Knitting Loom Cast Off: The 5 Step Easy Cinched Bind Off!

How to do a Knitting Loom Cast Off

Once finish a loom knitting project, it’s time to take it off the loom! But how do you do that without it unraveling?!

Well! There are many different ways to cast off a loom knitting project. Today, we’ll show you how to take the stitches off the loom pegs that makes a cinched or gathered closure. We’ll use the Gathered Loom Knitting Bind Off Method to finish a loom project in just 5 quick steps!

What is the Cinched Knitting Loom Cast Off?

This method is extremely simple, easy, and beginner friendly! To make a cinched closure on a loom knitting project you thread the yarn through each loop before pulling it tight to close up the end. That’s it!

The resulting finished end should look like this:

Image of a beanie showing what the knitting loom cast off looks like. — Knitting loom cast off: The Gathered Bind Off Method

Don’t worry, the gathered cast off isn’t complicated! Plus, I have included a step-by-step tutorial below on how you can successfully cast off on a knitting loom. Let’s take a look!

Get the Kit

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Each kit comes with two balls of worsted weight (medium) yarn, one instruction booklet, a yarn needle, a loom hook, a loom pen, stitch markers and, of course, a knitting loom!

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Casting Off Knitting Loom Projects With the Cinched Technique

The cinched bind off is one of the easiest knitting loom cast offs.

All you have to do here is to use a yarn or darning needle to thread your yarn through each loop on the pegs, one at a time.

Finally, you have to tug on the long yarn tail until the gap closes, like in the photo below! Cool, right?

Hands cinching the beanie's opening using the gathered bind off.

Step-by-Step Instructions

To create the gathered or cinched cast off, all you have to do is follow these five easy steps!

Finger pointing to where the gathered bind off will begin.

Step 1:

Make sure you start casting off at the anchor peg on the side, this marks the beginning/end of your round.

Cut the yarn leaving 20” of yarn and thread it through a yarn needle.

Darning needles going through on loop on the peg.

Hand pulling the needle and thread through the loop.

Step 2:

Insert the yarn needle up through the next stitch over in the same direction you knit your project.

Pull the needle and yarn all the way up through the loop. Repeat with the next stitch over, working all the way around the loom until you’re back at the anchor peg.

Loom hook pulling the loops off the peg to finish the gathered bind off.

Hands cinching the beanie shut after using the gathered bind off.

Step 3: Once you’ve sewn through each of the loops and you’re back at the anchor peg, use the loom hook to pull each stitch off.

Step 4: Cinch the top of the hat shut by slowly pulling the yarn until the hole at the top is completely closed.

Hands showing how the top of the beanie should look after creating the gathered bind off.

Step 5: Thread the yarn through the hole in the top to the inside of the hat. Tadah! This is how the cinched top should look. Now you’re ready to weave the yarn ends in.

Finishing

Now that you’ve taken the project off the knitting loom, it’s time to secure the yarn end. You do this so that your project doesn’t start to unravel!

Here’s how you weave in yarn tails after you’re done with the knitting loom cast off:

Step 1: Turn the project inside out. Thread the yarn tail through the yarn needle.

Step 2: Weave the needle through either a row of stitches or column of stitches for 1-2”.

Step 3: Pull the yarn through the stitches and trim the extra yarn close to the fabric.

Weaving in the ends for “traditionally” knitted items and items that are knitted in a loom is practically the same. Just remember to weave the ends in on the wrong side or back side of your project!

BONUS TIP: If you don’t want your yarn end to slowly unravel as you use your knit item, add a dab of fabric glue to keep it in place. That yarn tail is not going anywhere!

A cute, smiling child holding a colorful knitted beanie over her eyes.

Thoughts on the Loom Knit Cast Off

See? Loom knitting cast offs are much easier than you thought. All you really need is a long yarn tail and a nice darning needle, then you’re good to go!

Once you’ve cast off, you can add other details on your beanie such as some embroidery using the duplicate stitch or add a simple pom pom on to the top for some added cuteness and flare!