Elastic Bind Off for Ribbing

The Elastic Bind Off is perfect for the edges of your knitting projects where you need extra stretch. This bind off can be particularly useful on edges where a ribbing pattern has been worked, like the top of a toe-up sock. In this video, Michele Lee Bernstein demonstrates how to work the Elastic Bind Off in a 2×2 (knit 2 stitches, purl 2 stitches) ribbing pattern.

The stitches on the left needle will be worked as they are presented on the needle. The knit stitches will be knit, and the purl stitches will be purled while binding off. Two stitches are knit together through the back loops or purled together, depending on what the left-most stitch on the right-hand needle is. If that stitch is a knit stitch, the two stitches on the right-hand needle are moved to the left-hand needle and are knit together through the back loops. If the left-most stitch is a purl stitch, the two stitches are moved to the left-hand needle and are purled together. Knowing how to process the stitches for the elastic bind off, means that this bind off is a great choice for any ribbing pattern or stitch pattern where both knits and purls are incorporated.