Italian Sewn Bind off Tutorial (Kitchener or grafted)

     In my last post I started a swatch to demostrate how to do an Italian tubular cast on which I learnt when I first came here. In this tutorial I have continued the swatch and will show you how to do a sewn bind off to match the cast on.

     Once again it was my neighbour who showed me how to work this. An old lady who couldn't  read or write she  made many wonderful things and was capable of reading a piece of knitting as if reading a pattern. I learnt to "reverse engineer" knitting following her example!

     All knitting instructions I have seen in books and online seem to divide the work when doing a sewn bind off, placing stitches on 2 needles. She taught me to bind them off from the same needle they were on while knitting.
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     First work two rows of double knitting:
1)* K1, S1 purlwise with yarn in front. Repeat form *to end of row.
2) As row 1.
     Now take a blunt tipped yarn needle. Cut the yarn leaving at least twice the width of the work in length. I usually calculate about 3x the width of the stitches to be bound off.  It is better to have excess yarn than to have to join in the middle of sewing!

The first stitch should be a knit stitch. Slip the needle in the stitch as if slipping purlwise (without twisting it) Slip the stitch onto yarn.

 The next stitch is a purl stitch. Slip the needle into the stitch from the front as if you were going to knit it, Slip onto yarn.

 Now bring the yarn over the top of the work and go into the left loop of the last knit stitch worked bring the needle out of the next knit stitch on the needle slipping it as if to slip purlwise.

Take yarn over the top to the back again and enter into the left leg of the last sewn purl st and go out of the next one on needle as if to knit it.

Keep repeating these movements to the end of the row.

She taught me to say "in and out" You are going inwards on the last stitch worked on that side, and out of the next stitch on needle.Loop over the top and repeated on the other side.

See what a nice neat edge this gives? It is almost identical to the cast on she taught me.

This edge is very elastic. I find it easier to work from the one needle than to divide onto 2 as many tutorials show you. If binding off a lot of stitches there is less risk off dropping them. if you do run out of yarn while sewing, simply make a neat join at the last stitch and continue sewing, don't try to pass knots through the stitches! You can hide the end in the edge quite easily when finished.

I have tried to take a lot of photos to show what I was doing. If you have any questions please let me know and I will try to answer!
     Happy (Italian) Knitting! Lol!