If you are looking for an original way to finish your knitwear and give a different touch to your borders, you cannot miss this technique! Use an icord bind off around the entire edge of the project to make it look unique.
You’ll see that this is super easy with our tutorial and remember that you can check out how to knit icord in this post.
You can use this type of bind off in any project or garment, no matter what kind of material it is. Don’t cast off the last row as you usually would since we will be adding the cord as we bind off.
1. At the end of the last row of the work, cast on 4 stitches onto the left-hand needle.
2. Knit 3, slip the next stitch without knitting it, work the next stitch on the left-hand needle, pass the slipped stitch over the stitch you just worked. With this you will have joined the cord to the last row of the project.
3. Slip all stitches from the right-hand needle to the left so they can be knit on the next row. That is, don’t turn the work.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you have worked all the stitches on the left-hand needle.
When you get to the edge of the row, you can continue to form the cord or tie it off.
If you want to make a decorative cord that surrounds the whole project, continue in this way when you reach the edge when all the stitches on the left needle have been worked:
1. Work 3 rows of icord without joining them to the work. That is, knit all stitches, slip them to the left-hand needle, and knit them again without turning the work.
2. Knit 3, slip the next stitch without knitting it. Insert the left-hand needle into the stitch on the edge of the work, pick up and knit the stitch, pass the slipped stitch over. You have now joined the icord to your project.
3. Slip all stitches from the right-hand needle to the left so they can be knit on the next row. That is, don’t turn the work.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 along the entire edge.
As you can see, it’s actually very simple and the result is great! It’s a nice edging for both the right side of the work, as well as the reverse, and it gives more consistency to the garment.
We’ve used blue cotton and 5mm wooden knitting needles for this this, but you can use the fiber and color that you like best. When you’ve got it, be sure to share your work with us using the hashtag #weareknitters
