How To Knit

Step 5 Casting Off

So you've knitted and purled and knitted and purled, and you are done. How do you stop, without leaving all those loops loose to be unraveled?

Video of casting off:

I unaccountably missed taking pictures of all but the very last stitch, I will try to redo them soon.

When you're ready to cast off, hold the work as if you were going to knit another row. Knit (knit is a bit easier than purl but you can cast off purl-wise too) one stitch. Slip that stitch back onto the left-hand needle. Now, knit one more stitch, but instead of sticking the right needle through just the last stitch on the left needle, stick it through two - the one you slipped onto it and the one beyond. Pull the loop through both stitches. You now have one stitch on the right needle, but you've made two knits - see how this is going?

Work the whole width in this manner. At the end, you 'll have one stitch remaining. Cut your yarn and pull the cut end through this loop to lock it, and pull tight. (Pics are of this last loop)

Check out BrianSawyer's Binding Off Instructable as well, he's got better pictures than I do here.