You know how an edge formed by the regular bind off often looks like a slim line that is too tight to allow for the natural elasticity of the knitted fabric?
If only we could loosen the edge a bit to make it more elastic and to open the lovely chain of stitches sitting on top of the edge. This will let the humble regular bind off shine on necklines, sock cuffs and pretty much any other part of any other project.
Fortunately, there is a simple trick that allows us to make the regular bind off more prominent and a bit more stretchy. It is called the Suspended Bind Off, and it works great for binding off stitches of any stitch pattern – stockinette stitch, garter stitch, seed stitch and all types of ribbing.
Let’s see how it is done step by step. If you prefer to learn from a video:
BEGINNING
Work two stitches separately.
If your project is in garter stitch or a stockinette-based stitch pattern, or if you don’t need to bind off “in pattern”, knit these stitches.
If you work in ribbing, or any other stitch pattern built by knits and purls, knit the stitches that look like knits, and purl the ones that look like purls. This way, you will bind off stitches “in pattern”.
My swatch is worked in “knit 1, purl 1” ribbing, so I knitted the first stitch and purled the next one.
The three steps that form this type of bind off edge differ depending on the type of stitch that is now the first stitch on the left needle.
If you are not binding off stitches “in pattern,” bind off all stitches as if they were knits.
IF THE FIRST STITCH ON THE LEFT NEEDLE IS A KNIT
STEP 1
Bring the working yarn to the back of the work.
STEP 2
Insert the tip of the left needle from left to right into the second stitch on the right needle, and pass this stitch over the first stitch from the tip of the right needle.
Don’t drop either of these stitches! This is the trick that makes all the difference. We keep the stitch-that-was-passed-over on the left needle. This stitch is “suspended”.
STEP 3
Even though the “suspended” stitch is still sitting on the left needle, we are going to ignore it for now.
Insert the right needle from left to right into the stitch that is next to the “suspended” stitch.
Wrap the tip of the right needle with the working yarn and pull this wrap through to knit this stitch.
Slip both the “just-knitted” and the “suspended” stitch off the left needle.
IF THE FIRST STITCH ON THE LEFT NEEDLE IS A PURL
STEP 1
Bring the working yarn to the front of the work.
STEP 2
Pass the second stitch from the tip of the right needle over the first one, but don’t drop the “passed-over” stitch off the left needle yet. This is the “suspended” stitch that makes the edge more elastic and more beautiful.
STEP 3
With the “suspended” stitch still on the left needle, insert the right needle from right to left into the next stitch. Do it in such a way that the right needle stays in front of the “suspended” stitch and at the back of the working yarn.
Wrap the tip of the right needle with the working yarn, and pull this wrap through to purl this stitch. It could feel a bit unusual to pull a new stitch from between two stitches, but it is not difficult at all.
Slip both stitches off the left needle.
Repeat steps 1-3 until you bind off all stitches and there are only two stitches sitting on the right needle.
FINISHING
Pass the second of these stitches over the first one and off the left needle, just as we do when we use the regular bind off method.
Cut the yarn, pass the tail through the last stitch and pull tight to secure.
The structure of an edge formed by this type of bind off is exactly the same as the structure of an edge formed by the regular bind off, but because we “suspend” each stitch, we keep it from tightening as we work the next stitch.
This simple move adds elasticity to the edge and makes the chain of stitches more prominent. It is a great solution in cases when the bind off edge turns out to be too tight.
If you use this method to bind off stitches of ribbing “in pattern”, it will be called the Alternating Suspended Bind Off. No matter how we call it, the bind off edge of your project will be more elastic and more decorative than the edge formed by the regular bind off. All because we used a small clever trick.
SAVE FOR LATER:
This and 36 other in-depth tutorials are part of Knitting Collection #7.
