Three Needle Bind Off

The three-needle bind off is another great way to join two pieces of fabric! And it’s easy to work too.

Start with the 2 pieces of knitted fabric that you want to join.

A few things about them:

• Both pieces should have the same number of stitches.
• Neither piece should be bound off yet. Instead, both of them should be on a needle with their stitches live (like the below picture).
• 

Step 1: Face their Right Sides against each other (their Wrong Sides will be on the outside) and place them on top of each other.

 

Step 2: Insert a third needle knitwise into the first stitch of the front piece.

Step 3: Insert that same third needle knitwise into the first stitch of the back piece.

Step 4: Using the working yarn from the BACK piece*, wind the yarn around the third needle and knit both stitches.

Just like in regular knitting, move those two stitches off of both left needles.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 2 through 4. There are now 2 stitches on the right needle.

Step 6: Just like in a regular bind off, working on the right needle, pass the stitch further on the right over the stitch to its left. One stitch bound off.

Step 7: Repeat Steps 5 and 6 until there is just one stitch remaining on the right needle and all stitches have been worked on both left needles.

Step 8: Cut the working yarn and pull it through that final stitch. You’re done!

Here it is all done. If we used the same color yarn it would be barely visible.

Here’s what it looks like on the WS.

The 3 Needle Bind off stretches a bit but it does add some structure as well. And that structure means that it’s not as stretchy (and makes it a great candidate for shoulder seems).

* Note: We used a contrasting yarn for the bind off just to make it easier for you to see it, but if we used the same yarn it would be barely visible.