Learn the Icelandic Bind Off in 5 Easy Steps!
Ever tried the Icelandic Bind Off? I’ve used it on my Honey Island Wrap, part of the Wetlands Collection. It’s a stretchy bind off, easy to work, that creates a lovely, neat, braided edge. It’s perfect for finishing Garter Stitch projects or any other thick, squishy fabric. Let’s explore this simple technique and add it to your Knitter’s Tool Kit! Scroll to the end of this post to see it in action.
Let’s Go!
- Step One: With yarn in back, enter the first stitch as if to purl.
- Step Two: Without removing the first stitch, enter the second stitch as if to knit.
- Step Three: Draw the second stitch through the first stitch.
- Step Four: Knit that stitch and remove both stitches from the needle.
- Step Five: Slip the remaining stitch back to the left needle.
Troubleshoot
- You’ll be much more nimble if you use a dpn to complete this bind off, especially if you’re holding a large number of stitches. Be sure to choose a nice pointy dpn.
- Take care with your tension! Too tight and your edge will lose its stretchy quality. A little looser is better, so if you’re a particularly tight knitter, you may want to work the bind off with a needle that’s one size larger.
- As you progress, giving the edge a little stretch from time to time helps to even things up.
See it in Action!
Check out this video to see the Icelandic Bind Off in action!
That’s all there is to it! I hope you’ll enjoy the very handy Icelandic Bind Off.
