Binding off is what you do to take your project of the needles when you’ve finished knitting the pattern. There are several different ways to bind off your work. With the simple or traditional bind off, you knit two stitches and then pass the first stitch over the second and off the needle. Here are the instructions in more detail, and the video below gives step-by-step instructions:
- On the right side of the final row, knit the first stitch.
- *Knit one more stitch. Now there are two stitches on the right hand needle.
- *Insert your left needle into the second stitch on the right needle (the stitch on the right, farthest from the tip); the left needle will be in front of the right needle.
- *Use the left needle to pull the stitch on the right side of the right needle over the stitch on the left side of the right needle (see Figure 1) and pull the passed-over stitch completely off the right hand needle. Now there is one stitch on the right hand needle.
- Be sure to keep the yarn a little loose or the last row will be a lot tighter than the rest of the project. Sometimes I bind off with a needle one size bigger in my right hand.
- Repeat the three steps above that start with an * until there are no more stitches on the left needle (one stitch will remain on the right needle).
- Cut your yarn 6 inches from the needle, and pull the tail through the last stitch on the right needle. Use a yarn needle to weave in the ends.
This video provides step-by-step instructions of the simple bind off method:
Cushion of Joy 