A Funny Thing Happens when I use Circular Needles

[fccprof]

I have made a BUNCH of attempts to correct this, but am having trouble:

When I try casting off using circular needles, even when I change to a larger size circular needle, I get a tightening of the stitch so that the finished edge of the piece is shorter than the rest of the rows...it kind of forms a wide U shape instead of being flat like the rest of the piece. Someone told me there is a binding off technique that would eliminate this but my internet search hasn't located anything.

Can anyone out there help me?

[Jan in CA]

Have you check the videos on KH? Maybe they will help.
http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting...s/bind-off.php

[booskibabe]

I have the same problem with any BO I do. I found a really good BO in a knitting mag. Leave a nice long tail and thread a yarn needle with it. Now go through the first 2 stitches on your needle, then go back through just the first stitch and drop it off your needle. Tighten tail yarn as necessary to get desired firmness. Continue to end. HTH!

[redwitch]

If you search here or on Google for 'stretchy' or 'loose' castoffs you should see some of them. I would suggest using either still larger needles until they give the width you want, or one chosen from the stretchy castoffs. I'm now knitting knitty's Baudelaire socks, which pattern contains a reference for an EZ sewn bindoff which is supposedly very stretchy. The one described by Booskibabe sounds like it - remember the first two stitches in this are purlwise.
Remember, if you find it easy to use a MUCH larger needle, it doesn't need to be a circ because it will only be knitting one/two stitches at once!
Also, I have been told that 'k2tog, put st on right needle onto LN, repeat' is stretchier than the standard 'slip one over' castoff.
Please let us know which method seems stretchiest/stretchy enough for you!

Sarah

[of troy]

another trick is to use a corresponding size or 2 larger crochet hook in your right hand and, not crochet so much, as K2tog (only use the crochet hook to pull out the stitch) --its easier this way to get a stretchy, but not sloppy bound off edge.

check out my blog for ways to both cast on and bind off.
Start here for part one, --or just scroll backwards.