would be hidden by the roll of the fabric.

* * *

This post is part of a series. The others in this series are:
Ordinary chain bind off, part 1: binding off along a straight edge
Part 2a: binding off in the middle of a fabric--starting the bind off
Part 2b: binding off in the middle of a fabric--ending the bind off

* * *

--TK
You have been reading TECHknitting on: Casting off circular knits.

Ordinary chain bind off, part 2b: binding off in the middle of a fabric--ending the bind off

includes 8 illustrations click any illustration to enlarge

The last post was about starting a chain bind off in the middle of a fabric. This post is about ending the chain bind off.

At the end of your bind off for a pocket or a neck opening, you may often find that the last stitch looks messy. This is because the traditional method of ending a chain bind off in the middle of a fabric is to work the last stitch by the same method as you have made the intermediate stitches. Per illustration 1, at the red arrow, this results in the passed-over bar of the last bound off loop showing on the face of the fabric.

Let's diagram this bind off, so we can analyze the stitches one-by-one.

• the second to the last stitch of the bind-off is illustrated in BLUE
  
• the last stitch of the bind off (also called the final stitch of the bind off) is illustrated in GREEN
  
• the first stitch made in the fabric just past the left end of the bound-off opening is illustrated in PURPLE
  
• The stitch in the row below the first fabric stitch is illustrated in BLACK.

As we saw in the photo in illustration 1, and as repeated by the red arrow in illustration 2, with the traditional bind off, the passed-over loop of the last (green) bind-off stitch lays over the first (purple) fabric stitch. This bound-off loop interrupts the smooth march of the column in which the purple stitch lies, and that interruption is what makes the left edge of the bind off look so sloppy.

Our mission today is to get rid of that interruption. We'll smooth off the left edge all neat and tidy, so that the purple stitch lies in an uninterrupted column of stitches. We are going to reach this goal by using a combination of k2tog and a pull-up of a stitch from the row below to eliminate the passed-over bar.

a: Bind off until you are at the second-to-last stitch (blue)

b: Do NOT knit the final stitch (green) to be bound off. Instead, pull the green stitch up onto the right needle--this is the pull-up of the stitch from the row below discussed above.

c. Pass the blue stitch over the green stitch as if you were doing an ordinary bind off, but hold the running yarn in the back when you do it. This passes the loop of the blue stitch, which has already been knitted, over the loop of the green stitch, which is not yet knitted.

d: Return the final (green) stitch to the left needle, so it lays just to the right of the black stitch.

e: knit the black stitch together with the green stitch (k2tog). The illustration shows the result after you've k2tog'd the green and the black stitch: the k2tog arranges the black stitch on top, while the green stitch is hidden behind, and the first fabric stitch past the bind off--the purple stitch--has no bar laying over it. In other words, the bar lays over the green stitch, and that green stitch AND the bar are hiding behind the black stitch, instead of laying over the purple stitch! Neat, huh?

OPTIONAL: The illustration above shows the final (green) stitch simply knitted together with the black stitch. However, as an optional additional step, if you find that the green stitch is so loose that bits of it keep popping out from behind the black stitch, you can tighten it by twisting it a couple of times before you return it to the left needle in step d.

illustration 3 is a photograph showing what this bind-off ending looks like in real life, in all-green yarn.

As shown by the red arrow, the column in which the final stitch lays is not interrupted by the bar of the final stitches' bind off, because we have hidden that last bar. Our goal of a tidy and uninterrupted column for the first fabric stitch has been met.

One last note to dispel possible confusion: All the stitches in illustrations 1, 2 and 3 have been worked to the end of the row because the bind off is complete. Therefore, the working yarn is not shown: it is "off the screen" so to speak. This is in contrast to the step illustrations a-e: in these illustrations, the bind off is shown in progress, and therefore, the working yarn--still in use--IS shown.

* * *

This post is part of a series. The others in the series are:
Ordinary chain bind off, part 1: binding off along a straight edge
Part 2a: binding off in the middle of a fabric--starting the bind off
Part 3: binding off circular knits.

* * *

--TECHknitter

(You have been reading TECHknitting on: "ending a bind off in the middle of the fabric.")

Ordinary chain bind off, part 2a: binding off in the middle of a fabric--starting the bind off

8 illustrations Click any illustration to enlarge

A buttonhole, a pocket opening, the bottom of a neck opening: these are all examples of binding off in the middle of a fabric. This sort of binding off often looks very sloppy indeed, both where it starts (at the right edge of the bind off) as well as where it ends (at the left edge of the bind off)

Today's post concerns the starting part of the bind off--the right edge. The next post will be about the ending part of the bind off--at the left edge.

