binding off for armholes and shoulders

[daisy]

When binding off for armholes and shoulder shaping, which is the best bind off to use? Does one type provide a cleaner look?

[Ingrid]

I've always used regular bind off for the armholes. You're going to seam there, anyway, so it never sees the light of day.

However, for shoulders, even if they say to bind off, I leave my stitches live and do a three-needle bind off. The difference in the finished look is amazing. If the shoulders are supposed to be sloped, I have to make the choice of leaving them flat or doing short row shaping in anticipation of three-needle bind off. I LOVE three-needle bind off for shoulders!!!!!!

[aylaanne]

I'm making a sleeveless tank, so which bind off would you recommend? (the tank's done in stockinette).

[Ingrid]

Same story, basically. Regular bind off and three-needle for the straps. I imagine if the designer thought that another bind off would work best, they would have recommended it. Usually you bind off in the underarm and then decrease along the sides, so the decreases are what you see, not the bind off.