Three Needle Bind Off tutorial

Now here's a tutorial I wouldn't have immediately thought of, but it turns out that many knitters are not familiar with the Three Needle Bind Off and that just won't do. Sandy Kay and I borrowed Lindsay's (our resident Fashionknitsta) nearly finished Vintage Baby Cardigan to demonstrate this super-easy technique - both in the English and Continental styles.

First a little background, the Three Needle Bind Off is used as an alternative to seaming knit garments.  Two in-progress pieces (i.e. still on their needles) are worked together at the "seam" to create an effortless join that has a little extra elasticity.  Please note: this technique is traditionally worked with the two pieces held right side to right side - ensuring that the seam will be on the wrong side and hidden.  Be sure to check this before starting!

It is also important that both of the pieces being worked together have the same number of stitches.  If they do not, correct this before working the bind off.

The first half of the tutorial is shown in the English style, the second half is in Continental.  The technique is worked the same for both, only the working yarn is held in a different hand.





Text instructions:

1. Hold two pieces as if to knit in left hand, with the needles held parallel, making sure that the "right" sides of the garment are facing each other.
2. Using right hand needle, go through the first stitch on the front left needle as if to knit.  Continue through the first stitch on the back left needle as if to knit.  The right hand needle will be poking through two stitches at this point.
3. Knit the two stitches together by pulling the working yarn through both stitches.  Once both the stitches have been knit, slide these two stitches off the left needles.
4. Repeat Steps 2 & 3, you will now have two stitches on the right needle.
5. Using the back left needle, pull the first stitch on the right needle up and over the second stitch (as if to bind off).  This step may be a little uncomfortable at first.  We recommend that you hold the back left needle so that it sticks out an extra half inch, making it easier to manipulate the stitch being bound off.
6. Continue in this manner, i.e. knitting one stitch from the front left needle with one stitch on the back left needle, then binding off the previously worked stitch (on right needle) over this new stitch.
7. After you have worked across the row, the "seam" will look like a crocheted chain.  When you reach the last stitch, cut the yarn (leaving at least a 6 inch tail) and pull it through the remaining stitch.
8. On the opposite side, the seam will be almost invisible.
9. Congratulations, you've just completed one seam!

Next week?  Picking Up A Provisional Cast On!  And we have just the project for this.

Provisional Cast On Tutorial

We've been having a lot of fun teaching our Happy Hour classes every week and one thing we've noticed, Sandy Kay and I, is that there are so many ways to do different techniques that you can always learn something new (especially from one another!). For instance, the way Sandy Kay and I perform a Provisional Cast On is completely different from what you'll find on KnittingHelp.com or Knitty.

Since so many of our customers are web customers, we thought it would be a good idea to create a tutorial once a week (or so, permitting) to share the many tips and tricks we've discovered. This week we're going to show you our own unique method for Provisionally Casting On.

A Provisional Cast On is used when the cast on edge will later be picked up or worked again, such as in the Ruffled & Ruched Scarf. As I was just about to start such a scarf (for a friend), Sandy Kay and I took the opportunity to shoot this tutorial.

When working a Provisional Cast On, always use a smooth and even waste yarn. Sandy Kay prefers a cotton yarns, I prefer superwash wool. The yarn shown is Cascade 220 Superwash. The main (or "working") yarn is Shibui Baby Alpaca DK.  The tutorial is embedded as a slideshow below.  If you would like to see each individual image, check out our Provisional Cast On set on Flickr.

Note: our method is a variation of the traditional Long-Tail, or left-handed, Cast On.

Text instructions:

1. Using both yarns held together, make a slip knot.
2. Place the slip knot on the right knitting needle.
3. Using thumb and forefinger, tighten slip knot.
4. Place working yarn over forefinger and waste yarn over thumb.  
5. Using the waste yarn as the "tail", twist waste yarn with thumb and place over the right needle.  Continue to hold the loop in place with thumb.
6. Using the right needle, catch the working yarn and pull it through the waste yarn loop.
7. Using thumb, pull waste yarn loop up and over working yarn.
8. Drop waste yarn from the right needle.
9. Tighten the stitch using thumb to snug the waste yarn up against the needle.
10. Repeat from Step 5, casting on as many sts as pattern calls for.  DO NOT count the waste yarn slip st from Step 1 as a stitch.
11. Note: when working the first row DO NOT knit the waste yarn slip knot on the first st, simply pull it off the needle at the end of the row.

Over the next couple months, we'd like to cover the following techniques:

• Picking up a Provisional Cast On (that's going to be really important for the next step in the scarf!)
• Sewing handknits with a sewing machine (for Skif sweaters, etc)
• Sewing handknits by hand - i.e. for the Thursday vest.
• Joining new yarn the quick and easy way
• A whole new jogless stripe method
• Casting On in the round seamlessly
• Stuffing a hand-knit toy without lumps

The whole point of this series is to provide knitters with new/ different methods to complete projects.  If you have a request for a tutorial, please let us know!  Leave a comment or send us an email at info(at)knit-purl(dot)com.  We're always glad to take suggestions and would love to know that someone out there found this useful :)