{"title":"How to Bind Off Knitting: 7 Steps for Total Beginners","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/knitting/how-to-bind-off-knitting","category":{"slug":"knitting","name":"Knitting"},"creator":{"name":"Sheep & Stitch","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXK_Yw8hCF-9oeccQP9Gs2g","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSwjIUiQZlM"},"tldr":"Bind off knitting in 7 steps with the knit-and-pass-over method. Finish any project with a tidy, secure edge that won't unravel. Beginner-friendly.","totalDurationSeconds":313,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["Knitting Needles (size matches your yarn)","Tapestry Needle","Scissors"],"materials":["Yarn (the yarn you're working with)"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Knit the First Two Stitches","text":"Start at the beginning of a fresh row. Knit the first stitch the way you normally would, then knit the second one. You now have two live stitches sitting on the right needle.That's the setup. The bind off needs exactly two stitches on the right needle to work - one to lift, and one to leave behind."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Lift the First Stitch Over the Second","text":"Use the tip of your left needle to dig under the first stitch on the right needle (the one closer to the body of your work). Lift it up, bring it over the second stitch, and let it drop off the end of the right needle.One stitch has been bound off. One stitch is left on the right needle. Davina calls it leapfrogging - the first stitch jumps over the second."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Knit One More, Lift Over Again","text":"You've got one stitch on the right needle. You need two before you can leapfrog again. So knit one more stitch from the left needle.Now there are two on the right. Use the left needle to lift the first one over the second and drop it off, exactly like before. That's the whole pattern."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Repeat Across the Row","text":"Settle into the rhythm. Knit one. Lift the previous stitch over. Knit one. Lift over. Keep going all the way across the row.You'll see a tidy little ridge forming along the top of your work as the bound-off stitches chain together. That's the edge that holds everything in place once you're off the needles."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Bind Off the Last Stitch","text":"Eventually you'll work down to the very last stitch on the left needle. Knit that one onto the right needle so you've got two stitches sitting there.Lift the first one over the second one final time. The left needle is now empty. The right needle holds a single loop - that's your last stitch."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Cut the Yarn","text":"Pull the last loop up to make it a little bigger so it doesn't tighten while you work. Pick up your scissors and snip the working yarn, leaving a tail of about 6 to 10 inches.You want enough length to thread through the last stitch and weave the end into the fabric later. Too short and you can't hide the tail."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Pull the Tail Through to Lock It","text":"Slide your needle out of the last loop. Take the tail end you just cut and feed it through that loop. Pull the tail snug and the loop closes around it.That knot locks the bind off. Your knitting is officially off the needles. Use a tapestry needle to weave the tail back into the fabric for a few inches, trim any extra, and the project is finished."}],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T17:27:07.717Z","published":"2026-04-29T17:18:14.688Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}