Bind Off

After you learn to bind off, you will be able to complete a simple project. So after you've been successful in binding off, be sure and scroll to the bottom of the page to find a project that is suitable for a beginner.

The first video will cover what would technically be called binding off knitwise. It will be the type of bind off that you will use 99.9% of the time, and the instructions won’t indicate “bind off knitwise”. It will simply say bind off.

In the video, I talk a bit about binding off too tight. When you pass the stitch over, you may have a tendency to pull hard on the yarn that controls the tension, and/or work too closely to the tips of your needles. Remember to use the full width of your needle by pushing it all the way into the stitch on the right hand needle, and giving you the correct size stitch. It’s just as important that you don’t go overboard, and bind off too loosely either. If you do, you will have a messy looking edge, and the overall look of your project will suffer. Almost every project will have a bind off. Even though that’s true, you still won’t do a great deal of binding off compared to the amount of knitting and purling, so it takes longer to get it down pat. It takes practice to get it just right, so while a perfect bind off is definitely a goal, don’t be too harsh on yourself in the beginning.



The second video, about binding off purlwise, may not even be necessary but will be available if you need it. Your pattern instructions will specifically indicate to bind off purlwise, if the author feels that it is necessary for the aesthetic of the project. A couple of circumstances where it might apply, would be to maintain a Garter Stitch pattern through the bind off, or so the bind off will angle to the inside/wrong side of a garment and not show on the outside/right side.

Put Your Skills to Work

Your project will be a cotton dishcloth. I know, exciting right?! Well, it may not be exciting but it's very useful, and most people love these dishcloths for some reason. You need to purchase 1 ball of 100% cotton medium (4) weight yarn, and a yarn needle if you don’t already have something suitable. Any brand of yarn will work fine as long as it’s 100% cotton. Use the same knitting needles that you have been working with while you have been practicing.

The dishcloth will be in Garter Stitch. So in theory, you could either knit all the rows or purl them. You may even have enough yarn in your ball to make 2 cloths. If you have enough, for extra practice go ahead and make a second dishcloth and where the instructions say knit, purl instead. You may even want to share the second cloth with a family member or a neighbor. Don’t be afraid to jump back to any of the lessons if you need a refresher. Let's knit y'all!

Cast on 25 stitches.

Row 1: Knit across.

Repeat Row 1 until dishcloth measures desired length.

Bind off. Cut yarn leaving a 6-8 inch yarn end, remove needle and pull yarn end all the way through the remaining stitch and pull the loop tight. You can use a crochet hook to help you if you have one handy. Weave in both yarn ends with a yarn needle.