Simple Way to Fix the Gap in the Bind Off Edge Worked in the Round

If you’ve ever bound off stitches of a project worked in the round (for example, a top-down hat, a cowl or a neckline of a sweater), you know that after we secure the last stitch, the bind off edge looks like this:

Not exactly the best way we want to finish a project, right?

We can try and somehow patch up the gap between the first and the last stitches to make it less visible and hope that no one notices this little imperfection.

Or, we can fix the gap properly and make the bind off edge fully seamless, like this:

All it takes is performing two simple steps.

Here they are (to watch the video tutorial, click here):

SET UP

After you bind off the last stitch, cut the yarn leaving a tail around 15 cm / 6″ long. Thread this tail into a wool needle.

STEP 1

With the right side of the work facing you, insert the wool needle from front to back under both legs of the first bound off stitch.

Pull the yarn through but don’t pull too tight. The strand between the last and the first stitches should be as long as one leg of any other stitch in the bind off edge.

STEP 2

Now insert the wool needle from front to back under the right leg of the last bound off stitch (the leg that on top of the bind off edge).

Pull the yarn through so that both strands that join the first and the last stitches are of the same length.

Secure the yarn and enjoy the perfectly seamless look of the bind off edge.

Now, as we have the tail in the wool needle already, it makes sense to weave it in on the wrong side of the work, or along the bind off edge if the project is reversible.

This is one of the easiest yet powerful knitting tricks I know. With only two strategically placed stitches we can turn a messy bind off edge into a neatly-finished detail.

---

If you enjoyed this tutorial,
here’s something else you might find helpful:

---

---