How to knit super stretchy edges for the Contours Cowl

I hope you had a chance to look over yesterday’s post on choosing the right needles and accessories for your knitting, we looked at Knitter’s Pride dreamz, KARBONZ, Nova and the Clover and Knit Picks cable needles too. Choosing wood over metal is important.

So you now have everything you need to knit the free pattern Contours Cowl with super soft Fibra Natura Donnina Merino yarn. Today I’ll teach you a loose cast-on called the Alternating Cable Cast-On, and a stretchy bind off called the Simple Stretchy Bind-Off. Both of these techniques will help make nice flexible edges, so you can block out the Contours Cowl as much as you like.

Let’s start with the Alternating Cable Cast-On. To begin with, you will make a slipknot and put it on your left-hand needle. Then you’ll do a single knitted cable cast on stitch. To do this go into the slipknot as if to knit, pull the loop towards you, and place it on the tip of the left-hand needle making sure not to drop the slip stitch off this needle. There should be two stitches on the left-hand needle.

1. For the next cast on stitch bring the working yarn to the front as if to purl. Place the tip of the right-hand needle from back to front between the two stitches on the left-hand needle, and do a purl stitch, pull this stitch out a little and place it on the tip of the left-hand needle. There should now be three stitches on the left-hand needle.

2. Bring the yarn to the back. Place the tip of the right-hand needle from front to back between the two stitches on the left-hand needle, and do a knit stitch, pull this stitch out a little and place it on the tip of the left-hand needle. There should now be four stitches on the left-hand needle.

3. Repeat Step 2.

4. Repeat Steps 1-3 until there are the desired number of stitches on the needle.

This cast on will set you up for the 2×1 rib pattern for the border and leave your edges neat and stretchy.

When the top border is finished you can use the Simple Stretchy Bind-Off to make a really loose edge. Here’s how it goes in the 2×1 rib of the Contours Cowl.

1. Knit the first stitch.

2. Knit the second stitch.

3. Place the tip of the left handle through the front of both stitches on the right-hand needle and knit them together.

4. Purl the next stitch.

5. Place the tip of the left handle through the back of both stitches on the right-hand needle and purl them together.

6. Repeat Steps 1-5 until all stitches are bound off except the last one. Pass the tail of your yarn through the last stitch and pull tight to secure.

And, like that, you now have beautifully stretchy edges that will be easy to block. And tomorrow that’s what I’ll be teaching you to do: how to block the Contours Cowl for that professional finish. Join me!