How do we bind off stitches of a brioche project without suffocating the beautiful brioche texture?
We form a moderately elastic edge that looks like a puffy brioche-like chain of stitches, and we bind off all stitches in pattern. This way, we make sure the edge is fully reversible.
How do we do it?
We use a simple method that works a lot like regular bind off, but with a small brioche-friendly tweak.
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Let’s see how this method works step by step.
It is no secret that side edges of brioche fabric are messy. That’s why we usually add slip-stitch selvedges to neaten those edges.
It means that the first stitch we have to bind off is a selvedge. We knit this stitch.
BINDING OFF A KNIT STITCH
Then usually comes a duo of a knit stitch + yarn over that is often called a “brioche knit”. We knit this duo together as one stitch.
Now we have two stitches on the right needle. If we were using the regular bind-off method, we would pass one stitch over the other. But we don’t do it when we use this brioche-friendly method.
Instead, we are going to knit these two stitches together through the back loop.
First, we insert the left needle from left to right into these two stitches so that the tip of the right needle ends up being at the back of the left needle.
Then we wrap the right needle with the yarn as we do when we knit a stitch.
And, finally, we pull that wrap through, knitting these two stitches together through the back loop. Then we slip both stitches off the left needle.
BINDING OFF A PURL STITCH
The next stitch is a purl. Let’s purl it.
With the yarn still in front of the work, insert the left needle from left to right into both stitches sitting on the right needle. This time, make sure the tip of the right needle is at the front of the left needle.
Wrap the right needle with the yarn as we do when we purl a stitch.
Pull the wrap through, purling these two stitches together.
Repeat these steps until you bind off all brioche stitches.
If you use slip-stitch selvedges, at this point, you will have only one stitch sitting on your left needle.
Knit the last stitch and bind it off as usual by passing the second stitch from the tip of the right needle over the first one.
Cut the yarn, pass the yarn tail through the last stitch and pull tight to secure.
If the brioche pattern in your project is built so that the yarn overs accompany purl stitches and the knits are solo, purl each stitch + yarn over duo together as one stitch and knit each knit separately.
But remember to purl two stitches together after every purl, and knit two stitches together through the back loop every time you knit a stitch.
Here’s how this brioche-friendly method differs from the regular bind off.
The swatch on the right has an edge formed by the regular bind-off method.
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As you see, the edge is tight, the stitches that form the chain are smaller than the stitches in every chain of brioche fabric, and the general feeling is that brioche is constrained.
The swatch on the left has a more relaxed edge decorated with a chain of bigger stitches. This edge highlights the gorgeous texture of brioche. This edge is formed by the bind-off method described in this tutorial.
Because the swatches are made on the same number of stitches, you can tell how much the brioche-friendly bind off relaxes the edge and loosens the texture.
The difference is drastic. And it is created by one simple tweak that we make to the regular bind-off method. Instead of passing one stitch over the other, we knit or purl two stitches together. Such a small thing, such a big difference.
To make the edge even more elastic, we can use the most elastic of all elastic bind-off methods – tubular bind off. Beware, though, that this method forms an edge that is too loose to keep brioche texture together. It feels like brioche is almost falling apart. If you need that kind of elasticity, here’s a tutorial that explains how this bind-off method works.
In all other cases, the brioche-friendly bind off we’ve just discussed is a perfect way to bind off stitches of any project knitted in the brioche stitch pattern.
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