[tutorial]: Beaded Picot Bind Off

Add a little frill to your bind off with the Beaded Picot Bind Off!

It does use quite a bit more yarn than a standard bind off, so make sure you have enough yarn. And of course, you’ll need beads.

For our examples, we’ll CO 3 sts, k1, place bead, BO 6 sts, slip 1 back to LN.

Let’s get started!

[Crochet Hook Method] Beaded Picot Bind Off

Step 1

CO 3 sts using the knitted cast on.

Step 2

K1

Step 3

Place bead

Step 4

BO 6 sts. Slip that last stitch back to the LN.

Repeat steps 2-4 until you’ve bound off all the stitches.

Here’s what the crochet hook method of the Beaded Picot Bind Off looks like…

[Pre-strung Method] Beaded Picot Bind Off

Step 1

Pre-string as many beads as you need for your bind off.

I suggest stringing another 10 or so just in case. It’s much easier to pull a few beads off the yarn than needing to add a few beads.

Now that you’ve strung your beads…

Step 2

CO 3 sts using the knitted cast on.

Step 3

Place a bead near the right hand needle and k1 with the bead.

Step 4

BO 6 sts. Slip that last stitch back to the LN.

Repeat steps 2-4 until you’ve bound off all the stitches.

Here’s what the pre-strung method of the Beaded Picot Bind Off looks like…

Comparing the two methods

Both methods looks good and they’re similar but not identical. The two contrast slightly because of the differences in the two methods.

The beads are oriented differently. For beads that don’t have a distinct “up/down” or “side” (such as most circular beads), this won’t matter. But in some cases it can really make a difference. Since I used circular beads without any difference in the sides, we don’t see a difference. But if I used, say, an oblong or oval bead, you’d see a difference.

The beads have different degrees of being visible on the wrong side. With the pre-strung method, both sides are 100% visible. For the crochet hook method, the beads are somewhat visible on the wrong side.

In some cases, this will make a big difference, so the project and its use can have a big impact on whether this matters.

Which to Choose?

In a lot of cases, it’s going to come down to which method YOU prefer to work. Personally, I like the crochet hook method because I have flexibility, I don’t need to string them ahead of time, and I don’t have to continually move them down the yarn. But again, it’s your decision!

Free Pattern

Try out your new skills in our Free Pattern – the Summer Blooms Shawl!