who has the big book of knitting?

[metalsgirl]

I want to check my interpretation of the kitchener rib bind off IN THE ROUND (because it is looking funny when I do it, and this is actually the second time I'm attempting this, so I really want to get it right this time )

Instructions (and I don't have the book in front of me so bear with me - I may have the two rounds reversed, but the spirit of the question is still the same I think)

First of last 2 K1, P1 rib rounds, knit all knit stitches, slip purl stitches with yarn in front

Next rib round, purl all purl stitches, slip knit stitches with yarn in back

Next round do the actual bind off

So my question is - how am I supposed to be slipping the stitches - on row 1, where I'm slipping purl stitches, do I slip them as if to knit or as if to purl - likewise with row 2

Any thoughts on this? If you have the Big Book of Knitting, there is a page on this in there - but it never says how to slip the stitches (is it something I'm just supposed to know?) And it seems like it would make a big difference - that is, how the stitches end of lying (laying?) on the needle..

[Silver]

I always assume that when they don't say specifically which way to slip, they mean slip as if to purl, since it doesn't affect the stitch at all. That goes for knit and purl stitches.

However, since this is your second time trying it, which way did you slip them the first time?

[metalsgirl]

the first time I tried it, I slipped the purls as if to purl and the knits as if to knit, it looked good (to me) and I only undid it because I felt the bind off was tight - but, I remember on the second set up row I felt like the stitches were not properly oriented after what I had done on the first set up row - SO, last night, when trying it again, I decided to do the reverse, and slip the knits as purls and slip the purls as knits - but that looked very stretched out....


so now I'm not sure, your suggestion is a third variation - slipping all as purls, I guess what threw me was the yarn in front / yarn in back issue....

is it normally the default when patterns are written that stitches are slipped as purls unless otherwise stated? If so, I guess that is what I should do...

I've tried googling - is kitchener rib bind off called something else maybe? Is it just the name the big book of knitting gives this??

thanks,
Becky

[Silver]

is it normally the default when patterns are written that stitches are slipped as purls unless otherwise stated? If so, I guess that is what I should do...

It'd be nice to give you a resounding YES on this, but there's no written law about how patterns should be written. While most follow standard guidelines, some pattern writers speak a language all their own. So you never can be certain of what they meant. You can only make an educated guess. My guess is that yes, stitches should be slipped as if to purl, unless otherwise stated.

And I've heard of this bind off before, but have had a hard time finding info on it myself. I have a sneaky suspicion that it also goes by another name. :thinking:

[metalsgirl]

i'll give your method a try then... i think the whole problem is that i'm not following a pattern - i was just trying to tack on this cool sounding bind off to my piece... we'll see how this venture goes..

[metalsgirl]

Silver - it worked!! I'm so happy to finally be bound off! Now I just need to block and then this saga will finally be over.