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The Yarnist

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Technique ·

These Cast Ons & Bind Offs go together like Milk and Cookies!

Three cast on and bind off pairs that match, from the crochet cast on with the suspended bind off to long tail with a sewn bind off, plus I-cord.

Grey and green knitting on bamboo needles: grey stitches on one needle, green fabric with live stitches on another.

You’ve probably encountered a situation with your knitting when you wished your cast on would match your bind off.

The problem is this usually happens as you’re about to bind off, and you have no idea what technique compliments the method you used to cast on.

So today as we continue exploring different cast ons and bind offs, I’m going to share three ways to begin and end your projects so they match perfectly!

Let’s dive in…

Crochet Cast On & Suspended Bind Off

Blue knit edges side by side, labelled Crochet Cast On on the left and Suspended Bind Off on the right.

The crochet cast on is one of the nicest looking cast ons I’ve ever used. The chain that’s created along the edge is nice and sturdy and did I mention attractive? It also happens to be an exact match for the standard suspended bind off. It’s the bind off most people use to finish their projects.

Long Tail Cast On & Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Sewn Bind Off

Side-by-side close-ups of blue knitted edges labelled Long Tail Cast On and EZ Sewn Bind Off.

Pretty much everyone knows the long tail cast on. It’s what most of us learned to knit with, and it’s a great all around cast on for most projects. However, most people have never heard of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s sewn bind off. This is a virtually invisible bind off that’s perfect for lace projects. It also happens to pair nicely with the Long Tail.

I-Cord Cast On & Bind Off

Blue knit edges side by side, labelled I-Cord Cast On on the left and I-Cord Bind Off on the right.

I think I-cords are an under utilized technique. While I prefer to attach the I-cord as a border after the fact, it is not only possible to cast-on with an I-cord, you can also bind off with it. This will give you a nice thick border that gives a professional finishing touch to everything from hot pads to blankets.

Conclusion

So there you have it.

These are just a few cast on bind off combinations.

Do you have a good cast on / bind off pairing?

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