Let's say that our pattern requires us to bind off several stitches in the middle of our fabric, using the chain bind off. (Click here for further information on the basics of the chain bind off). First we'll look at the traditional method, and then the improved method.

The traditional method

Illustration 1, below: Many books do not have any preparation step for binding off in the middle of the fabric. Rather, you are instructed to simply begin with an ordinary chain bind off as illustrated below: the last stitch of the fabric will be the teal stitch, while the first stitch bound off will be the purple stitch, which is being drawn over the green stitch. As you can see, the purple stitch is connected to the teal stitch by the little red tail, and we'll talk more about that little tail in illustrations 3 and 4, below.
Illustration 2, below: According to the traditional method, you are then instructed to continue the bind off as for an ordinary bind off, so the situation looks like this:
Illustration 3, below: As you can see, using the traditional method, the last fabric stitch (teal) and the first bind off stitch (purple) are connected by nothing other than a single strand--the tail yarn which connects the teal stitch to the purple stitch. This little tail (red) is going to form the bottom right corner of the bind off.

Sadly, over time, the result is going to be an ugly and weak gap. As the teal stitch and the purple stitch stretch ever further apart they will stretch and expose that single red tail. In close-up, the situation is going to look like this:
Photograph 4, below: Here it is in real life, in all-purple yarn. The red arrow is pointing to the stretched-out single tail in the lower right corner of the bind off.

The improved method

To get rid of this ugly, weak gap, let's try this trick: instead of starting the bind off with the purple stitch, we'll do a little sleight-of-hand with the teal stitch. Remember that what we want to do is to improve the connection between the last fabric stitch and the first bind off stitch. As it turns out, when we use a kfb increase (knit front, back), the two daughter stitches which result are hooked together by a veritable spider's web of yarn. So, let's turn that fact to our advantage.

(For illustrated instructions on how to work a kfb, click here.)

We'll use a kfb increase and force the teal stitch to do double duty by turning it into the last fabric stitch AND the first bind off stitch. In this manner, we'll be able to position that strong connection between the two stitches just at the weak corner. In other words, in this improved version of the chain bind off, we are going to use the kfb increase to create TWO teal stitches--one to lay in the fabric, and one BONUS stitch, with the strong connection between these two stitches positioned at the weak corner.

Illustration 5, below: Under this new improved method, when we come to knit the teal stitch, we will work it as a kfb into its underlying foundation stitch. As you can see from the illustration below, this results in TWO teal daughter stitches. The kf part of the foundation stitch lays under the first teal stitch, and this part of the foundation stitch is brown, whereas the kb part of the foundation stitch lies under the second teal stitch, and this part of the foundation stitch is orange.Illustration 5, above, shows the very real benefit of using the kfb increase. You see, due to the kfb increase, the two teal stitches are not merely connected by one single tail like ordinary stitches--no! Rather, they are connected by three strands of yarn: the two orange strands in the twisted portion--the kb portion--of the foundation stitch, as well as the one-strand-tail (red) between the two teal stitches themselves, making three strands altogether. So, instead of the single red tail from illustration 3, by the traditional method, we have three strands--two orange and one red--to fortify our corner by this kfb trick. (There is a close-up of this in illustrations 7 and 8, further down this post.)

Per illustration 6, below, we'll begin our improved bind off by drawing the second teal stitch--the bonus stitch which we made--over the purple stitch, then the purple stitch over the green, and so on.Here is something important to remember about the teal bonus stitch: We do not COUNT it as a bound off stitch. Remember: the second teal stitch is an EXTRA stitch which we've created with only one purpose in mind: to put more yarn into that weak right corner of the bind off. Because we created it as an extra stitch, a bonus stitch, we do not count it when we get rid of it again.

In other words, the second teal bonus stitch flashes into existence for only a brief moment: we create it, then draw it over the first stitch to be bound off, and then the bonus stitch is gone forever. It leaves behind only a stronger corner, but it never alters our stitch count. It is only when we draw the purple stitch over the next (green) stitch that we start counting our bound off stitches--the purple stitch, NOT the teal bonus stitch is the FIRST bound off stitch.

Below, illustration 7, is a close up of what the improved corner looks like once we've add the teal kfb bonus stitch. As you can see, the corner which had only a single, weak red tail by the traditional method now has a sturdy spider's web of yarn fortifying the corner in this improved version. Instead of one strand of yarn, three strands of yarn lie there now--the two strands at the top of the bonus stitch's foundation stitch (orange) as well as the bonus stitch's own tail (illustrated in red). This construction will last far longer than the unimproved traditional corner of illustrations 3 and 4.Photograph 8, below: here is what the kfb looks like at the start of a bind off, in real life, in all-purple yarn. Although you can see the extra yarn in illustrations 5, 6 and 7, yet in an actual photograph (8) you can see that all these extra fortifying loops are actually hidden away, and all you see is the front of the bonus stitch. In other words, even though you've packed that formerly weak corner with lots of yarny fortification, the front presents a nice, even appearance instead of the the loose, sloppy and weak single strand in illustration 3 and photograph 4, above.

