When a pattern calls for you to “cast off” your stitches, with no other instructions, it is typically referring to the simplest cast off method. It can also be referred to as “binding off.” Simply knit the first two stitches on to your right hand needle, then pick up the first stitch and pass it over the second stitch. Knit another stitch, then pass what is now the first stitch over that second stitch. Continue in this way either for the entire row, if you are ending your project, or cast off the number of stitches indicated in your pattern. You can cast off stitches at any point in the row, even in the very middle. However, if you cast off in the middle of a row, you would need to join a new yarn to the first half of that row in order to continue on. The video below demonstrates how to cast off an entire row.
How to Cast Off Your Stitches
