Tag: knitting terms

Casting off and on again

I’ve been working away on Christmas presents again today, and I got to the casting off part. Only I managed to do it too tightly the first time. D’oh! So I dug out some online tutorials to help me decide which technique was going to be easiest to use instead. Ta-daa:

Knit Wiki: Binding Off Techniques (text instructions)

Techniques with Teresa: Binding Off at Knitty – various techniques for flexible bind offs, including the sewn bind off. (Instructions with photos)
Techniques with Teresa: Binding Off, Pt 2 at Knitty – decorative bind offs. (Instructions with photos)

Tubular Bind-Off in K1 P1 rib (Instructions with photos)

k1p1 invisible bind-off tutorial – a lovely flexible bind off that I’ve used for toe-up socks when I’ve done them. Has similarities to the Tubular bind off. (Instructions with photos)

In the end I went with the sewn bind-off, and it came out perfectly. Plus, it’s dead easy – always a bonus.

Now to go and cast on the next thing…

The Three-needle bind off

I should be going to bed. Instead, I’m contemplating the three needle bind off. Or cast off. I can’t even remember which is the British term and which is the American any more. The internet homogenises us all! Anyway.
The main project that I’m working on at the moment – we shall call it “BP” for “birthday present” – calls for me to do two lots of three-needle binding off, which I’m now ready to do. In fact, I need to do it, or I can’t go any further. All the main knitting is done, there’s just the finishing and then picking up to do edging. Plus sewing on the button, which hasn’t arrived yet (eep). I’ve never actually done a 3-needle bind off before, so I’ve been wondering a few things about it. Might it be better to use a size smaller needle as the binding off one? Or a size larger, even? Although smaller makes more sense to me, since you’d usually bind off normally then sew a seam with a large sewing needle. Maybe it depends on whether you want a tight seam or a more flexible one? Hrrrm.
I think I’ll sleep on it.