Suspended Bind Off

The suspended bind off is a great one to try if you tend to bind off too tightly. This bind off adds a little bit more yarn into the bind off edge, giving it a little more stretch. In this video, Michele Lee Bernstein demonstrates how to work the suspended bind off.

This bind off can be worked with knit stitches or purl stitches. Michele demonstrates how to work this bind off with knit stitches. The same process and steps can be used for a purlwise suspended bind off, but the stitches would be worked as purl stitches instead of knit stitches.

To work the suspended bind off, Michele follows these steps:

1. Knit 1 stitch.
2. Knit 1 stitch and do not drop the stitch off the left needle—2 stitches on right needle.
3. Pass first stitch over second stitch on right needle, now dropping the stitch off the left needle—1 stitch remains on right needle.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 until one stitch remains. Cut yarn and pass the yarn through the final stitch to fasten off.

Michele compares this suspended bind off to a conventional knitwise bind off. She notes that the suspended bind off has a little more yarn in it and is a little looser and more elastic than a traditional bind off edge.