Is casting/binding off supposed to be this difficult?

#1

So I’ve finished my first knitting project - almost. All that remains is binding off, which is something my friend who taught me how to knit didn’t have a chance to cover, and we haven’t had a chance in the last few months to get together, so I dug up a video on it.

youtube.com/watch?v=h9rfgG63xJM&feature=channel - specifically that one.

It looked simple enough, but when I went to bind off the scarf, I tried to keep the yarn looser to make it easier, but all I’ve succeeded at doing is making a mess. I’ve casted several stitches off, but it gets increasingly more difficult to proceed, to where I can barely move the yarn on the needle, much less pull it up and over.

I’m about ready to scream and throw the entire thing out the window.

It’s a bulky yarn, and I found it easy to work with initially, at least until now. I’m wondering if I’m just doing something wrong, resulting in it being far more difficult than it has to be, or what.

#2

That’s a really really awkward way to cast off. If you look at the cast off video here you’ll see that most people do it by putting the left needle into the first stitch and pull it over the 2nd one and off the needle. It may help if you have a larger needle in your right hand, but if you don’t have another size, just don’t pull the yarn tight when you knit the st, so it’s loose enough to pull over the other one.

#3

Okay. It took a few times watching it through - it’s really hard to follow with nothing to accompany** the video itself, especially with such a light-colored yarn – moving, light-colored objects sometimes tend to seem reflective.

I’ll undo what I’ve done and give it another shot. I need to undo it, because the yarn is now too tight despite my every effort to keep it loose. If I still can’t get the hang of it, I’m calling my friend and scheduling some girl time.

**I’m sure there’s an audio track for it, but the main reason I don’t use the videos here if I can help it over the other ones I’ve found on youtube is because some of the youtube vids are closed captioned. Maybe once I get my cochlear implant, I’ll be able to hear the audio. crosses fingers

#4

Ahhh, I see. Maybe you can find another CC one that uses the needle to lift the stitch over. But really, it’s mostly visual anyway, you have to see it to understand it, the words don’t add a lot.

#5

I use a crochet hook. It’s so much easier and you can control the tension of your bind-off much easier. I don’t if there is a video on here of how to use a crochet hook, but it’s really simple.

Using the crochet hook, knit into the first stitch as usual. Knit the second stitch. Grab that second stitch with the hook and pull it through the first stitch on the crochet hook. Repeat.

#6

Although that video is close captioned that’s an unusual and awkward way to do bind off. :??

I don’t know of any other close captioned ones, but here’s a few links that have still pictures and text as well as videos so that may help.
http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Binding_Off_-_Basic_Bind_Off

You might use a larger needle to bind off, too. That will help it be looser.

#7

Thank you all for the suggestions. I’ll be ripping out the stitches and giving it another whirl with some of these suggestions - probably later today.

:muah: