The bind off is the last thing you do and it is the row people notice most. A correct edge has about the same stretch as the knitting below it. Most puckered edges are too tight, and most flared ones are too loose, and both are matters of technique and needle size.
The standard bind off
Knit two stitches, then pass the first over the second and off the needle. Knit one more and pass the previous stitch over. Repeat until one stitch remains, cut the yarn and pull the tail through. It is fast and firm, which is why it suits shoulders and any edge that should not stretch. It is a poor choice for the tops of cuffs, sleeves, socks and the brim of a hat.
The edge is too tight
A tight bind off draws the top in, so a sleeve or a hat looks pinched, and the top of a sock will not go over a heel. Fix it any of these ways:
- Use a larger needle. Bind off with a needle two sizes up from the one used for the body. The stitches become longer and the edge relaxes. The needle database lists neighbouring sizes in metric and US.
- Count as you pull. Pull the loops out about 2 mm past where they want to sit, so there is slack in each chain.
- Work a yarn over between every few stitches, and treat it as a stitch to bind off. This adds a little extra length.
- Change method. For ribbing, use a stretchy bind off (see below).
Stretchy methods
A stretchy bind off is worked so each stitch is connected by a longer loop.
- Sewn bind off. Cut a tail three times the width of the edge, thread it on a yarn needle, and work across following a sequence of passes through pairs of stitches. It is slow, but gives the most elastic edge on 1x1 ribbing.
- Yarn-over bind off. Make a yarn over before each stitch, knit the stitch, then pass both the stitch and the yarn over across. The extra loop adds length, and the edge gets a scalloped look that suits lace.
- Tubular bind off. Used on 1x1 ribs. The stitches are regrouped as if you were grafting, so the edge looks like a continuation of the rib.
- Russian bind off. Knit two stitches, put them back on the left needle and knit them together through the back loops. It is springier than the standard method and needs no tail.
The edge is too loose
If the edge is wavy, the stitches are too long. Go down a needle size for the bind off only, or tighten by working the knit stitches into the back loop. A loose bind off on a scarf end makes it flare and lose its line.
Matching the stitch pattern
Bind off in pattern so the last row keeps the look of the fabric: knit the knits, purl the purls, and pass them over as usual. On a rib, binding off every stitch as a knit changes the last row to stockinette and flattens the edge. On cables, decrease as needed across the cable so it does not draw in.
Choosing where the edge will sit
- Hat brims that turn up: a stretchy bind off so it slides over the head.
- Scarf ends: standard or an easy suspended version so the ends lie flat.
- Shawl edges: a very stretchy method is better, since blocking opens up lace, and a tight edge defeats it.
- Shoulder seams: standard, worked together with a three-needle bind off, which joins two edges without sewing.
Blocking helps
Even a slightly tight edge relaxes with blocking. Wet the piece, pin it to the planned dimensions with pins along the edge, and leave it to dry. The fibres set in their new positions. Wool and wool blends respond well; cotton and acrylic respond less and sometimes need steam.
Ending neatly
After the last stitch, cut the yarn at least 15 cm from the work, pull it through, and weave the tail in along the edge for about 5 cm, then reverse direction for another few stitches so it stays put. Trim close only after the piece has been washed or blocked once.
Working in the round
For a hat worked in the round, bind off for the brim if it is a cuff worn up, but if the hat is to finish with a crown, you will decrease to a few stitches and gather them rather than bind off. The hat designer in the tools section works out the crown decreases for a head size, so the last step is pulling the tail through the remaining loops and tightening it.