My favorite
BO has been for quite some time already Tubular BO. Definitely my “go to” when
working with 1 x 1 ribbing. I favor it because it makes a firm, yet a really
stretchy edge.
For making
a Tubular BO I reserve a yarn tail that is at least 2.5 times the length of the
stretched edge. Usually I reserve 3 times the length to be absolutely sure I
have enough yarn for the BO.
Because the
yarn tail is long and gets easily tangled, I thread it in double through the
needle. Now the tail is a bit easier to manage.
I always
start the Tubular BO on the RS of the work and with a K st. The first two sts
are set-up sts before starting with the actual BO repeat: thread the darning
needle through the first K st from back to front, bring then the needle between
K and P sts from back to front and then thread the needle through the first P
st from front to back.
Now the
first two sts are ready for the Tubular BO repeat:
1. Thread
the needle through first K st from front to back and sl st of the needle. Pass
by P st and cont to thread the needle on RS through the second K st from back
to front. Tighten the yarn.
2. Tread the
needle through first P st from back to front and sl st from the needle. Pass by
K st and cont to thread the needle from BS between K and P st to the front and
then through the second P st from front to back. Tighten the yarn.
It takes a
while to learn this BO, but I’ve gotten help from a simple “mantra”: thread K sts
from front to back and again from back to front, and thread P sts from back to
front and again from front to back.
To make a
neat ending for in the round ribbing, BO the last two sts as follows: thread
the needle through the last K st on the needle from front to back and sl st of
the needle. Pass by the last P st and thread the needle on RS through the next
K st (the first K st where the whole BO rnd started) from back to front. Thread
the needle through the last P st on the needle from back to front and sl st
from the needle. Pass by previous K st and thread needle through the next P st
(the first P sts where the whole BO rnd started) from front to back.
Weave in
end on WS of the work.
The ribbing
edge is now really stretchy, yet firm and looks neat:
