The Basic Bind Off and How to End It by Leslie Gonzalez

The Basic Bind Off and How To End It By Leslie Gonzalez

2018 I have received several questions about ending the basic bind off after a recent discussion in the Level 1 forum in our TKGA group on Ravelry. I’m going to discuss the basic bind off and how to end it. I am not going to cover how to avoid enlarged stitches at the end of the bind off or how to avoid having a lump at the end of the bind off. You can find many “tricks” on the internet to neaten up that last stitch. August The problem for knitters working the MHK program is that some of these “fixes” aren’t really fixes at all. If you are looking to neaten up that last stitch, I recommend you go to Arenda Holladay’s blog of Friday, 1/27/12. Also be mindful when you maneuver the tail as you begin your tail weave. K2TOG Before we discuss how to end the bind off, let’s define our terms and understand how the basic bind off is performed.

Binding Off In Pattern: Not all bind offs can be worked in pattern. The basic bind off is a versatile bind off that does allow you to bind off in pattern, and you will typically want to bind off in pattern. To bind off in pattern, work the next row of the pattern or pattern stitch as you bind off. Binding off in pattern keeps the last row looking neat rather than having another stitch pattern as your last row. There are a few times when you will modify binding off in pattern or even bind off in a different pattern. If you are working a cable pattern and the row where you want to bind off happens to be a cable row, you might want to avoid binding off in the cable pattern. Here you would substitute another stitch pattern for only those cable stitches; typically that would be stockinette. Binding off in a slip stitch pattern is often difficult. Substituting stockinette or garter stitch for the bound-off stitches might be a better choice.

How to Work the Basic Bind Off: 1. Work the first stitch. 2. Work the next stitch. There will be two stitches on the right-hand needle. 3. Pull the first stitch over the stitch just worked. There is now one stitch on the right-hand needle. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until one stitch remains on the right needle and none on the left needle.

There is one way to end the basic bind off from here. Remove the loop from the right needle. Cut the yarn leaving a tail, typically 4-6 inches for weaving. Pull the tail through the loop you just removed and tighten.

Let’s look at some “fixes” that you will often see on the internet and understand why they are “tricks” and not true fixes.

Bad Idea 1: Work the basic bind off until one stitch remains on the left needle. Slip the stitch from the left to right without working it and bind off. This distorts the bind off more and seaming will be quite difficult when you reach this area. Open edge project will have a stitch that is straight up and down at the end of the bind off.

1 The Basic Bind Off and How To End It (Continued)

Bad Idea 2: Work the basic bind off until one stitch remains on the left needle. Slip the last stitch to the right needle. Pick up the stitch below the last stitch. Return these stitches to the left needle. Knit them together (You will be knitting the last stitch together with the stitch below.)

While this method does neaten up that last stretched out stitch, you now have one less row in your selvedge column because you have joined the row below to the last selvedge stitch. For a Master Knitter this will stand out on open-edged projects. It will also present a problem when seaming.

Bad Idea 3: Work the basic bind off as described above in steps 1-3 until one loop remains on the right-hand needle. Remove the loop from the needle and without putting the tail through the loop, pull the tail free and tighten the bind off.

What happens here is that you have one less stitch in the chain across the top than columns of stitches. When blocked this stands out and will present a problem with seaming and also with stitch pickups.