An i-cord bind off creates a nice, rounded finished edge. It’s a little fancier than a standard bind off, and while it takes more time to knit than the standard bind off, it’s not hard once you know how and adds a nice detail to your work.
Just like a regular i-cord, the i-cord bind off forms a tube. Since you are forming the tube while binding off, it is attached to your garment. So you are binding off and adding a decorative element at the same time. 🙂
I recommend that you read the regular i-cord tutorial. There is a section near the end that explains the various ways to make an i-cord and some of those variations apply to the i-cord bind off as well.
The size of the i-cord tube is determined by how many stitches you cast on in preparation to start the bind off. It is typically 2, 3, or 4 stitches.
In the videos below, I demonstrate the 4-stitch i-cord bind off. However, the method is the same for 2 or 3 stitch bind offs – just cast on 2 or 3 stitches instead of 4.
For Flat Pieces
In the Round
An Alternate Way to Cast on and Graft the I-Cord Bind Off in the Round
In my Applied I-cord video, I teach another way of casting on and grafting an i-cord in the round. It’s still a fiddly procedure, but a bit less so than using the provisional cast on.
You’ll start with a regular cast on, as demonstrated in the “I-Cord Bind Off for Flat Pieces” video above. Then work your i-cord bind off in the round as normal. When you get to the end, follow the grafting procedure in this video:
In this link, I’ve cued up the video to start at the grafting procedure.
Want to Practice the I-Cord Bind Off?
The i-cord bind off is used in the Sceal Gra sweater to add a finished detail to the hem, sleeves and neckline. You’ll get plenty of practice while knitting a gorgeous sweater – and we can help you every step of the way! Check out our Sceal Gra KAL at https://knitalongclub.com/course/sceal-gra/.