It’s SO stretchy!!
Here is an easy stretchy bind-off for you: the yarnover bind-off.
I highly recommend you work along with the video so you have this bind-off at your disposal next time you need a nice even edge that stretches and lays flat even on Stockinette stitch.
This technique works great on toe-up socks or on top-down hats or sweaters – anything where you need a stretchy bound-off edge on a cuff.
Here is how to do it (written instructions below the video):
KNITFreedom - How To Do The Stretchy Yarnover Bind-Off
Abbreviations:
pso – pass stitch over
Instructions:
yo, k1, pso, *yo, k1, pso, pso, rep from * to end.
Related Tutorials:
This bind-off is used in the Picot Hem Bind-Off
If you liked this yarnover bind-off video, post in the comments!
34 thoughts on “An All-Purpose Stretchy Bind-Off: The Yarnover Bind-Off”
This yo, bind off is genius and so are you! Never dreamed it would be so user friendly. Most UTubes are not friendly, but dumb & haughty! Frieda Christianson, Sun City West, Az. It is near Phx, but a great hide out from big time crime! We are a Del Webb Retirement Community, 55+ age. We are Youngstown, 9000 folk, Sun City, 19,000 folk, Sun City West 20,000 folk, Sun City Grand, 10,000 folk. We, of course are packed in, looking for things to do besides pickle ball & bridge & myjong!FC.
Hooray!! I’m so glad you liked it. A shout out to the knitters in Sun City!
I have been knitting for 60 years, been a needlework editor, instruction writer and knitting author and I love your videos and advice. Your explanations are always clear and easy to follow. There is always something new to learn, isn’t there?
Hi there,
Wow, it’s an honor and a pleasure to meet you! Thank you for your kind words. This means so much to me coming from someone with an educational background. Can you point me to what you’ve written on knitting? I’d love to see it!
Cheers,
Liat
I’ve just used this on a pair of toe up socks for my partner who has size 13 feet so needs stretchy! This is perfect, will be using it again and again :)
I couldn’t find the sew off bind-off of yours that I printed out years ago. I always
had trouble keeping track of where I was using that bind off. This I can remember!
Thank you so much!!!
Thank you, this bind off saved my fingerless glove. All the other techniques were not working for me. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. It is very helpful. One thing, there is no such thing as American style, throwing with the right hand is English (British). It probably got the American moniker because it is widely used in the U.S.
I just finished my third project. My first pair of toe up socks. I really like this stretchy bind off. Next I’m going to make a pair of socks for my 10 yr old son. I will be trying two at a time. Thank you so much for your instruction and videos. I just started knitting less than 3 months ago:)
Oh my gosh, you’re making such amazing progress. :) Great job on your first pair of socks.
Thank you for your instructions. Your video is great. I am always inspired by how generous knitters can be.
You are very welcome, Angie.
Your compliments are very sweet – they made my day. :)
Liat-you absolutely amaze me-one h e double hockey sticks of an informative, talented, generous, coach, and yes cheerleader for so many of us .I am starting my first sweater in years also the first “Aran sweater” ever can’t read the pattern, not able to comprehend much with written info-so i left it, doing swatches, needed a stretchy “bind off” so will try after “swiping” aka texting this message to you- i love the comment section -wish there was a video of the pattern knit but know that is just to much to wish for,.i do appreciate you and allwho do their videos like this one not sure i could have reconnected with knit/crochet if not for all the video effects thanks cheers to you
Thanks, Liat. Someone told me a while back how to do a stretchy bindoff, but it was more complicated than this. Still trying to master Continental. Maybe I’m too old a dog to be taught new tricks?
Certainly not! Did you try this bind-off? How did it go? I know you can do this one if you just take it one step at a time. I demonstrate the bind-off American AND Continental style, so just go with whatever feels more comfortable right now.
And we’re totally here to help you with Continental knitting. Just search the forum for Continental and you will find tons of tips, or start your own thread and ask about whatever you’re struggling with. Together we will get you learning many new tricks! Just be patient with yourself and keep asking for help when you get stuck.
