Tubular Bind Off for 1,1; 2,2; 3,3; and 4,4 ribbings

Back in April when I started this series, my plan was to link to tutorials which explain how to bind off 1,1 and 2,2 ribbing, since they are on reliable platforms, and are written so well; leaving me to tackle 3,3 and 4,4 ribbing by doing some cables and twists to get the fabrics down to a 1,1 ribbing configuration, so you could bind it off just like you would a 1/1 ribbing (as explained on the other tutorials, since the sun has gone down and my photos came out wonky.)

Comparing the finished swatches, Ysolda's in Orange, smooth and easy, mine in pink, not so smooth. — Comparing the finished swatches, Ysolda’s in Orange, smooth and easy, mine in pink, not so smooth.

But then I re-read Ysolda’s article more carefully. If you split the last row up by knitting all the knits onto a needle held to the front, and all the purls to a needle held to the back, then graft them, that is all you have to do, and it’s smoother than what I was planning.

Some 4/4 ribbing I prepared according to Ysolda's method — Some 4/4 ribbing I prepared according to Ysolda’s methodf

Some 4/4 ribbing I prepared according to my charts

OK, new plan. I’ll direct you to the tutorials, show how nice the other method looks compared to the cable/twist I was planning, and we’ll call it good.

First, the tutorials:

Now the charts and row instructions for my abandoned fussy plans (since I made them already)

Row 1 (RS): P2, k4, p4, k4, p2. (16 sts)
Row 2 (WS): (K2, p2, 2/2 LPC) x 2.
Row 3: (K2, p2) x 4.
Row 4: (K, 1/1 RPC, p) x 4. Rows 5 – 6: (Sl, p) x 8.

Rows 1 – 2: K2, (p3, k3) x 2,p2. (16 sts)
Row 3: (K, 1/1 RPC, k, 1/1 LPC) x 2, k, 1/1 RPC, k.
Rows 4 – 5: (K, sl wyif) x 8.

Like all of the ribbings, once you get them to a state where they are tubular on your needles, binding them off is very like the Kitchener stitch – only instead of two needles, you have one.

Any of the tutorials I referenced above will show you how to finish binding off like I did the pink one.

saying "meh" to the finished swatch — saying “meh” to the finished swatch

But I think you should really check out Ysolda’s method. Less fussiness, already uses grafting.

How a swatch with Ysolda's Method looks just before grafting — How a swatch with Ysolda’s Method looks just before grafting

And what it looks like when it’s done.

it's so smooth and squishy — it’s so smooth and squishy

I like the idea of beginning and ending a reversible cabled scarf this way, because it looks as if the cables are bending themselves around the bottom to twist forever. In fact, I’m working on one right now.

(Sorry for anyone on the e-mail list who got this post before it had pictures, once again I hit the update button when I meant to hit the save draft one.)