Cast On, Bind Off (53 page)
Authors: Leslie Ann Bestor
Slip the first stitch purlwise. Now you have 2 stitches on the right-hand needle.
Pass the unworked stitch over the slipped stitch.
Continue working (knitting or purling) and binding off the required number of stitches; then finish working across the row.
On the row before your next bind-off row, once again, do not work the final stitch. Leave it on the left-hand needle, turn work, and continue with steps 2â4.
a.k.a. Seam
The Three-Needle Bind Off
is a method of joining, or seaming, two pieces of knitting and binding off simultaneously. It is commonly used to join the shoulder seams of sweaters, where it lines up the stitches on the front and back beautifully. The edge is smooth and invisible when bound off with right sides together, or it can form a decorative ridge when bound off with wrong sides together. The seam it creates is pretty stable, but if you are joining particularly long pieces or if you are worried about stretching, you probably should bind off the edges separately and sew the seam by hand.
Extras
Third needle the same size as used for the project
CHARACTERISTICS
⢠Firm edge
⢠Binds off and seams simultaneously
GOOD FOR
⢠Shoulder seams
⢠Any relatively short seams
Getting It Right
Working with three needles can feel awkward at first. I find it easiest to hold the two needles with stitches in my left hand as if they were one needle and the needle I am knitting with in my right hand.
When you are ready to bind off, move both sets of stitches from holders back onto needles, being sure to orient the stitches so that the first ones to be worked are at the needle tips.
With right sides of the work facing, hold the two needles together. Each piece should have the same number of stitches. With a third needle, knit together 1 stitch from the front needle and 1 stitch from the back needle.
Knit the next stitch on each needle together.
