Casting Knitting Off

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Casting knitting off is a necessary skill every knitter needs to develop as creates a neat bound edge for your knitted piece.  

Casting Knitting Off - Cast Off Edge | © Deborah Mason & Knitting Naturally

Casting off (or binding off if you are in the States) is the way you finish a piece of knitting. Some pieces will not be cast off, but only where the stitches will be used to continue knitting of if you intend to graft two pieces of knitting together.

For example in some patterns the stitches remaining on the back and sleeves of a jumper when you have finished knitting them are used along with stitches picked up on the edges of the front to knit a neck band.

And while there are several methods of casting on, most knitters use just one method of casting off - one stitch at a time as you work your way along the final row but there are a few decorative methods that you might like to try as your skills improve.

Assumed knowledge includes:

• how to form knit stitches

Casting Knitting Off - Step by Step Instructions

Knit two stitches.

Pick up the first stitch on the right hand needle with the tip of your left hand needle.

Lift the first stitch over the second stitch on the right hand needle and let it drop off the needle.

Repeat step two and three until you have knitted the last stitch on the left hand needle (you should now have two stitches remaining on the right hand needle).

Lift the first stitch over the second stitch on the right hand needle and let it drop off the needle as you did in step three, you should now have only one stitch on the right hand needle. 

Break the yarn a few inches away from the end of your knitting and pull it through the last stitch. Slip the stitch of the needle and pull the end tight. 

For a printable PDF copy of the Cast Knitting Off Tutorial just click on this link.