The Knitting Fiend

Often, knitters ask how to bind off the final two stitches when knitting in the round. Evidently, these knitters are doing “something”, which they don’t describe, but which, they think, results in a visible jog.

I’ll show you, then you can decide if it’s acceptable for you.

As I previously described when I bind off rib, I knit the first two stitches “as they present themselves”^1. Eventually, I have two stitches on the right needle tip and none on the left tip. (See below left.)

I insert my left needle tip into the second stitch from the right on the right tip and lift it over edge stitch on the right tip. Since these are the last stitches, I break the yarn leaving a long tail, then I pull the stitch on the right tip. (See above right.) I keep pulling until the tail pulls through both stitches; this anchors the stitches.

Now, if you think about this, I’ve just unknit that very last stitch I worked! That turns out to be a good thing because levels out the height of the first and last stitches in the round.

Often, when I look carefully, I notice the stitch below the last stitch in the round is loose. So, I insert my needle tip into the first stitch I bound off and pull gently to adjust the tension. (See below left.)

Next, I thread a tapestry needle with the yarn end and embroider a chain to close the little gap. See above right. Then I tighten to make it look like all the other chains.

To the left you can see how this looks when I finish. As far as I can tell there is no height jog.

But, as you know, I am a knitter who has been known to knit and crochet using fun fur, so it may be that I’m just not picky.

---

End notes:
1. That is, if it looks like a knit, I knit it. If it looks like a purl, I purl it. So, I’m working stitches in rib. To read more details click: binding off in rib.

Filed in “How To Knit”.