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One of question when it comes to using the circular knitting machine to make scarves is how to finish the ends of a knitting machine scarf. Because you’ve made a tube, the short ends need to be closed up in some way to finish the project.
Here are five ways to finish the ends of a knitting machine scarf, which vary in terms of skills, yarn and time required.
The Easiest Way to Finish the Ends of a Knitting Machine Scarf
The simplest thing to do when finishing a scarf worked on a circular knitting machine is just to cinch the ends together like you would the top of a hat.
To do this, when you get to the end of the scarf, cut your yarn, leaving a tail of a foot (30.5 cm) or so. Thread the yarn onto a yarn needle. Crank around one more time and slide the stitches onto the needle and then onto the yarn.
Once all the stitches are on the yarn, pull tight.
I like to run the yarn through the stitches one more time and pull even tighter to close up the hole some more. Bury the yarn end inside the scarf.
You can also add a pompom to the ends of the scarf to hide the hole and make it a little more fancy.
Pros: This method is great for beginners, especially those who don’t know how to knit or crochet, and it doesn’t use a lot of yarn or take a lot of time to do.
Cons: It’s hard to get the hole in the center totally closed, some people (raises hand) don’t like the look of gathered ends on a scarf.
Sewing the Stitches Together
The next most basic way to finish the ends of a knitting machine scarf is to sew the stitches to each other. This method doesn’t require knitting knowledge, but a circular knitting needle helps align the stitches properly (the larger Sentro machines often come with a circular knitting needle for the purpose, or you can buy one inexpensively).
When you’ve finished knitting the scarf, instead of putting the stitches on the yarn, slide them onto the circular knitting needle. You’ll need a longer yarn tail for this one; about a yard/91.44 cm should do. Arrange the stitches so that half are near each needle end, and pull the excess cable off to the side. Make sure the yarn end is at the front of the needle (I like it on the back needle)..
Thread the yarn onto a yarn needle and slide the needle through the first stitch on each needle and pull off. I started going from the front needle to the back. Pull those stitches off the needles and pull the yarn through.
Then do the opposite, going from the back needle to the front, grabbing the first stitch off each needle and pulling the yarn through.
Repeat in this manner across. Hide yarn tail inside the scarf.
Pros: Fast, easy, doesn’t use a lot of yarn, don’t need to know how to knit or crochet.
Cons: Doesn’t look as good as other options, hard to keep tension consistent across the row. It’s easy to get going too fast and drop a stitch instead of sewing it.
Three-Needle Bind Off
If you know how to knit, a three-needle bind off is a nice way to finish a knitting machine scarf. It’s easy to do, relatively fast and secure.
Start with your stitches on a circular needle with half the stitches on each side as before. This time you’ll also need a knitting needle in a size you’d use to knit the yarn you used for your scarf (mine is a size 8 US/5 mm).
You don’t have to cut the yarn to start this one, but you’ll need a yard or so.
Take the needle into the first stitch on each side of the circular needles and knit them together.
Repeat with the next two stitches.
Pull the first stitch you knit over the second one and off the needle, just like a regular bind off.
Repeat across the row. Cut the yarn, leaving a little tail, and pull through the last stitch to secure it.
Hide the tail in the scarf.
Pros: Relatively fast, easy if you know how to knit, firm and secure.
Cons: Keeping consistent tension to the rest of the scarf can be a little hard, the front side looks better than the back.
Crochet Bind Off
This version is basically the same as a three-needle bind off, just done with a crochet hook. Again, you don’t have to cut the yarn to start, and this one takes the most yarn of any of the options, probably a couple of yards.
Start with the stitches divided on a circular knitting needle as before. I used a size H/8/5 mm crochet hook for this.
Take the crochet hook through the first stitch on each side of the circular needle.
Yarn over and pull through both stitches, taking them off the knitting needles.
Repeat. There are now two loops on the hook.
Yarn over and pull through two loops.
Continue in this manner across the row.
Cut the yarn, leaving a little tail, and pull through the last stitch to secure it.
Hide the tail in the scarf.
Pros: Quick and easy even if you don’t know how to crochet, makes a pretty edge.
Cons: Uses a lot of yarn, consistent tension can be tricky. Like the three needle bind off, looks a little better on the front than on the back.
Grafting
I have a whole post about grafting that I did with a loop scarf, but the same principles apply when closing the end of a scarf.
This is my favorite way to do it because it’s the least visible if you do it well, and it makes stitches that look like the knitting that’s already there.
There’s a bit of a learning curve, and it helps if you know how to knit because the movements mimic a needle going into knitting, but it’s not essential.
Begin with the stitches on the circular needle as before. Thread the yarn tail (half a yard/45.7 cm or so should be plenty).
To start grafting, take the yarn through the first stitch on the front needle from the back to front (if you’re a knitter, this is as if to purl). Pull the yarn through but leave the stitch on the needle.
Go through the first stitch on the back needle from front to back (as it faces you; as if to knit for the knitters). Pull the yarn through but leave it on the needle.
Go back through the first stitch on the front needle from front to back/as if to knit and take it off the needle as you pull the yarn through. Go through the next stitch on the front needle from back to front/as if to purl and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the needle.
Take the needle through the first stitch on the back needle from back to front/as if to purl and pull the yarn through, taking the stitch off the knitting needle. Go through the next stitch on the back needle from front to back/as if to knit and pull the yarn through, leaving the stitch on the knitting needle.
Repeat those four steps (in knitting we chant “knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on) across the row. When you have one stitch left, cut the yarn, leaving a shorter tail and pull it through the stitch to secure it. Hide the tail in the scarf.
Pros: Probably the best looking option, looks like a row of knitting, relatively easy once you understand it.
Cons: Learning curve, doesn’t look perfect if stitches are twisted or tension is off.
Closing the Cast on Side
All of these options for how to finish the ends of a knitting machine scarf have looked at the side you end with, not the side you start with. So let’s look at the cast on side.
If you’re planning to cinch up the ends of your scarf, you can work without waste yarn and just pull on the tail and close up the stitches as above.
For any other finishing method you’ll want to use waste yarn.
Cast on with the waste yarn (that’s just any yarn that’s a different color than the main color you’re using) and crank a couple of rows before switching to your main color.
When you’re ready to finish this edge, use your circular knitting needle to pick up the stitches from the first round worked with the scarf yarn. Pick up one leg from each stitch all the way around (ideally the right leg so the stitches aren’t twisted on the needle).
Starting from the cast on edge, pull the yarn end through all the stitches of the first round.
Then you’ll be able to unravel the remainder and the needle will stop you from going past the waste yarn.
Finish this end the same way you finished the other end.
That’s all the ways I know to finish the ends of a knitting machine scarf! How do you do it?