I think you will find that over time, this little trick of fortifying the right corner of a bind off by starting the bind off with a kfb will pay off in sturdier buttonholes, more robust pocket openings, and easier to pick-up-through neck openings.

One last thing--are you worried that adding an extra stitch to the corner will make the opening too large? In my experience, that won't happen. In fact, the tight twist introduced by the kfb will keep the starting (right) edge of the bind off tighter than by the original method, because you won't have a stretched-out mess in the corner there.

This post is part of a series. The others in this series are:
Ordinary chain bind off, part 1: binding off along a straight edge
Part 2b: binding off in the middle of a fabric--ending the bind off
Part 3: binding off circular knits.

--TECHknitter
(You have been reading TECHknitting on: "bind off (cast off) in the middle of a fabric.")

Ordinary chain bind off part 1: binding off along a straight edge

This is the first post of a four-post series on the "chain" or "stitch-over-stitch" bind off, also called "cast off." Today's TECHknitting is about a simple chain bind off along a straight edge. Do you already know how to do this? If so, skip to the bottom where there are three different methods for working the last stitch--methods to help avoid that sloppy last loop. (Also at the bottom are links to the other posts in this series.)

* * *

For today, ordinary stitch-over-stitch bind off along a straight edge--the top of a scarf; the neck of a sweater, for example.

Step 1: Knit a stitch (purple) in the ordinary manner.

Step 2: Knit the next stitch (green) in the ordinary manner. You now have two stitches on your right needle.

Step 3: Insert the left needle into the first (purple) stitch on the right needle.
Step 4: Draw the first (purple) stitch over the second (green).

Step 5. Knit another stitch in the ordinary manner (pink). You will again have two stitches on your needle, just as in step 2. In other words, step 5 is the same as step 2.
Step 6: Continue in this manner, repeating steps 2, 3 and 4 to create a bound off edge as shown below.
There are (at least) three ways to do the last stitch so as to avoid a great big loop at the end.

Method a (below) Work to the end of the row as you have been doing. Draw the second-to-last stitch (blue) over the last stitch (tan), break the tail (orange) short, and thread the end through the last loop as shown. Draw up S-L-O-W-L-Y, feeding as much yarn as possible from the tan loop into the orange tail as you draw the tail up, in order to avoid that big loop at the end.

Method b. (below) Work to the end of the row, but do NOT draw the second-to-last stitch (blue) over the last stitch (tan). Instead, break off the tail (orange) and thread it through BOTH last loops, then draw the tail up. Again, be sure to tighten the orange tail slowly while feeding excess yarn from the last two loops (blue and tan) into the tail, in order to avoid having sloppy last loops.

Method c. (below) Work to within one stitch of the last stitch. Do not knit the last stitch at all. Instead, draw the last (tan) stitch on your left needle up from the row below and draw the second-to-last stitch (blue) over it. In other words, do not knit this last stitch--which is the very edge stitch of your fabric--the "selvedge stitch." Instead, simply pull this (tan) selvedge stitch up, and then draw the second-to-last (blue) stitch over it.

Break off the yarn and draw the tail (orange) of the yarn through the selvedge stitch (tan), as well as the second-to-last stitch (blue). In this illustration the selvedge stitch (tan) is extra-long, because this knitter has been making a chain selvedge all along the fabric edge. However, a chain selvedge is not required to make this kind of ending--any sort of selvedge stitch will do just fine.
Stitch-over-stitch chain bind off has the potential to be tight. If you want a loose bind off, such as at the edge of a scarf or afghan, or at the top of a sock, hat or at a mitten cuff, work this bind off with larger needles than you worked the item knitted. However, sometimes a tight, or at least, a firm, bind-off is wanted, such as at the shoulder seams or the back of the neck of a garment. A firm bind off in these high-stress locations prevents the garment from sagging, stretching and drooping. The stitch-over-stitch bind off is a good match for these situations.

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This post is part of a series. The others in this series are:
Part 2a: binding off in the middle of a fabric--starting the bind off
Part 2b: binding off in the middle of a fabric--ending the bind off
Part 3: binding off circular knits.

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--TECHknitter

You have been reading TECHknitting on chain bind off (cast off).