I-Cord Puzzler

From Sharon:  My question is about attached i-cord. I know there is an i-cord cast-on and an i-cord bind off.  How would one go about “framing” all four sides of a knitted square with i-cord? So that would be doing an cord cast on and then as you are knitting the square, i-cording each side–right and left, and then finishing of with an i-cord bind-off thus framing the square with i-cord. Could it all be done while knitting the square? A puzzler for me.

Sharon, you just about answered your question in the asking, but here is a photo tutorial so everyone can try it along with you. This is for folks who already know the basics of i-cord, so if this is all new to you, let us know and we can answer that question also!

The best way to master this and have the words make sense will be to get some yarn and either a short circular or pair of double points and follow the instructions exactly, using the photos only as reference.

With waste yarn, provisionally cast on 3 sts. Work as many rounds of basic i-cord as you would like stitches across your piece, plus 1 more. For this sample, I worked 10 rows of i-cord after the cast on.

Pick up and knit 9 sts along top edge of i-cord, bring yarn to front, pick up the provisionally cast on stitches, making sure to mount them correctly. Remove waste yarn.

I-cord edge stitches with yarn in in front, 3 stitches from edge. This is correct. Turn Work.

Pull yarn firmly across 3 sts, knit to last 3 sts.

Bring yarn to front,

Slip last three sts purlwise, leaving yarn in front, 3 sts from edge. Turn work. Repeat this row, making sure to slip the last three of each row purlwise, leaving the yarn in front.

Just so you don’t have to keep scrolling up and down the photos, here is the row to be repeated:  Pull yarn firmly across 3 sts, knit to last 3 sts, bring yarn to front, slip last three sts purlwise, leaving yarn in front, 3 sts from edge. Turn work.

You’ll begin to see your i-cord neaten up at the edges after a few rows.

When your piece is the right length, bind off in i-cord as follows: *k2, k2tog through back loop, return 3 sts to left needle, rep from * across row to last 3 sts.

When three stitches remain on left needle and 3 on the right,  join the two edges with Kitchener Stitch.

And now you’ve made a piece surrounded on all 4 sides by i-cord!