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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Helena Sweater - Bind Off Anxiety

I totally love knitting this sweater.  The pattern is interesting yet simple.  And even though it's fingering weight yarn, it's a very quick knit.  But I'm getting a little tinge of nervousness ...

... because I'm getting oh-so-close to the other side of the sweater.  Where I'll have to bind off.  And that bind off edge has to get sewn to the cast on edge of the other piece ... and they have to match in size/tension or my sweater will be all catywampus.  And I didn't do all this work to wear a jacked up sweater.

So, any suggestions on binding off so it matches my stretchy, flexible cast on edge?  I'd really appreciate it!

Ooo!  Look at that nice neckline! (nice segue, eh?)  I loved doing the decreases and increases to pass through the pattern.  I also think I'm really going to like the rolled edge at the neckline, too.  It'll help shape the curve of a very boat-neck-y neckline.
23 Comments leave a comment


UK lass in US said ...
It's looking gorgeous!

I've always found the sewn bind off to be a nice and stretchy bind off

(http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/howto/archive/2008/05/15/sewn-bind-off.aspx)
5/22/2012 9:20 AM

futuregirl replied ...
UK lass in US ... Thank you for the link!
6/30/2012 11:37 PM

Kate said ...
How about the very appropriately named Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53Mtbkyf5CQ
5/22/2012 9:52 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Kate ... Thanks for the link!
6/30/2012 11:38 PM

CitricSugar said ...
I would have come to you with that question...

Is is possible to sew it the other side AND bind it off at the same time? A bind-off by sewing? That way you could match the stretchy pretty close... I'd run a lifeline before attempting that, though.
5/22/2012 11:16 AM

futuregirl replied ...
CitricSugar ... If I'd planned ahead this totally would have worked. Thanks for the idea!
6/30/2012 11:38 PM

Ana said ...
Looks gorgeous so far! How about the Knitty Interlock Bind Off? http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss11/FEATinterlock.php
5/22/2012 1:49 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Ana ... Thank you for the link. This is what worked!!!
6/30/2012 11:42 PM

nancymoo said ...
Sorry I can't help with the knitting, but your sweater is gorgeous!! :D
5/22/2012 2:33 PM

futuregirl replied ...
nancymoo ... Thanks! :)
6/30/2012 11:42 PM

Carine said ...
Maybe, could you use the grafting technique? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Co9JKDeCqz8 Sorry, I am not a knitter expert.
5/22/2012 8:13 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Carine ... Thanks for the link
6/30/2012 11:41 PM

SuzySomething said ...
I love the horizontal cables! It's going to be a beautiful sweater. I can't wait to see it all together.
5/23/2012 10:56 AM

Pat Lehnen said ...
Having chosen crochet, I can't help with the knitting either. But as a needlecrafter I truly appreciate how this sweater is looking even now. I am confident you will find the perfect solution.
Meanwhile, I am about to embark on some beaded bracelets again. They are really popular!
5/23/2012 11:00 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Pat Lehnen ... Awww, thank you! And thanks for putting up with all my knitting posts as a crocheter yourself. :)
6/30/2012 11:41 PM

Barbara said ...
Didn't you just start knitting a year or so ago? and now you're doing this beautiful stuff...you must practice knitting in your sleep!
5/23/2012 4:20 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Barbara ... Ha! I think it's been two years. I do practice a LOT. A whole lot more than I show here on the blog. I'm a little obsessed. ;)
6/30/2012 11:40 PM

Bunnie said ...
Oooh, it's so cute! Maybe try a bind-off/stitching combo? I'd try crocheting the two sides together at the same time using yarn and doing them in a sort of double-crochet: running your yarn through the two corresponding loops at once! It would be as stretchy as you made the crochet loose, right?
5/23/2012 10:25 PM

futuregirl replied ...
Bunnie ... Thanks for the idea. :)
6/30/2012 11:39 PM

Jane said ...
Looks lovely - beautiful colour, and the pattern's very pretty. Brave to do a whole sweater in fingering weight too. I'm not an experienced knitter, but I'm with Kate - Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off really is... surprisingly stretchy! I recently used it on 100% cotton, and it even made that feel very very stretchy.
Good luck - can't wait to see the finished article!
5/24/2012 1:41 AM

futuregirl replied ...
Jane ... Thank you for the recommendation.
6/30/2012 11:39 PM

Are you sure you have to bind off? If the side has to be sewn to the cast on edge, the live stitches could be sewn to said edge with Kitchener stitch (grafting). That is very flexible and looks nice too. If you want to bind off, sewn bind offs are generally very stretchy.
6/4/2012 10:15 AM
 
futuregirl replied ...
Harpa Jónsdóttir ... If I'd planned ahead this totally would have worked. Thanks for the idea!
6/30/2012 11:39 PM

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