After the publication of Jeny’s
Surprisingly Stretchy Bindoff, I began
a quest to find a bindoff that would stretch
out just as far as JSSBO, snap back in just
as well, and also be invisible (or close
to it). The bindoff you see to the right
is where that quest led me.
Interlock can be worked plain or in pattern,
and results in a visually subtle edge that
is highly elastic and does not look scalloped
when unstretched. When worked in rib, it
sits atop the last row and blends nicely
into the fabric, following the bends of
the ribbing. When worked plain over stockinette,
it is the exact match for the Twisted (a.k.a.
Backwards) Loop Cast On. An alternate deconstruction
of the backwards loop cast on by my esteemed
fellow knitter
Lana
Holden can
be seen on this Ravelry
thread.
THE CONCEPT
Let’s say you’re working stockinette stitch, and
you pull out your knitting needle from
a row of live stitches. Those stitches would look something like this:
Now, if each stitch were interlocked with
its neighboring stitches, it would look
like something like this: This is the end
result of the Interlock Bindoff worked
plain (see Part 1 below).
Applying this to k1p1 fabric, you would get
a result that looks something like this
(see Part 2 below):
The blue highlight
illustrates the columns of knit stitches.
Instructions are for working in the round, because this bindoff
is well-suited to socks, hats, and other garments that need
a stretchy bound-off edge. If you are working flat, skip the
Setup and start directly with Binding Off.
PART 1: INTERLOCK
BINDOFF WORKED PLAIN
Worked plain over a row of stockinette,
the Interlock Bindoff is the exact equivalent
to the backwards or twisted loop cast on
(with next row knitted through the front loop),
making it an ideal choice for scarves,
fingerless gloves, or any project that
benefits from matched edges. In this picture,
the pink shows the cast-on edge, and the
red shows the bound-off edge.
Setup
Cut a tail of yarn at least 5 times the
length/circumference of your edge, a
bit longer if your edge is ribbed. (Note that the directions show
a short tail in a different color – this is for illustration
purposes only.) Thread the end through a blunt yarn needle (YN).
Then:
Draw the YN through the first stitch
on your L needle as if to purl (back to front). Leave st
on needle.
Draw the YN through the last stitch on your R needle as if
to knit (front to back). Leave st on needle.
Binding Off Insert your YN
through the first stitch as if to knit, then the second stitch
as if to purl. Slip the first st off the needle; leave the second
stitch on the needle. Don’t pull out
the slack yet!
Note: your working yarn is now in
front. Bring the YN through the loop of working yarn
before your first stitch (the one you
just slipped off). Make sure this loop
is not twisted, and go through it from
front to back.
Snug very gently by pulling the YN horizontally to the right.
That’s all there is to it. Repeat
steps 1 and 2, then gently snug, until all stitches are bound
off. After binding off a few more stitches, it will begin
to resemble the photo. Use consistent tension as you snug
each stitch. It might take a little practice at first to get
the tension right.
Finishing the Round
When you come to the last 2 sts, you’ll need to connect
to the beginning of the round so you don’t have a gap.
After you insert your YN through the last 2 sts on your L needle,
slip them both off together.
Draw the YN through the loop of working yarn and snug, as you
did with all the previous sts.
Draw the YN through the very first loop of working yarn you
made, just after Setup. Go through this loop from front to back.
Snug gently, then weave in your tail on the inside.
PART 2: INTERLOCK
BINDOFF WORKED IN PATTERN
The Interlock Bindoff is excellent for ribbed
fabrics, because it can be just as elastic
as the fabric itself, and snaps back very
nicely. Instructions below are for k1p1
rib.
If you understand the principles of grafting
or duplicate stitch, you can adapt the
Interlock Bindoff for use with any knit-purl
pattern.
Setup
Start with a knit stitch on the tip of
your L needle. Work setup as you would for plain Interlock.
Binding off
(1st st knit; 2nd st purl)
Insert your YN through both of the first
two sts on the L needle as if to knit. Slip the first stitch
off (the knit stitch). Leave second stitch on (the purl stitch).
Note that your working yarn is now in back.
Bring your YN through the loop of yarn before the k st you
just slipped off. Make sure the loop is not twisted, and go
through it from back to front.
Snug very gently by pulling the YN horizontally to the right.
(1st st purl; 2nd st knit)
With the YN starting in back, insert through
both the first two sts on the L needle as if to purl. Slip
the first stitch off (the purl stitch). Leave second stitch
on (the knit stitch).
Note that your working yarn is now in front.
Bring your YN through the loop of yarn before the p st you
just slipped off. Make sure the loop is not twisted, and go
through it from front to back.
Snug very gently by pulling the YN horizontally to the right
and repeat these 4 steps until all the sts are bound off.
Complete the round as you would for plain
Interlock, except you will go through both the last 2 sts as
if to knit.
If you lose track of the rhythm, pause. This
mantra can help you get re-oriented:
If first st is a knit st: go through
first 2 sts as if to knit. Yarn will go to back: bring
YN through loop from back to front.
If
first st is a purl st: go through first
2 sts as if to purl. Yarn will come
to front: bring YN through loop from
front to back.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeny Staiman is utterly fascinated by the topology of knitted fabric.
She is a mom, a usability engineer, and a self-diagnosed knitting
geek. For the past 16 years she has knitted primarily socks, hats,
and gloves (i.e., short attention span for knitting in straight
lines) and has recently been seduced into the world of knitting
moebii and other nonorientable mathematical forms.
You can find her on Ravelry as curiousjeny and she blogs here.
