Achieving a Loose Bind-Off

Bind-offs have a tendency to be too tight, even for those of us loose knitters who have to go down (a minimum of) two needle sizes in order to get gauge. Maybe it's knowing that the goal of the bind-off is to keep all those precious stitches from unraveling, or maybe it's just a by-product of the exuberance one feels knowing the end of a project is just a row away. But regardless of the reason, most of us are guilty of it at one time or another, and a tight bind-off can just plain RUIN a beautifully knitted garment. This is particularly true of socks, and especially true of lace.




I just blocked a draft of the triangular shawl I'm designing for a class this fall. Here, I've pinned it into shape and left it to dry. This is a lace weight blend of 50% silk and 50% wool, worked on a US3 needle, and blocking will grow it by about 50%. (That needle size, by the way, is for the elusive average knitter. I being perpetually & hopelessly loose, had to use a 1...)







If I had bound off tightly, I could never have gotten the edges to stretch wide enough to accommodate the beautiful openwork of the lace.




The bind-off that I chose here is nicely loose and elastic enough to allow the edges to stretch. Notice the edge between the two T-pins: it lies flat and the stitches are big enough to allow the yarn overs along the edge to open as widely and nicely as the yarn overs throughout the rest of the sample. The bind-off I used is the "Decrease Bind-Off" and it is one of my favorites.

It can be worked as either knit stitches or purl stitches. Each method will give a pretty, decorative, nicely stretchy edge.

For the knit bind-off: *K2tog, slip the newly formed knit stitch from the right needle back to the left needle; repeat from * to end.

For the purl bind-off: *P2tog, slip the newly formed purl stitch from the right needle back to the left needle; repeat from * to end.

In both cases, loosen the newly formed stitch as you slip it back to the left needle, and resist the urge to tighten it up again when you work the decrease.

The decrease bind-off, in either form, is frequently recommended for lace knitting, so much so that it is also known as the "Lace Bind-Off". It is also particularly nice in ribbing.

When working any bind-off, the looser you are able to work it, the prettier and more elastic it will be. One tip that works well for me when using the basic chain bind-off (where you work 2 stitches then pull the 1st stitch over the 2nd stitch and off the needle) is to use a needle 2 or 3 sizes larger in diameter than the needles used for the rest of project. Give that a try and see if it loosens things a bit for you too!

Yours in knitting,
Claire