Cast On, Bind Off (48 page)

Continue knitting (all stitches are now mounted correctly, although they now look as though you've purled them!) until the stitch marker reaches the left-hand needle tip. You have completed the first round. From this point on, knit each round as desired.

You've finished the knitting
, and all that's left is binding off. You have many options for a happy ending. And, as with cast ons, a little time in the planning (and swatching!) pays off with a finished piece that looks and behaves beautifully. Resist the urge to “just get it done” and invest some energy in determining the best bind off for the characteristics of your project.

It helps to understand the anatomy of stitches in the bind off and see why a particular edge behaves the way it does. Tug on a piece of knitted fabric and note that there is quite a bit of stretch across the width of the fabric, but not so much from top to bottom. This is because the vertical columns of stitches are made up of interlocking loops, like a chain, while a row of stitches is more like a coiled-up spring. When you bind off in the traditional manner, the result is a chain of interlocked stitches like the vertical columns of stitches and not nearly as elastic as a row of stitches.

A firm bind off is just the ticket in many situations. It keeps things from stretching out of shape; it provides a strong foundation for seams. But what about when you need some stretch in that edge (think the cuff of a toe-up sock or the edge of a lace shawl)? Well, then you've got to switch things up a little. You've got to change the structure of the chain either by making the chains bigger (using a bigger needle or maneuvers, such as knitting through stitches, that increase the size), adding more chains (increasing stitches in the bind-off row or row below), or making the chains more elastic (adding extra length in the path of the yarn).

Basic

Stretchy

Decorative

Sewn

Because of the many different ways to accomplish these variations, like with the cast ons, I have divided the bind offs into categories. The categories relate to function (stretchy or not) or to how they are executed (basic or not). But here's the tricky part: Some bind offs could easily fit into more than one category. For example, the I-Cord Bind Off (
page 182
) is both stretchy
and
decorative. For further details, always check the characteristics of each technique or look inside the back cover to find bind offs for specific uses.

The bread-and-butter
of bind offs, these basics are the easiest and first learned. They're most likely to be voted “all-purpose” in the yearbook of bind offs.

Traditional
page 148

Slip-Stitch Crochet
page 151

Single Crochet
page 153