This year I said I was going to at least learn one new thing about knitting each month. When I found myself about to cast off the shoulders of a cardigan the other night, my subconscious was clearly thinking in this direction, as I wondered if there was a better way to cast off a shoulder.
I headed for the bookshelf and my copy of Cast On Bind Off by Leslie Ann Bestor.
In it I found the ‘Sloped Bind Off’.
The sloped bind off softens out that steps that form when you cast off with a more traditional bind off and creates a more even edge for seaming. (I would show you a picture of a traditional bind off, but, off course, I didn’t cast off that way. If anyone has one I could ‘borrow’ make this post a better explanation, please let me know.)
If you fancy having a go, here’s how to do it…
Working a sloped bind off
- Work up to the last stitch on the row before the first cast off row.
- Leave last stitch unworked and turn the knitting.
- Slip the first stitch on the left hand needle purlwise onto the right hand needle – I’m assuming you’re right handed here, so slip from right to left if you’re knitting left handed.
- Pass the unworked stitch over the slipped stitch
- Now continue to bind the row off as you would normally.
- When binding off is complete work across the row.
- On the row before the next bind off (and every other row before a bind off) work up to the last stitch on the row as before, turn the work and repeat casting off as above.
Et voilà! A smoother shoulder cast off…
Now I’ve got it out, I’m going to have a deeper delve into Cast on Bind Off to see what else I don’t know.
Hope you week’s going well.
Dartmoor Creative 
That’s brilliant! I always thought the ‘stepped effect’ you get with the usual method was a bit bizarre.
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Clever, isn’t it? I don’t know why never looked to see if there’s a better method before. The step effect can be very clunky.
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My latest project has raglan sleeves so avoids this ‘problem’. Love the idea of a sloped bind off for future jumpers.
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Haven’t knitted raglan sleeves for years. look forward to seeing your project 🙂
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Thanks for the tip on this book, I ordered it right away! There is always something to learn about knitting! Lead on Beki! xo Johanna
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Thank you. You’re more than welcome. There certainly is always something more to learn. 🙂 xx
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Snazzy! I look forward to trying this out at some point 🙂
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Yes, should look a lot better. Was very unhappy with the shoulder seams on my last sweater, but hoping for better things when i sew this one up 🙂
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I’m not a knitter but it looks great from here
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Aw! Thank you. You sound like me sometimes when I’m looking at my sewing friends blogs 🙂
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Looks fab, the stepped bind off makes joining look and seem harder than it needs to be. 😊
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Don’t tempt fate – at least you can see which steps fit together. I haven’t tried joining this one yet 🙂
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I have an unusual bind off at the moment. The sleeves are double moss stitch. I have to knit the two stitches at the ends on the knit rows and purl them on the purl side. Moss stitch the rest. On the decrease rows it is k1 s1 k1 psso then moss stitch to the last three stitches, then k2 tog, k1. Result is very neat! Always good to try something new.
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Sounds interesting. Is that the shaping around the arm hole? Sorry, trying to visualise words here and my brain is struggling. BTW is it okay for me to pinch the picture of Selina from your blog and put it on my Sunday sevens please?
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Thank you for a lovely post, and teaching me something as well. That is awesome.
Have a great weekend. 🙂
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You’re more than welcome. Always great to find a better technique and even better to share it. You have great weekend too x
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