Three Needle Cast Off

The three needle cast off is a method of casting off and seaming at the same time. It can be used to join two sets of live stitches and is often used for joining shoulder seams. It creates a less bulky seam than casting off and then sewing. To work the three needle cast off:

Hold the pieces of work to be joined with right sides facing. There should be an equal number of stitches on each needle.

Insert a third needle through the first stitch on the front needle and the first stitch on the back needle and knit these stitches together.

Knit the next two stitches together in the same way so there are now two stitches on the right needle.

Slip the first stitch on the right needle over the second stitch just as you would when casting off normally.

Continue in this way, knitting stitches together and then casting off until only one stitch remains. Break yarn and pull the tail through the final stitch.

The two pieces are now joined. There is a ridge on the wrong side and a neat seam on the right side.