2x2 Rib Tubular (Invisible) Bind Off for a Ready-Made Folded Edge
I'd only shown the tubular bind off on 1x1 rib before. This is the 2x2 version, worked straight off the rib with a sewing needle, with no prep rows.
Ready-made sweaters have that smooth, rolled edge on the ribbing with no bind-off chain in sight. You can get it by hand with a tubular, or invisible, bind off, worked with a sewing needle. I'd already shown it on 1x1 rib. This time it's on 2x2 rib (knit two, purl two).
The good news: for this version you don't need any prep rows with slipped stitches. Knit your 2x2 rib border as normal, and bind off directly.
The rule to remember
The sewing needle goes through every stitch twice. After the second pass, that stitch comes off the knitting needle. If you keep track of this, you won't get lost.
Set up
Cut a long tail and thread it on a sewing needle. Your rib starts with two knit stitches. Insert the needle purlwise into the first knit stitch, pull the yarn through, and leave the stitch on the knitting needle. This step is only done once.
The repeat (for each knit 2, purl 2)
- 1:
First purl stitch: bring the needle behind the two knit stitches and insert it knitwise into the purl. Pull through, and leave it on.
- 2:
First knit stitch: insert knitwise and slip it off.
- 3:
Second knit stitch: insert purlwise, pull through, and leave it on.
- 4:
The two purl stitches: into the first purl from back to front (purlwise), then into the second purl from front to back (knitwise). Pull the yarn through.
- 5:
Remaining knit stitch: insert knitwise and slip it off.
- 6:
Next knit stitch (the start of the next rib): insert purlwise, pull through, and leave it on.
- 7:
The first purl has now had two passes, so slip it off. Insert purlwise into the second purl, pull through, and slip it off too.
Then go back to step 1 with the next pair of purl stitches, and keep going across. When you reach the last two knit stitches, pass the needle knitwise through the first and purlwise through the second, dropping them as you go, and pull the yarn through.
Use the back as the front
Turn it over: the other side of this bind off looks even finer. So if you work the bind off from the wrong side, that neater side becomes your right side. On the cardigan in the video I did exactly that, and the edge looks like a folded double border.
- tubular bind off
- invisible bind off
- 2x2 rib
- sewn bind off
- knitting technique
- cardigan border
- hand knitting
- ready-made finish
