Hand Knitting begins by making a Slip Knot and Casting On the required number of stitches for your project. Then you follow the instructions for knitting the body of the project which in this case is knitting the knit stitch for a Garter Stitch Scarf. The final part is Binding Off the hand knitted project and doing the finishing techniques required.  This is part four of the Basic Hand Knitting Techniques Series which takes you through Photo Steps Instructions of how to Bind Off in Hand Knitting.

Our First Hand Knitting Project for our Little Knitters Program is the Fun and colorful Doctor Who Season 12 Striped Garter Stitch Scarf.  We also offer Pure Wool Yarn Kits for this scarf which can be knit as the original Dr Who Scarf which is 15 feet long, or you can knit 2 scarves 7.5 feet long, or knit three great gifts of gentlemen scarves each 5 feet long, from this yarn kit.

Read about the entire learning process of the Little Knitters, taking them through researching to find and buy the correct yarn and colors for this Fan Based Knitting Project, drafting the knit pattern, learning the knitting techniques, then knitting this scarf for their Knitting for Charity Challenge.  Click here to read Doctor Who Season 12 Scarf Knit for Charity Challenge. You may even find a finished Doctor Who Scarf available for purchase with proceeds donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and The Little Knitters Program.

We share these knitting instructions with you so you can also learn to knit with a fun and colorful knit project.  Enjoy knitting with your own yarns or you can purchase the yarn kit with Spreadsheet Knitting Chart from our online Catalog.  Print out the series of instructional articles from our web site to aid in your learning to knit process.

Figure 1:  The final stripe is in the Purple: Plum Line Color.  Slip the first stitch on the row off the left knitting needle onto the right knitting needle without knitting it.  To Slip a Stitch insert the right knitting needle in the stitch as if to knit it, and simply move it to the right needle.  (see fig 3 of Part 3 of the Basic Hand Knitting Series: How to Knit the Knit Stitch)

Figure 2:  By now you know How to Knit the knit stitch which is illustrated with photos in Part 3 of the Basic Hand Knitting Series: How to Knit the Knit Stitch.

Knit the 2nd stitch loosely – do not snug it up as tight as you did the regular knit stitches in the body of your project.  You want the Bind Off to have Give and be Elastic.  There are now TWO stitches on the right hand needle.

Figure 4:  Once again there is ONE stitch on the right hand knitting needle.

Knit the next stitch loosely.  There are now two stitches on the right hand knitting needle.  Proceed binding off with Fig. 3,  then repeat the process.  Figs. 1-3 Until all stitches have been bound off.

When you reach the last stitch, cut your yarn leaving about 5 inches from the knitting needle, to be woven in and hidden in the Knit Finished Techniques.  Bring the loose end of the yarn through the stitch remaining on the knitting needle and pull up tightly to LOCK the ending of the Bind Off.

Figure 5:  See the Bind Off Stitches are elastic and look like a horizontal row of knit stitches or ‘Chain Stitches’.  It makes a very neat finish to a great project.

TIP:  Beginners have a tendency to bind off too tightly.  To prevent this, many knitters use a needle two sizes larger in the right hand.

The bind off should be the same width as your knit project: in our case the scarf is 10 inches wide.  It should not pull in or Fan out.