3 Needle Bind Off – Knitting Technique

Two needle bind offs are a technique used to bind off stitches when finishing a knitting project. There are two types of two needle bind offs: the three needle bind off and Elizabeth Zimmermann’s easy bind off.

Three needle bind off is a technique used to bind off shoulder seams, as it is not very elastic and will keep the shoulder from growing and stretching. To do this, you will need two pieces of knitting with live stitches on their needles and the same amount of stitches on each needle. With the right sides facing, hold the two pieces with their needles in your left hand and take a third needle. Insert the tip of the third needle knit-wise into the first stitch of each left hand needle, wrap the yarn around the right hand needle and pull through both stitches, leaving the resulting stitch on the right hand needle. Insert the third needle into the next stitch on each of the left hand needles, wrap the yarn again and pull through, leaving the resulting stitch on the right hand needle. Repeat this process until only one stitch remains on the right needle and no more stitches are on the left needle. Cut the yarn and pull it through the loop on the right needle to lock the stitches and weave in the end.

Elizabeth Zimmermann’s easy bind off is another technique that mimics the cast on edge created by the long tail cast on almost exactly. Cut the end of the yarn about 4 times as long as the edge you are binding off and thread the end onto a tapestry or other blunt needle. Starting on the left, gently slip the first two stitches off the needle and take your tapestry needle and insert it into the two stitches that are loose, the stitch closest to the needle first and then the end stitch. Pull the yarn through loosely, but not too loose. Slip one more stitch off the knitting needle and thread the tapestry needle through it and the stitch closest to it that is already off the needle. Continue across the row until there are no more stitches on the needle. Cut the yarn about 4 inches or 10 centimeters back, and pull it through the loop on the right needle, locking the stitches and then weave in the end.

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I feel like when it comes to things that people are afraid to knit, socks probably top the list. I’ve heard people say they would never knit socks because they look too hard, but really you just need to know a few basic things (and trust the pattern even though it sounds wrong the first time you do it) to master socks.

Denise DeSantis aims to take the worry out of knitting socks with No Fear Sock Knitting. Based on a class on her YouTube channel, it includes all the basic information you need to make sock knitting feel easier, along with eight patterns for both top down and toe up socks.

The book generally covers types of needles and yarn you might use to knit socks, as well as other supplies you will need. It looks at the parts of the sock, different knitting needle configurations used to knit socks, how to read a pattern (including abbreviations and terms you might find in sock patterns), discussion of ease, how to measure your foot and choosing the correct size to knit.

It includes two options each for casting on cuff down and toe up socks, as well as four options for cuff treatment. It explores the heel flap and turn method for top down and toe up socks, as well as short row heels using a shadow wrap (worked with a leg from the stitch below) and a square heel. There’s a discussion of avoiding holes and fixing other problems in heels.

Likewise with toes there are several options, including a wedge toe, round toe and anatomical toe (different on each foot) for both cuff down and toe up socks. There are also tutorials for grafting and Jeny’s surprisingly stretchy bind off, depending on which direction you’re going. There’s also a tips section that covers things like avoiding ladders, changing colors. matching stripes and more.

After all that preparation, there are eight patterns to choose from: short socks worked from the top down that are a perfect first-sock sock, a basic ankle-length toe-up sock, a DK weight sock worked from the top down with different length options, a “vanilla” sock with a short row heel worked top down, an ankle sock with a garter stitch cuff, one with a leg worked in alternating colors with a contrasting heel and toe, a sock worked in a helical stripe pattern and a striped sock with a garter stitch heel.

Three of the patterns are rated at skill level two on a scale of three, while the rest are level one. They’re all pretty straightforward, they just use different techniques you might not have tried before. Since only one is made to be toe up, there are also tips for converting the other patterns to toe up if you’d rather work that way. Each pattern includes three size options.

This book is a nice introduction to sock knitting, with lots of techniques to reference and simple patterns to take the fear out of the process. I’m not sure these are patterns you’ll come back to time and again but they are a good place to start if you’ve never knit socks before.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 8 patterns. Published 2025 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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