{"title":"How to Knit an I-Cord on Double Pointed Needles","canonicalUrl":"https://www.craftingstepbystep.com/knitting/how-to-knit-an-i-cord","category":{"slug":"knitting","name":"Knitting"},"creator":{"name":"Snufflebean Yarn","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf8jpNP8LD1l7Rjn13_tvtw","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23taTh7m7OU"},"tldr":"Learn how to knit an i-cord on double pointed needles. Knit, slide, repeat, then bind off and hide the tails. Clear photos for beginners.","quickAnswer":"Learn how to knit an i-cord on double pointed needles. An easy project: about 20 minutes. You need 4 things, including worsted weight yarn, 2 double pointed knitting needles and tapestry needle. The 9 steps start with cast On Four Stitches for an I-Cord on a Double Pointed Needle, knit the First Row of I-Cord Stitches, slide the I-Cord Stitches to the Other End Without Turning and pull the Yarn Snug Across the Back and Knit the Next I-Cord Row.","totalDurationSeconds":492,"videoDurationSeconds":492,"difficulty":"easy","project":{"difficulty":"easy","projectMinutes":20,"waitMinutes":null,"totalMinutes":20,"estimatedCost":null,"yield":null},"tools":["2 double pointed knitting needles","tapestry needle","scissors"],"materials":["worsted weight yarn"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Cast On Four Stitches for an I-Cord on a Double Pointed Needle","text":"Cast on four stitches onto one double pointed needle. The video uses the long tail cast on, but any cast on works. You can make an i-cord with anywhere from three to six stitches. Four is the most common size and a good one to learn on. Use the needle size your yarn label recommends."},{"number":2,"title":"Knit the First Row of I-Cord Stitches","text":"Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand and a second double pointed needle in your right. Knit all four stitches as normal. So far this is the same as any row of knitting. The difference comes next, at the end of the row, where you would usually turn the work around."},{"number":3,"title":"Slide the I-Cord Stitches to the Other End Without Turning","text":"Do not turn the needle. Slide the four stitches along to the other end of the needle they are on, then move that needle back to your left hand. The stitches now sit at the right hand tip, with the working yarn hanging from the leftmost stitch. That is exactly where you want it, even though it looks wrong the first time."},{"number":4,"title":"Pull the Yarn Snug Across the Back and Knit the Next I-Cord Row","text":"Bring the working yarn behind the stitches, over your finger as usual, and knit the four stitches again. To knit the first one, the yarn has to stretch across the back of the work. That strand is what closes the knitting into a tube. Give the first stitch a firm tug so the join stays tight."},{"number":5,"title":"Keep Knitting Rows Until the I-Cord Is the Length You Want","text":"Repeat the same row over and over. Knit four, slide the stitches back to the other end, switch hands, knit four again. After a few rows the loose strands at the back pull in, and the seam closes so neatly you can hardly tell where it is. Turn the cord over to check. The back stitches should match the front."},{"number":6,"title":"Bind Off the I-Cord by Lifting Stitches Over Each Other","text":"When the cord is long enough, slide the stitches back one last time and pick up the yarn. Knit two stitches, then lift the first one over the second and off the needle. Knit the next stitch and lift the one before it over. Repeat until one stitch is left. This is a plain knitted bind off, worked on four stitches."},{"number":7,"title":"Pull the Yarn Tail Through the Last I-Cord Loop","text":"Take the needle out of the last stitch. Cut the yarn, leaving a tail of a few inches. Make the last loop a little bigger with your fingers, pass the tail through it and pull firmly to close it off. The end of the cord is now locked and cannot unravel."},{"number":8,"title":"Thread the Yarn Tail Into the Middle of the I-Cord","text":"For a tidy finish, thread the tail onto a tapestry needle. Push the needle down through the center of the cord for an inch or so and bring it out the side. Snip the extra yarn. The tail now sits hidden inside the tube. Do the same with the cast on tail at the other end."},{"number":9,"title":"Compare a Four Stitch and a Six Stitch I-Cord","text":"Hold your finished cord next to a wider one and you can see what the stitch count does. A four stitch cord is round and slim. A six stitch cord is fatter and slightly flatter. Pick the size to suit the job. Stick between three and six stitches, because larger cords leave a gap down the back."}],"commonProblems":[],"recipe":null,"lastUpdated":"2026-10-29T18:07:28.283Z","published":"2026-10-29T18:07:27.950Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit Show Me Step by Step with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure. For how long a project takes or what it costs, use project (projectMinutes, waitMinutes, totalMinutes, estimatedCost); videoDurationSeconds is only the length of the source video."}