Yarnless Bind Off

You're probably wondering, what is a yarn-less bind off???  A yarn-less bind off is something I was doing long before I knew it had a name.

As a new knitter, I often couldn't tell when I wasn't going to have enough yarn to work one last row then the bind off.  So I did the only thing I could think to do when I got to the end of my last row and realized that two inches of yarn wasn't enough to bind off with.  I just slipped/passed stitches, without using the working yarn to knit a bind off stitch as you would normally do.  These days, I still run out of yarn, but that is due to me being in denial that I won't have quite enough yarn to finish off my project and that somehow the yarn will magically lengthen to give me enough to finish those last few bind off stitches.

You can do this on flat and circular knitting.  If using straights, you'll want to slip the stitches to your second needle so that the working yarn - the tail that is too short to complete the bind off - is near the end of the needle with the stopper, and not near the point of the needle.  If using circular needles for flat knitting, simply slide your work to the other end.  For work done in the round, when you reach the beginning/end of the round, you will just want to start working backwards.

Slip the first stitch to the right needle.  Slip the next stitch - two stitches on the right needle.  With the tip of the left needle, pick up the first stitch and pass it over the second stitch.  One stitch has been bound off.  Slip the next stitch to the right needle.  Pass the first stitch over - second stitch bound off.  Repeat until you get to the last stitch where your working yarn is waiting for you.  Pull the tail through the last stitch, just like with a regular bind off, and TA-DA!  You just bound off your work even though you only had a short length of working yarn!  Nifty tool to have in your knitting repertoire should you need it.

Here is a video.  This is done with straights, but again you can do it with circular needles too.

Happy Knitting!

Add a Seed Stitch Border to Knitting

Here is the second installment of the 'add a border to your knitting' series.  This time it is Seed Stitch, which is probably my favorite.

Like the Garter Stitch Border, this is super easy.   All you need to do is work as many rows as you like in seed stitch before beginning the main pattern, reserve some stitches on the sides, and work in seed stitch before binding off for the same number of rows as you did at the bottom.

Seed Stitch is two rows, *K1, P1* or *P1, K1*, and then the opposite on Row 2.  You really don't have to keep track of what row you are you, just purl the knits and knit the purls (the opposite of Knit the Knits and Purl the Purls).

My sample was just done with stocking stitch, but you can apply this to any stitch pattern.

Here is the video.  Happy Knitting!

Add a Garter Stitch Border to Knitting

Before

After

HERE is the Seed Stitch Border

I sometimes mention in my stitch videos that a stitch has sloppy edges, and you may want to add a border depending on what you plan to use the stitch for.

I've often been asked exactly how to add a border - so here is a series of videos showing how I do it.

I almost always use a seed stitch border, but a garter stitch border is also attractive.  A border not only neatens up the edges, but it can also help a curly stitch lay flat (think stocking stitch).  There may still be some curl left, but a border can help.   You may also want to consider slipping the first stitch for an extra neat edge.

All you really have to do is cast on extra stitches to be used on either side, and knit a few rows in the same stitch before beginning the stitch pattern, then a few more rows before binding off.  It really is that simple.

I do recommend you swatch before starting your project, to make sure you like how everything looks.  Let's say you want a garter stitch border along the sides that is six stitches wide.  Your stitch pattern, however, has you knitting the first two stitches on both the RS and WS.  Those two stitches are going to add to the six stitches you have designated for your border, making it look wider.  Or, on a stitch I swatched around with recently, there was one stitch along the right side of the fabric that was knit on the RS and purled on the WS, which created a line of stocking stitch.  It looked a little funny, so for that example I would probably add another stitch to the left side of the fabric, to recreate that line of stocking stitch so both edges look the same.   Or maybe, your stitch pattern has a few rows of garter stitch at the beginning of the pattern, that isn't repeated for the last few rows.  That would make the border wider at the bottom than at the top; in that instance, you could add more rows of garter stitch to the top before binding off.  Don't be afraid to play around with stitches to achieve a look that you like.  It's also ok to try omitting a stitch or two if it won't change the look of the overall pattern.  Again - this is why swatching is important before starting your project.  It is never fun to put hours of work into something, only to realize that it doesn't look quite right and you have to rip back and start over.

At this point, I have three videos in mind.  I may add one or two more in the future, though.  The thing I like about these, is they look the same on both sides, so there is now worry about what side your stitch pattern starts on.

Here is the first one - Garter Stitch Border

I just used a yo-k2tog pattern for this example.

Cast on 16

Row 1: k1 *yo, k2tog* Repeat between * to last st, k1

That is repeated for all rows, and makes for some pretty sloppy edges as you can see in the picture above.

To add the Garter Stitch Border, I added 8 extra stitches - four for each side, plus I knit three plain rows before starting the stitch pattern and three plain rows before binding off.

Cast on 24

Set up:  Knit three rows of plain knitting

Row 1: k5 *yo, k2tog*  Repeat between * to last five sts, k5

Repeat Row 1 for desired length

Finishing: Knit three rows of plain knitting, then bind off

Here is the video  - Happy Knitting!

Cables and Ribs Chunky Cowl

I love this cowl!  It is thick, dense, bulky and knit using reversible cables!  I know summer is upon us, but I am already looking ahead to the cooler days, and this will be so nice when the cold weather comes back!

You can purchase this pattern from my Craftsy store by clicking on the picture below.

Source: Cables and Ribs Chunky Cowl via SapphiresnPurls on Craftsy