please help with cast-off mistake

Hi all!

I first posted in this group in mid-April asking for help with casting on and a few months later, I’m finally finished my first ever knitting project, a scarf!

But now I’m faced with a new issue. On the very last cast-off stitch, I messed up, and now I have a loop where the last stitch should be. See pics below.

If I pull on the tail, it does not affect the loop whatsoever.

I followed, as best as I could, this method of casting off: https://youtu.be/VSwjIUiQZlM?t=243

How can I fix this loop at the end of my scarf (taking into account I still have to get rid of that tail)?

Thank you so much for any help!!

Hello
I would get a blunt tapestry needle and us it to gently give tug to the yarn where it looks like the loop is traveling to. Follow, as best you can, the direction of one end of the loop and see where I goes and try out the yarn strands there to see if it effects the loop. What your looking for is something to pull on gently which then reduces the loop. It might require a little investigation and also a slight loosening of some of the other yarn strands around it.
When you find the direction of travel its likely you can drawn the yarn through. At first this might seem like you are just moving the loop but as you work across a row each stitch will accommodate a little of the extra yarn and eventually all the extra will be gone.

The yarn tail will be woven in later and become pretty much invisible but don’t weave in until the loop issue is resolved as you need nice clear stitches to gently explore to take up that excess yarn.

I know there’s a video tutorial to help with tightening up a loop but can’t find it just now.

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Hi, this isn’t the video I hoped for but I can’t find the other. In the cluster of big stitches as she starts to tighten the centre stitch you will see the loop of yarn of the next stitch get quite big (like your loop). She then redistributes that yarn across several stitches.

I think this will offer a solution to your loop, redistributing it across the row, initially you need to find where it travels to so that you pull on the right bit, then you can work the wave of yarn across the whole row or as far as needed to make the stitches equal size.

There is also a tip for working together the last stitch of a bind off with the stitch below it. If loops on your bind off continue to be a problem in your future knitting you could look at that as a way to avoid the problem. Or, if you can’t fix this loop then perhaps undo the last 2 bound off stitches and rework them. There is a tutorial for this if you need it.
I personally never use this technique with binding off the last stitch but some people use it every project and whichever suits you is fine.

Let us know how you get on.

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Thanks Creations - very helpful. I followed what you recommended and was able to get rid of the loop in just a couple tugs! I could probably play with it a bit more to make it even more clean looking but I’m very happy with the way it looks as is.

Any recommendations on videos or websites on weaving in tails? I’ve seen some where there’s a “figure 8” pattern happening but it’s a bit confusing at this point for me. Anything more simpler?

So happy I’m almost done! Thank you thank you!

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That looks fabulous! I’m so pleased you were able to fix the loop.

That wave pattern, the direction of travel of the yarn, which you have just explored with the tightening up, that is the same direction for weaving in. Yes there are other methods but following the weave of the fabric is a great method as it is basically invisible and the woven in end moves and stretches with the fabric as it is not tugging away from it.
I have not heard it called figure of 8 before but I think it is the same as you are referring to. So, perhaps you don’t like this way, or perhaps now you’ve explored the the direction of travel you might feel more comfortable with this method? Personally I don’t think it looks like an 8, but a wave.

Well, have a look at the tutorial and see what you think


You would weave in very close to where your tail is, not in the middle of the fabric.
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I tried to show on your work.
Yellow is the wave pattern following the directions of travel
Blue is umbrella (referred to in video)
Red is smile (referred to in video)

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