How to Knit a Three-Needle I-Cord Bind-Off

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When you combine a Three-Needle Bind-off with an applied I-cord, you end up with a decorative and dimensional way to join two pieces of knitting. We love the Three-Needle I-cord Bind-off for edging projects like holiday ornaments and pillow covers. Sweater knitters can also use this technique as a decorative seam detail.

Three-Needle I-Cord Bind-Off: Watch Now

Andrea, our digital editor, shows you how it’s done in this quick video. For more detail, a step-by-step photo tutorial follows.

Step-by-Step Instructions

For both the video and the photos, we’ve used a 3-stitch I-cord. If you want a chunkier look, work this edging with a 4- or 5-stitch I-cord. I’ve used a contrasting color for the I-cord in these photos. Work your I-cord in the same color as your project for a more subtle effect.

Three-Needle I-cord Bind-off steps 1-4 — Three-Needle I-cord Bind-off Steps 1–4

Begin with the two pieces to be joined on two separate needles. You’ll work this edging with the wrong sides together and needles pointing to the right (Photo 1).

Cast-on 3 stitches (or the number of stitches you prefer for your I-cord) to the tip of one of the needles (Photo 2). I prefer to work on the front needle; in the video, Andrea works on the back needle. Either way is fine. Use whatever cast-on technique is more comfortable for you. I’ve used a long-tail cast-on; Andrea has used a knitted cast-on.

Use the third needle to knit the first 2 I-cord stitches, then slip the third I-cord stitch as if to knit (Photo 3).

Slip, slip, knit the first stitch from the front needle together with the first stitch from the back needle (Photo 4).

Three-Needle I-cord Bind-off steps 5-8 — Three-Needle I-cord Bind-off Steps 5-8

Use the tip of one of the left-hand needles to lift the slipped cord stitch over the ssk decrease just made and off the end of the needle (Photo 5).

Slip the 3 cord stitches back to one of the left-hand needles (Photo 6).

Repeat Steps 3–6 until all the stitches on both pieces are bound off (Photo 7).

When you reach the end, bind off the 3 cord stitches (Photo 8).

So Many Possibilities!

As you can see, the I-cord completely encloses the edges of the two pieces of knitting. The Three-Needle I-cord Bind-off looks beautiful on both sides. We’ve shown this edging joining two pieces ready to be bound-off. If you wanted to join these pieces along all four sides, begin by picking up and and knitting stitches along the edges to be joined.

Sandi Rosner is the technical content editor for all things yarn at Interweave. When she isn’t knitting, she usually has her nose in a book. You’ll find new technical content from Sandi nearly every week at www.interweave.com.

Practice the Three-Needle I-Cord Bind-Off

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Moira Laughlin April 4, 2023

I like i-cord as an edge trim on sweaters and such, and can imagine that it makes a good bind-off. My big problem with it is if it starts to unravel (especially in the middle, as it did when a vest I’d made my son got a little moth damage). It’s such a complicated combination of stitches, and I couldn’t find info anywhere on the internet on how to reknit it. So I ended up just sewing up the unraveled bit with a tapestry needle and yarn, and was just glad it was in a spot that didn’t really show.

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