complicated casting off

by Leonie W
(Sydney, Australia)

3-needle bind off

Question

I am a reasonably experienced knitter and I am knitting a bolero from a very old pattern and am trying to cast off as the pattern instructs:

"Place the Left Front and Back together right sides facing and needle points together. Cast off the left front (which is 52 sts) with the first 52 sts of Back on wrong side of work.
Continue casting off 36 sts for back of neck and leave remaining 52 sts to be cast off with the Right Front."


Does this mean to essentially knit two stitches together to cast off, one stitch from left front and one stitch from back?

I haven't come across anything like this and I have looked at many knitting websites and they only have basic casting off / binding off.

Would love to know if you have heard of this and what would you suggest?

I am dying to finish this bolero to wear it as winter approaches here in Australia.
Many thanks, Leonie from Sydney, Australia.


Answer

Hi Leonie,

You understood it correctly. You have to knit 2 sts together from front and back. This is a 3-needle bind off. I thought I did a video on this, but I couldn't find it. I only have picture and explanation on it. I hope it makes sense to you.

For your pattern, you bind off the left front and the left back shoulders together (with right side facing each others just like sewing). Then bind off the center back for the neck and then do 3- needles bind off on the right front and the right back.

Here is a link to many videos on 3-needle-bind off that I found on Youtube;

3-needle bind off search results

I hope this helps and I'm very excited that you'll finish your bolero soon!

Ratcha