I love your site so much and the tutorials couldn’t be easier! With any luck , I will teach myself how to knit continental but old habits are hard to break. LOL. Merci, grazie, gracias, arigato and obrigado. :O)
Leslie I’m so happy you love my tutorials! Yay! You will be able to learn Continental – I believe in you! I switched after knitting American-style for about 7 years. It can be done! The Continental Knitting tutorial will be perfect for you.
Loved this bind off. Mine usually come out either too tight or very raggedy looking. This will simplify things. I have been doing the Russian bind off, but it is not always the right look. Thank you very much. Love getting your emails with all the great help. Thanks !!
Judy, I’m so glad this bind-off has found a place in your knitting repertoire. It’s nice and flat, simple to do, and stretchy. I’m really happy with it too – especially because it’s also easy to UNdo – much more so than the invisible ribbed bind-off.
Yes, I found that out! I’m used to going up a couple of needle sizes when I bind off, and automatically did so when I tried this bind off on a sock. It resulted in a way-too-loose edging. Realizing then (duh!) that with this stretchy bind-off, it wasn’t necessary to increase my needle size, I began the dreaded process of un-binding off. I was very pleased at how easy it was to do!
I didn’t know, or had forgotten that you had this video. I just watched two other videos on youtube demonstrating Jeny’s Suprisingly Stretchy bind-off. My brain/learning style needs slower demonstrations than they offered. It didn’t help that neither of them demonstrated it in the English style knitter version. I kept pausing, rewinding, repeating, and I just couldn’t get it. I was so thrilled to see that you had done a video on this, too. NOW, I get it! ;-)
Now if I can just get the purl part down.
Hi Renna, yay! I’m so happy my video was exactly what you needed!!! It’s not exactly “Jeny’s surprisingly-stretchy bind-off,” or else it would be easier to find on Google :P
Jeny actually contacted me and was like, “Uh, that is the yarnover bindoff, not my bindoff,” so I had to change the title.
I’ll get an official video demonstrating the REAL Jeny’s surprisingly-stretchy bind-off up soon!
I did come to realize, after watching the ‘stretchy’ one again, that there was a difference, but they both seemed to produce a similar result, and your video was much easier for me to follow, so I went with your ‘yarnover’ one. :-)
Renna,
That’s awesome! I’m so glad that my video was easier for you to follow and that it worked for you. :)
Happy Knitting.
This is a very easy way to bind off in ribbing. Thank you so much. I saw another way that was on your site but very hard to follow.
You are so welcome!
I’m so glad that this bind-off is easy for you. :) Happy Knitting!
Liat, I don’t remember who the credit goes to for that stretchy cast off, but I am sure it was on YouTube . I just put stretchy bind off up in the search box on YouTube when I couldn’t master Jenny’s stretchy castoff. That was one of the video’s I watched.
Okay, thanks! I’ll go look for it :)
I found anther stretchy bind off. You knit the first stitch (Or Purl if needed), then knit the next stitch as to whether it is knit or purl. If it is purl put the tip of the left needle into the back legs of both stitches on right needle, and purl the stitches together. Then if next stitch is knit, Knit and put the left needle tip into the front legs of both stitches and knit both together. By following theses steps ribbing and can be bound off and it be really stretchy.
Cool, I will try this! Does this bind-off have a name? Where did you find it? Did you make it up? If I like it I may want to make a video, but would love to credit the right person. Thanks!
Love this bind-off! Going to teach my mother this way … she taught me when I was young, now I can teach her things … love to share, but know so few that knit! Thank you for all these great videos!!! XXX
This is great! Thank you! Just shared it with my knit group on facebook. Thank you thank you!!
You are so welcome! I am so excited that you decided to to share the video with your knitting group. :)
Wonderful! At last a clear video to follow and easy instructions to write out oneself to keep with your knitting. Thank you so mcuh.
The English version is exactly what I needed.