In this episode of our video podcast we demonstrate a few techniques to bind off the cuff of toe up socks. Follow along with the instructions below.
Three Stretchy Bind off Techniques
- KTBL Technique – K1 P1, put the two stitches from the right hand needles onto the left hand needle and K2 together through the back loop. K1,put the two stitches from the right hand needles onto the left hand needle and K2togTBL, Repeat until the end.
- KTBL + K1 – K2 together through the back loop, put the two stitches from the right hand needles onto the left hand needle and K2 together through the back loop. Put this stitch back on the needle and K1. Put the two stitches from the right hand needles onto the left hand needle and K2 together through the back loop Repeat until the end.
- Peggy’s Stretchy Bind Off – If you are knitting a K1, P1 ribbing, on the row before the bind-off row: K1, M1 (“make one” by making a half-hitch loop), pull the M1 tight, P1.
Repeat around.
Bind off row (go up a needle size or two): K1, slip the M1, pass the K1 over the slipped M1, P1, pass the slipped M1 over the P1, K1, pass the P1 over, etc. as for a regular bind off.
Book Review
What am I wearing
- My own designed vest knitted with Crystal Palace Stardust Deco Ribbon
What’s on the Set
- Tofutsies Stitches Collectors edition
- Toe up-Crazy Monkey socks hand spun with Superwash Merino/Tencel from Susan’s Spinning Bunny in Hibicious
- Kollage Square circular needles
(I love these new needles!)
Put a comment in episode 42 for your chance to win this Tofutsies Stitches Collectors edition! Winner will be selected from a random commenter on March 31st!
This episode is sponsored by:
BIJOU BASIN RANCH
Use promo code LK2G at checkout for 5% off. All sales have a 100% no questions asked money back guarantee
I do not knit toe-up socks, but I have used the “sewn bind off” for hats!
Cat – first, congrats on spinning enough yarn for the socks! My whole reason for learning to spin in the first place was to spin sock yarn so I understand completely. All of the socks I knit are toe up using the magic loop. Haven’t had much success knitting two at a time but I also haven’t tried very hard. :o) My socks are usually just plain stockinette with k2p2 cuffs. My bind off method is the tubular bind off for k2p2 found in Vogue Knitting. In fact any time I’m binding off ribbing I use the tubular bind off.
Cheryl
cgoyer on Ravelry.com
just left a message on #42, but thanks for this episode as I am just finishing the cuff on toe ups and was recommended the “Crazy Monkey” one next — yours are gorgeous, and look very soft!
One bind off I was told I should try is the Elizabeth Zimmerman sewn binding off method … haven’t tried it though — in theory, it sounds like it might be too tight!
Great show! I have been struggling to find toe-up socks that I like, heel & all, and the crazy monkey sock may just be it! The three bind offs are SO useful, & thanks for writing out the instructions too. I just printed it all out to keep in my sock notebook. This is my next experiment! Thanks!
Great episode Cat – I am really enjoying the “techniques” ones. Just goes to show there’s “more than one way to skin a cat” (Having typed that I’m not sure if it’s a widely-used saying, or just local to the UK…. it’s just a saying, I promise!)
I love these techniques episodes! I know you hate to sew…but I personally like sewn bind offs. The one I use most often is this one, it’s pretty stretchy I think http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/howto/archive/2008/05/15/sewn-bind-off.aspx
Hi Cat – I love your podcast so much. The yarn store in New Orleans looked absolutely beautiful, as does your shawl. I would love to try knitting a shawl but I will start with something more simple I think. Knitting goofs? Just all of the UFOs I have everywhere, all over the place!!
Great episode! The issue of getting a stretchy bind-off has been one reason I haven’t tried toe-up socks yet. Thanks.
I feel like starting to make socks now haha, i love the yarn!
Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!! I have shied away from toe-ups since my last very disappointing episode; while I was able to finish them with the sewn-off binding I has so hoped that there were some knitted off bindings as well ….
time to pull all those patterns back out of the moth balls!! I loved making a sock that could be tried on while knitting. You have made me, for one, very happy 🙂
I happened to have recently designed and knit a pair of socks using the same Tofutsies colorway as the colorway that you chose for the socks that you are holding in the beginning of this episode! don’t u just adore the colorway?! Very spring-like!
Thanks so much for featuring the stretchy bind offs for toe up socks – my favortie is EZ’s sewn bind off, i use it quite often with toe up socks!
Hi Cat,
thanks for this beautiful episode! I love your videos!
My favorite is KTBL Technique bind off.
I want to write more, but I can’t because of my bad englisch, sorry! I understand more, than I can speak or write.
Greets from Germany, Ute :o)
Hi Cat,
Thank you for your podcast. I like to do an increase in every other stitch on the last round. Then bind off in the regular way. Works great. Toe up is the only way to knit socks, no more worrying about having enough yarn.
Keep up the good work.
Well, that’s Cat’s gorgeous handspun sock yarn that I thought was the exact colorway of Tofutsies that i recently used (as I commented above) – gorgeous spinning, Cat!!
Cat asked that I share my toe up picot bind off here in the comments:
I use picot bind off with some toe up socks, depending upon the design. I do it the same way (almost) as is done with cuff down…knit 7 rounds, 1 round: k2tog, yo; knit 5 rounds….I then put the live sts on dental floss (this makes it easy to fold the cuff) and with the working yarn, I continue to the next st, place the yarn (yarn is approx. 3 x length of the cuff, it’s always too much, but I prefer to err on the side of caution) on a small darning needle and through the live loop (that is on the dental floss) and look very carefully, making sure this is the beginning stitch of the round, and gently put the darning needle thru this loop…but, I don’t go thru the entire loop, rather pierce a good portion of it, this way it doesn’t show on the public side. I then tug very, very gently; begin again by putting the darning needle thru the next live loop, and piercing the very next loop on the sock, etc. All the time I am checking and double checking, making sure that the stitches are lined up so that the picot edge isn’t crooked. In doing this the yarn is bound off and voila – a lovely picot cuff! As a matter of fact, here’s a photo: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y119/rebeccame/2009%20Knittng%20FOs/WhozitLaceSockspicotbindoffapril120.jpg
Again, thanks so very much for your wonderful podcast!!!!
I love what you do, thank you for keeping me company while knitting!
I’ve saved this episode in my iTunes because I find it is a good reference. I’m just now reaching the end on my second attempt at socks, the first ones went well until I bound off, and now I can’t get them on! Here’s hoping I can use one of these techniques to produce a better result.
I knit socks from the cuff down, but am intrigued by the toe up system. I need to learn this!
By the way, I absolutely love your videos!