A stretchier cast-off

[kuri]

Hi all!

I just finished knitting the Retro Redux Shrug from Lace Style. For those of you who might not have seen this pattern, it finishes with ribbing along the edge. I've found it fits snugly (but OK) except for the cast off edge. I cast off normally (in ribbing) but unfortunately this is the only part that doesn't stretch. Do any of you know of a stretchier cast-off?

ETA: Thanks everyone, I'm going to try Grumperina's first and then move on to the more fiddly, sewn one if that doesn't work out.

Comments

[gloss]

EZ's sewn cast-off is the stretchiest & neatest I've found, but Grumperina's stretchy one is less fiddly and *almost* as stretchy/flexible.

[damned_colonial]

My problem with EZ's is that I hate having a really long thread to do it with. Like, I just cast off a shawl edge that was more than 6' long, and in order to feel that i had enough length to do EZ's cast-off, I would've wanted at least 12' of yarn, which is hard to deal with. And the idea of breaking off and using a new length of yarn part way through a cast off... well, I just couldn't quite deal with it. But i should probably learn to suck it up, I guess.

[gloss]

That's exactly my problem with EZ's, too. I first used it on a cardigan's button band and the yarn got stripped after a while from all the motion. And I'm terrible, as you said, about using shorter lengths.

On the other hand, that button band looks *really* good now. So.

[ct]

I second the recommendation for EZ's sewn bind off. It works very well.

Casting off

[cesy]

I have somehow taught myself to cast off very loosely when casting off normally, so that it stretches just enough. This would be after the first pair of wrist-warmers where the casting-off was so tight they wouldn't fit over a five-year-old's hands. But I can't think how to describe it better than "make your stitches ridiculously loose when casting off".

Re: Casting off

[dragovianknight]

That's my method, too.

[ginny_t]

Has anyone recommended a crocheted cast-off? You can do it with knitting needles instead of a crochet hook, too. Knit two stitches, transfer them back to the working needle and knit two together through the back loop. Knit one stitch, transfer both back to working needle and k2tog tbl until you run out of stitches. Très stretchy, and you don't have to have a really long tangly twisty tail of working yarn.

Oh shoot! I see that's the Grumperina method mentioned. Lalalala! I second that one. *hides*

[soleta]

this may not be right for you, but have you looked at tubular cast-offs? I've been looking for an excuse to use them, because apparently they're ridiculously stretchy.