Draft
Applied I-Cord Bind Off
A bind off that adds an i-cord edge as it goes.
8 min videoGood for decorative edges, necklines, blankets
The applied i-cord bind off, also called attached i-cord, is a decorative edge. An i-cord is a little knitted tube, like a rope, and this bind off places that tube along the finished edge of your fabric while binding off the stitches at the same time.
The finished edge looks polished and has some texture and detail to it. It is very stretchy, so it works on almost any kind of fabric. It is a good choice for collars, cuffs and anywhere you want a finished rope band.
You can work it in the working yarn or in a different color so the cord stands out. Three stitches makes a slim cord, four or five a fatter one. The matching cast on is the i-cord cast on.
1 Cast on three stitches
Take your working needle and cast on three stitches. A backwards loop cast on is fine here, it is quick and easy. You can use the working yarn, or a different color if you want the edge to stand out.
2 Slip them to the main needle
Slip those three stitches over to the needle that holds your fabric. Bring the working yarn around from behind, ready to knit.
3 Knit two, slip the third
Knit the first two of the three stitches. Slip the third one knitwise, without knitting it.
4 Yarn over, knit one from the fabric
Bring the yarn to the front to make a yarn over. Then knit the next stitch from the edge of your fabric. Tighten that stitch down.
5 Pass both over
Lift the yarn over and the slipped stitch together and pass them over the stitch you knit from the fabric. You are back to three stitches on the working needle.
6 Slip the three back
Slip all three stitches back onto the main needle, one, two, three. The working yarn stays at the far stitch. Pulling it around behind the work is what makes the cord.
7 Then keep going
Knit two, slip one knitwise, yarn over, knit the next stitch from the fabric, pass the slipped stitch and the yarn over across, slip the three back. Repeat that all the way along the row. For a fatter cord, start with four or five stitches and knit all but the last one.
8 Knit the last stitches together
When every edge stitch is bound off, three stitches are left on the needle. Knit the first two together and slip the result back over, turning it so it is not twisted.
9 Pull the yarn through
Knit the remaining two stitches together, then cut the yarn and pull the end through the last loop to fasten it off. Weave in the ends once it is tightened down.