Cast off
If you are left-handed, then change the option below, and all diagrams and descriptions will alter to suit you.
Animations of Casting off - Photographs of Casting off
Finishing a piece of knitting is called casting off. You have to be more careful with finishing knitting than many textiles, because when some knitting is taken from the needle, and the loose end of wool is pulled, the entire piece of knitting eventually disappears, and all you're left with is a very long piece of wool! So every stitch of the final row must be knitted correctly to stop this.
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This is the beginning of the final row. |
Comments: The stitches in this description are knit stitch so the wool is at the back. You could use purl stitch instead.
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Knit two stitches. |
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The left needle is pushed through the last loop on the right needle. |
Comments: The working needle has moved from the right to the left needle.
You don't go through the loop of the next stitch. You go through the loop of the next but one - the end stitch.
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Lift the loop over the other stitch. |
Comments: This means that you are left with one stitch where you previously had two.
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Knit one more stitch, to get ready for the next cast off stitch. |
Comments: The working needle moves back to the right needle.
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So each cast off stitch reduces the total number of stitches by one. Continue until you get to the end, when you only have one stitch left. |
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Remove needle from the last stitch. |
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Cut off the ball of wool. Put the end of the wool through the loop, and pull tight. You've finished! |
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Knit two stitches
 Put needle through end stitch loop
 Lift that stitch over the other stitch
 Only one stitch left on needle, where there was two
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Only one stitch left
 Cut wool off and put through loop
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