Lauira
11-06-2004, 09:38 AM
PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THESE PICTURES ARE TOO BIG! :mwah
Here are some pictures of my cuff finishing technique (it its evolved state). If someone has a better way, please post! This is just the way that I have found works best for me after trial and error. I am sure there is a more *professional* way to do it. I need to get me a book!
Step 1: Here is what you are left with after a standard bind off (not sure what kind, but the easiest one). You can make this as stretchy as you want my using a bigger needle and looser stitches as you bind off. Thread your tapestry needle and you are ready to start! At this point, you want to make that last open loop smaller - closer to the size of the rest of your cast off loops are.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7936.jpg
***********************
Step 2: I bound off in knit (is that how you say it?), so my yarn is behind my work (inside the cuff). Knowing this, insert your needle as shown so you bring your yarn in front once your needle passes through. (I cut off the needle tip, but I marked it so it wouldn't confuse you as to which way I way poking it through.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7937copy.jpg
************************
Step 3: The trick to making this invisible is mimicking the rest of the bound off cuff. Also, you need to bring the sides together so that there is a solid continuation. You may notice you have a big old hole/open area between the last bind off stitch and the first bind off stitch. So in order to fix this (and complete the round), you need to literally stitch these two halfs together and 'cinch' it. Now that your yarn is in front, you insert your needle in a place about where I have (just under that very first bind off stitch that you have done - the one that is sort of goofy looking and slanted). This stitch in front will mimick the other seed stitches and also get rid of the hole.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7938.jpg
***********************
Step 4: Now that the hole is cinched together, all you need to do is create the bind off stitch look again to finish the seamless look. Your yarn is in the back of your work again and you have gently pulled that stitch you just made through to the back so it is snug (matching the tension of your knitting). In the beginning, you made your last bind off loop (the one just hanging out this whole time) smaller to better match the rest of your bind off. If you find this loop is the wrong size now, it is always adjustable by inching your work you have already done. Just don't pull the yarn to make it smaller since that will cause it all to look fuinny since you you have it weaved through to pull the hole together, but rather snake along your yarn to get the tension you need (this also applies if you find you didn't pull that stitch we just did tightly enough). Once you are sure everything looks good, take your needle and put it through your loop as shown:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7940.jpg
***********************
Now you can see the start of your last two fake bind off stitches (this one and one more you will make) come together. At this point, you can also mimick this pic to make sure that loop is the right size and won't stick out (judst sort of pull your yarn to the side to check the size).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7941.jpg
************************
Step 5: You are almost done! Now that you are at this step, you can visualize how it will finish. You just need to make one more loop to mimick one more bind off stitch. Now that your yarn is up through that loop as shown in the previous pic, you need to loop around the next stitch over. This will be the one directly next to that first bind off stitch you made you you started casting off. You are covering that first stitch - almost in a duplicate stitch way - to create the seamless look - since that first stitch doesn't look as pretty as the rest.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7942.jpg
************************
Step 6: Once you have pulled that through (maintaining the right tension), you are going to put your needle back down through that loop. You can see you are finishing that stitch here. Once again, make sure your tension is right! That is the key!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7943.jpg
*************************
ET VOILA! You are done! See, no big secret! It really easy fast and easy once you do it once or twice. You just need to always be aware of your tension as you go. If not, you will end up at the very end of these steps and you will realize that you didn't pull something at the beginning tight enough so you can plainly make out the error. In this case, you would ned to remove when you have done since it would be hard to snake the excess all the way through.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7944.jpg
**************************
You can do this on any cuff stitch. The main difference is the way you snug that hole together. You just need to play around with it to mimick the knitting as best as possible.
I hope this helps someone! Now let's see those perfect cuffs!
Here are some pictures of my cuff finishing technique (it its evolved state). If someone has a better way, please post! This is just the way that I have found works best for me after trial and error. I am sure there is a more *professional* way to do it. I need to get me a book!
Step 1: Here is what you are left with after a standard bind off (not sure what kind, but the easiest one). You can make this as stretchy as you want my using a bigger needle and looser stitches as you bind off. Thread your tapestry needle and you are ready to start! At this point, you want to make that last open loop smaller - closer to the size of the rest of your cast off loops are.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7936.jpg
***********************
Step 2: I bound off in knit (is that how you say it?), so my yarn is behind my work (inside the cuff). Knowing this, insert your needle as shown so you bring your yarn in front once your needle passes through. (I cut off the needle tip, but I marked it so it wouldn't confuse you as to which way I way poking it through.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7937copy.jpg
************************
Step 3: The trick to making this invisible is mimicking the rest of the bound off cuff. Also, you need to bring the sides together so that there is a solid continuation. You may notice you have a big old hole/open area between the last bind off stitch and the first bind off stitch. So in order to fix this (and complete the round), you need to literally stitch these two halfs together and 'cinch' it. Now that your yarn is in front, you insert your needle in a place about where I have (just under that very first bind off stitch that you have done - the one that is sort of goofy looking and slanted). This stitch in front will mimick the other seed stitches and also get rid of the hole.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7938.jpg
***********************
Step 4: Now that the hole is cinched together, all you need to do is create the bind off stitch look again to finish the seamless look. Your yarn is in the back of your work again and you have gently pulled that stitch you just made through to the back so it is snug (matching the tension of your knitting). In the beginning, you made your last bind off loop (the one just hanging out this whole time) smaller to better match the rest of your bind off. If you find this loop is the wrong size now, it is always adjustable by inching your work you have already done. Just don't pull the yarn to make it smaller since that will cause it all to look fuinny since you you have it weaved through to pull the hole together, but rather snake along your yarn to get the tension you need (this also applies if you find you didn't pull that stitch we just did tightly enough). Once you are sure everything looks good, take your needle and put it through your loop as shown:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7940.jpg
***********************
Now you can see the start of your last two fake bind off stitches (this one and one more you will make) come together. At this point, you can also mimick this pic to make sure that loop is the right size and won't stick out (judst sort of pull your yarn to the side to check the size).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7941.jpg
************************
Step 5: You are almost done! Now that you are at this step, you can visualize how it will finish. You just need to make one more loop to mimick one more bind off stitch. Now that your yarn is up through that loop as shown in the previous pic, you need to loop around the next stitch over. This will be the one directly next to that first bind off stitch you made you you started casting off. You are covering that first stitch - almost in a duplicate stitch way - to create the seamless look - since that first stitch doesn't look as pretty as the rest.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7942.jpg
************************
Step 6: Once you have pulled that through (maintaining the right tension), you are going to put your needle back down through that loop. You can see you are finishing that stitch here. Once again, make sure your tension is right! That is the key!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7943.jpg
*************************
ET VOILA! You are done! See, no big secret! It really easy fast and easy once you do it once or twice. You just need to always be aware of your tension as you go. If not, you will end up at the very end of these steps and you will realize that you didn't pull something at the beginning tight enough so you can plainly make out the error. In this case, you would ned to remove when you have done since it would be hard to snake the excess all the way through.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ljalter/IMG_7944.jpg
**************************
You can do this on any cuff stitch. The main difference is the way you snug that hole together. You just need to play around with it to mimick the knitting as best as possible.
I hope this helps someone! Now let's see those perfect cuffs!