This free video tutorial, “How to Knit: Binding Off Your Knitted Fabric Edge,” focuses on one of the most essential final steps in knitting: securing and closing the edge of your project so that it doesn’t unravel.
When finishing any knitted garment or accessory, knowing how to bind off neatly is a crucial skill.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Standard Bind Off: Slip the first stitch from your left needle onto the right needle without working it. Knit the next stitch.
- Passing Over: Using the tip of your left needle, lift the first (unworked) stitch over the second stitch and off the right needle, leaving one stitch remaining.
- Continue the Row: Knit the next stitch from the left needle, and again pass the previous stitch over it. Repeat this process across the entire row until one loop remains. Fasten off by cutting the yarn and pulling the tail through the loop.
- Binding Off Ribbing: If you are finishing a piece knitted in rib stitch (such as a 1×1 or 2×2 rib), make sure to bind off in pattern—knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches as you pass them over. This preserves the stretch and flexibility of the ribbed edge.
As you can see, once you practice these steps a few times, binding off your knitted fabric will become quick, effortless, and second nature.
You can watch the “How to Knit: Binding Off Your Knitted Fabric Edge” video tutorial online at any time, completely free of charge. Happy knitting!
