Binding off question

Is it possible that I am doing something wrong?

Whenever I bind off, using the Basic knit bind-off technique, I make sure I do it fairly loose, since I knit rather tightly, but when I knit looser, it looks really sloppy. Like this. (The picture at the bottom, not that it is sloppy looking, but mine looks really sloppy.) The most annoying thing is that it doesn’t match my cast on edge, so its really funny looking.

Am I doing something wrong, or should I try a different cast off method?

I am getting ready to cast-off a big project, and I’m not a fan of having the top look like that.

Thanks!!!

I think you linked to the Russian BO? That’s a really loose one, not the ‘basic’ one, and is usually used for binding off lace so the edge can stretch a lot in blocking. Have you tried the standard k2, lift one over BO that doesn’t have you put the sts on the left needle and ktog. That’s shown on the Casting off video and may be what you need. If it comes out tight, you can use a larger needle, or just don’t pull at all on the yarn when you knit the stitches or after you lift the first one over.

Here’s the bind off videos -
http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/binding-off

I only linked to the Russian bind-off because my basic bind-off looks like it.
I k2 and lift one over for the BO, but it looks really, really loose.
The trouble is, when I BO in the same tension as I knit, it is really tight, so I tried loosening up and using a bigger needle, but it comes out really loose, and looks like the Russian bind-off.
I was just wondering if there was something I was doing wrong.

Thanks! :slight_smile:

You could try [I]either[/I] loosening it or a bigger needle, but not both. The regular BO does look very much like the Russian BO with the chain like edge, but they’re done differently.

There are scads of bind offs out there, so if one doesn’t seem to be working for you, try a different one. I have this page bookmarked and refer to it often for stretchy bind offs: http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/needles/archive/2010/03/25/stretchy-bind-offs.aspx

I’m sure there are tons of other ways to bind off, too; you just have to do a little searching to find them.

The problem with the standard k2, lift one over bind off listed above is that it looks wider than your cast on edge and flares out. The cast on and bind off don’t match. I do this bind off but do P2 lift over instead. The bind off matches the cast on edge and they’re about the same width when you’re done. You might try that. It’s especially helpful if you’re doing a scarf. Someone who doesn’t knit won’t notice it, but we knitters are our own worst knitting police.

It does only if you use the knit or purl BO with ribbing because that flattens out the rib. I didn’t see where she was binding off a ribbed piece.

The sewn bind off is a good one to try if you use long tail.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/FEATsum06TT.html

I like the idea of the sewn bind off. It’s a completely different technique and it looks neat. A good one to use and you can still practice knit bind offs on some swatches.

Thanks for all the replies!!

I think I see my problem. I’m not used to binding-off lots of stitches because most of my projects are hat/sweaters that don’t require much binding off. The last thing I made that I had to BO was a ribbed project, however I did not BO in pattern, so it flared out, just like you said.

This is not ribbed, thank goodness, so I guess it should be normal. Sorry! I must have been thinking of something else! :teehee:

And thanks Jan and Antares for the links!

Jan: I like the sewn bind-off!! I’ve decided to use it, though I’m a bit nervous since the directions say to cut the tail three times the length of the project; my project is 86 in. wide! :shrug:

Thanks!!!

Hope I can jump in here, but my ribbing bind-offs ALWAYS flare out when I’m done and look nothing like the cast on edge. K2P2, K1P1, it happens all the time.

Anyone got any tips for me??

Thanks,
knitcindy

Do you BO in the rib pattern? If you BO in all knit or all purl that flattens out the rib and makes the edge flare out.

You might try decreasing as you bind off. Depending on how much flare you get, you may only need to work a few sts together across the bind off.