Introduction: How to Bind Off Stitches

Once your knitting is finished, you'll need to bind off your stitches. If you are working on the front side of the knitting, knit all stitches. If you are working on the back of the knitting, purl all stitches. Here's how it goes.

How to bind off stitches on the front of the knitting

  • Hold the needle with the knitting in your left hand, and the other one in your right hand.
  • Knit the first 2 stitches (1)
  • Insert the tip of your left needle in the first stitch knitted on the right needle, from left to right (2)
  • Slip that stitch over the second knitted stitch of the right needle (3), and over the tip of the right needle (4). Pass the second stitch through the center of the first one, and pull on the working yarn so it doesn't slip off the right needle.
  • Slip the left needle out of the stitch (5)
  • Knit the next stitch on the left needle, and repeat previous steps until you only have one stitch left on the right needle (6)
  • Slip the needle out from that stitch and cut the yarn leaving at least 15cm/6 inches of length (7)
  • Pull out the end yarn from the last bound stitch (8) and tighten to form a knot (9)

How to bind off stitches on the back of the knitting

  • Hold the needle with the knitting in your left hand, and the other one in your right hand.
  • Purl the first 2 stitches
  • Insert the tip of your left needle in the first stitch knitted on the right needle, from left to right
  • Slip that stitch over the second knitted stitch of the right needle, and over the tip of the right needle. Pass the second stitch through the center of the first one, and pull on the working yarn so it doesn't slip off the right needle.
  • Slip the left needle out of the stitch
  • Purl the next stitch on the left needle, and repeat previous steps until you only have one stitch left on the right needle
  • Slip the needle out from that last stitch and cut the yarn leaving at least 15cm/6 inches of length
  • Pull out the end yarn from the last bound stitch and tighten to form a knot