Cabled Edge Bind Off

The cabled edge bind off is a technique I learned for my next pattern, and I'm really excited about it. Without binding off your work, you make an edging and attach it to your work as you go, in lieu of binding off. It can create a really beautiful finished edge, and it has the added benefit of not creating a hard bind off edge.

The instructions below are for an edging with a basic, 4-stitch cable over a 4-row repeat, but you can use any edging (or strip of cable, lace, or pattern stitch) that is worked short-ways. Each edging row corresponds to one of the stitches to be bound off, and connects to the stitch similarly to how you connect row ends to live stitches in entrelac.

There is a little math that's useful to work through before you start, though, especially if you are adding it to a piece worked in the round. You want the number of rows in the repeat for the edging to go evenly into the number of stitches you are binding off. Since the instructions below are for a 4-row repeat, it will look best used over a multiple of four stitches.

Instructions:

At the beginning of your row or round, and using knitted cast on, CO 4. This edging is worked in rows and connects to your work similarly to how squares are connected in entrelac.

Row 1 (RS): sl 1, k2, ssk 4th st and next st from body on needle. Turn. 

The first stitch on the RH needle is from the original stitches being bound off.  The second stitch the fourth of those being used for the cable pattern. Both have been slipped in preparation for an ssk. 

Row 2 (WS): sl next st from body to LH needle, p2tog tbl, p3. Turn.

Here, on the LH needle, the stitch closest to the tip of the needle has been slipped over from the stitches to be bound off in preparation for a p2tog tbl.

Row 3: sl 2 to cable needle and hold in back, k2, k1 from cable needle, ssk st from cable needle and next st from body.

While the visibility isn't very good in this picture, it shows the ssk of the second stitch from the cable needle and the next stitch to be bound off.

Row 4: Rep row 2.

Rep these 4 rows until all the stitches from the body are used up.

Here, I've incorporated all the stitches to be bound off, and I only have the four stitches of the cable pattern left. Since this was a flat swatch, I just bound them off normally.  If I wanted the end of the cable band connected to the beginning, I would use kitchener stitch to connect those last four stitches to the cast-on edge of the cable band.

If the original work was flat, bind off remains 4 stitches. If it was in the round, Kitchener stitch remaining 4 stitches to the cast on from the beginning of the bind off edging.

This post has been linked to Busy Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Your Moment, Heartsie Girl, Stitchin' Mommy, Wonderful Wednesday, Thursday Favorite Things, Friendship Friday, and Fabulous Friday.