For those who want to know how to cast off a loom blanket, we have simplified it into three steps for you! Binding off or casting off a loom blanket is a relatively straightforward process that you can do neatly. However, we combined all the best steps, so even beginners can do it fuss-free.
We have taught you before on how to knit a blanket on a loom, so it will also be helpful for you to learn how to cast off a loom blanket. The idea is as simple as picking up stitches and knitting them together. If you’re still confused, proceed on reading below:
How To Cast Off A Loom Blanket For Beginners
1. Pick up stitches with your knitting tool
You can use a crochet hook or a knitting tool to pick up your stitches. Start with the rightmost peg of the upper row and pick the stitch on the leftmost peg of the same row. Now that you have two stitches on your tool, lift the first stitch over the second one to combine them as one stitch.
Then, you’ll insert the tool on the next peg of the opposite row to get another stitch and lift the first stitch over it to knit them together. This is the essence of binding off or casting off a loom as you move closer to the yarn tail. The process is quick and smooth, even for beginners.
2. Knit the stitches together
Once you understand how to knit the stitches and combine them together, you’ll just continue across the loom. You will end up with one stitch on the tool when you’ve cast off the blanket. Then, cut the yarn, so there are only around 5 inches of tail left to make a knot.
Take off the last stitch on the tool, insert the tail you left through it, and loop. Pull to secure a knot and weave in all the tails to finish. You can then proceed to cast off the other end of the blanket.
3. Weave the yarn tails and finish binding off
For the other end, the process is the same. You’ll insert the tool on the stitch farthest from the tail, which is the rightmost one. Pull another stitch and knit it with the first stitch to bind off.
Repeat the process with the anchor yarn guiding you until you have one stitch left. Similar to what you learned in step two, pull the tail through the final stitch and make a knot. Weave the yarn tail through the blanket and remove the anchor yarn tail.
How Do You Cast Off A Long Loom?
What if you made a blanket on a long or rectangular loom? How do you bind off? Once you understand the central concept of casting off using the three steps above, binding off all types of loom will be easy.
Remember that regardless if you used a rectangular or round loom, casting off is similar. You can apply the basic bind off technique explained earlier since you are finishing a straight edge. But if you did a project that needs to be stretchable, like a pair of socks or a hat, binding off will be a little different.
How do you make a stretchy bind off?
Wrap your yarn around the loom to get an extra length before cutting and threading it onto the needle. Then, put the needle through the left peg’s loop downward before going upward on the right peg’s loop to pull them snugly. If you don’t know which pegs, you’re simply working on the pegs at both sides of the yarn if you bring it to the left of the stitch you ended with.
Much like the basic cast off technique, you’ll just move the loops over the first peg. The new peg will become the left peg, and the left peg before becomes the right peg. You’ll have your yarn behind this new right peg so you can go down the left peg’s loop and up the right peg’s loop.
Continue binding off to reach the first two loops you started with. You should check if the first right peg becomes the left peg at this point. Finally, tie off the yarn, and you’re done.
How Do You Bind Off A Weaving Loom?
What if you used the loom for weaving instead of knitting? The process of binding off a woven project is as straightforward as a knitted project. To do so, flip your weave and work on the backside. Twist the first loop and tighten it against the thread before pulling a second loop through it with a crochet hook.
Slide the first loop you made to the base of the second loop and twist. You’ll repeat this practice of pulling a new loop through the previous one and pushing the latter down the next loop. Twist the resulting loop on the crochet hook and continue until you reach the bottom of the weave.
Finally, secure the final loop by threading a sewing string through it. Work the string under the closest thread and double knot the loop to this thread. Tuck the ends and trim to make your weave secure and neat.
Conclusion
If you know how to loom knit a blanket, you should master the proper technique for casting off or binding off. In this three-step guide on how to cast off a loom blanket, we have simplified it to help beginners understand it better. The main essence is picking up stitches and knitting them together.