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The last lesson.  Are you excited?  By now you've knitted a long piece that incompasses a variety of knitting techniques.  From casting on and the knit stitch to purling and slipping stitches to increasing and decreasing to specialty stitches and simple stitch patterns, you've come a long way from where you were five weeks ago and you should be very proud of yourself!  I hope knitting is providing you with a creative outlet, a new way to relax and an exciting avenue that can challenge your mind (and your fingers!). 

For our last lesson, we're going to first dive into binding off, then we'll discuss great books to add to your knitting library and we'll top it off with our first official knitted project!  Let's go!

Binding Off

Known among knitting fans as BO (unfortunate, I know!), binding off is how we complete our project by securing the yarn in an attractive manner.  When you've completed binding off, the edge will look similar to a braid.  To BO, you'll knit the first stitch on the left needle (Pic 1).  Now, knit the second stitch so you have two stitches on the right needle.  With the tip of your left needle, gently pick up the right most stitch on the right needle (Pic 2).  Lift it up and over the left stitch (Pic 3) and allow it to drop down onto the work below (Pic 4). 

Picture 1                                   Picture 2

Picture 3                                   Picture 4

Now, you have one stitch on the right needle.  To continue binding off, you'll knit another stitch so that you once again have two stitches on the right needle.  Lift up the right stitch, pass it over the left stitch and drop it down.  Keep repeating this process until you've bound off every stitch and you have one lonely stitch left on the right needle.  Cut your yarn strand so it measures about 10 inches long.  Thread it up through the stitch and pull so that the stitch becomes a knot.  Now, using a tapestry needle or a large sewing needle, weave the yarn strand down the side or across the bound off edge for about 6 inches.  Cut the remaining tail and you're completely done!  Isn't it great!  Oh, what a feeling!

Knitting Library Books

Though I love perusing knitting books at the bookstore or the library, nothing beats having some great resources on hand at your house in case you need help or want some ideas for a project.  I tend to gravitate towards books that have timeless pieces in them, easy-to-read directions or fantastic helpful resources.  The following books are ones that I look to all the time:

Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti  I love this book!  I read it like a novel because Ms. Righetti's style is fun, a bit sarcastic but clear and straightforward.  She covers everything from how to read a yarn label to yarn weights to complex knitting techniques.

The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe  A great "pocket" resource.  This fits great in my bag and holds concise solutions to nearly every single knitting problem I've ever faced.  This isn't the book you want if you're using it to teach yourself to knit, it's a solution book for knitters who are comfortable with the basics of knitting (as you should be now) and are encountering new terminology and techniques in patterns.

Mason-Dixon Knitting by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne  I could not put this book down!  I love the patterns, the writers' descriptions, the laugh-out-loud humor, the tips and advice.  All of it!  I highly recommend this book because it has fantastic patterns that aren't too difficult to knit.  My first blanket ever was Mason-Dixon's Moderne Log Cabin.  I loved knitting it and the recipients loved receiving them!

Last-minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson  This book contains a variety of projects and organizes them by length of time it takes to knit up.  Beautiful layout and pictures combined with wonderful projects ranging from incredibly simple to intermediate make this book a must-have.

The Harmony Guides Stitch Dictionaries by Interweave Press If you've become addicted to knitting and think you may want to some day venture into design (whether it's  a simple scarf or a complex sweater), The Harmony Guides provide you with hundreds of different stitch patterns to utilize.  With multiple volumes ranging from Knit and Purl to Cables and Arans, I find that I'm looking to these quite often to find inspiration and ideas to incorporate into my patterns.

Interweave Knits magazine  A great magazine that comes out quarterly with fabulous patterns (approx. 20 patterns per magazine) and great articles.  I've found so many great items in these magazines from deliciously soft fingerless mitts to warm and cozy sweaters to delicate lace shawls.  Modern, timeless, easy and challenging, you'll find it all in Interweave Knits!

Your First Official Project!

You're ready...I just know it!  I've designed a gorgeous scarf with this blog series just in mind.  It's the Textured Simplicity Knit Scarf.   The piece is broken up into 9 different sections with the first and last sections being knit in garter stitch (knit every row).  The remaining 7 sections are all specifically chosen stitch patterns that utilize all the techniques you've learned through the Learn to Knit series here on Modmomsclub.com.  I incorporated a special technique where you knit the first stitch of every row and slip the last stitch purlwise of every row to create a beautiful, braid-like edge so your scarf looks polished and perfect!  Look for a sample of this scarf at The Urban Sheep off of Needham Ave (inside The Carrot).  To download the pattern simply click here: Textured Simplicity Knit Scarf, enter your name and e-mail and the pdf file will be automatically sent to your inbox!  I can't wait to see pictures of your finished swatches and scarves!  Please send your  pictures, questions, comments and suggestions to melissa@mondaymorningknits.com.

I hope you've enjoyed learning to knit as much as I've enjoyed teaching you!  Keep your eyes out for more guest blog posts here on modmomsclub.com and come join me at www.mondaymorningknits.com!

Happy knitting,

Melissa