A Stretchy Bind Off for Top-Down Shawls

Working the bind off on your top-down shawl is an important step to have a shawl that you love to wear. If the bind off is too tight, you won’t be able to properly block the piece, and the bottom of it may even curl when you wear it. In this video, Jen Lucas takes you through a bind off where you knit two together through the back loops (k2tog tbl). It’s the perfect bind off for garter stitch triangle shawls, top down crescent shawls, and any other shawl where you need a stretchy edge for blocking.

KNIT TWO TOGETHER THROUGH THE BACK LOOPS (K2TOG TBL) BIND OFF

This bind off is quite easy and quick to work. Work it in these steps as follows:

1. Knit two stitches together through the back loops. You now have one stitch on the right needle.
2. Slip the stitch purlwise from the right needle back to the left needle.

Repeat these two steps until you have one stitch remaining on the needle. Use your scissors to cut your yarn, leaving a tail of 6 to 8 inches in length to weave in later. Remove the final stitch from the needle and pull the tail through the loop to secure it.

Try working this bind off loosely on your next shawl project. You’ll find it’s simple and quick and leaves you with a shawl that’s easy to block.