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I often end up doing things the hard way. Sometimes it's a learning experience, but sometimes it's really worth it. That's how I feel about the tubular bind-off. It's grafting (aka Kitchener stitch), and while some people might find it's tedious, I really love the look. So much that I was willing to do a total of three yards of it for several cardigans! If grafting's not for you, there are also several ways to use a tubular cast-on - with crochet stitches (too fiddly for me, but some people love it) or with a long-tail (the one I usually use). Because of the way my most recent sweater was constructed, all the ribbing was worked at the end, and that meant using the tubular bind-off. In this video, I walk you through the steps. Another critical finishing detail is picking up stitches for the neckline. Because knit stitches aren't square, you can't pick up stitches in a 1:1 ratio - doing that risks a baggy neckline!
To get the stitches to lay flat, I needed to use multiple ratios depending on where I was picking up - a horizontal edge, a vertical edge, and a curved edge. I walk you through all the ratios in the video. Continuing on my mission to take the "EEK" out of steeks, today we're talking about how to secure steeks. Technically, if you're using a sticky wool, like Shetland, you don't need to secure a steek before cutting. But that gives a lot of people the EEKs - so here are two ways to give yourself a little extra peace of mind before cutting your steeks. Securing Steeks with a Sewing MachineSecuring a steek with a sewing machine is the fastest and most secure way to do it. But it does require a little bit of extra care. It's helpful to use a walking foot if you have one, as this will help prevent stretching out the knit stitches. Be sure you are only sewing through one layer of fabric. This is especially important because of the way the stitches will settle into the knitting – it will be very difficult to see to remove if you do it wrong! Stitch slowly and carefully, being sure not to stretch your knit fabric. Doing so would distort the final garment permanently. Stitch one line of stitches on either side of the area to cut. Then you’re ready to cut the steek! Cut carefully with a pair of sharp scissors, right down the center of the steek stitches. Make sure you’re only cutting through one layer. Once the steek is cut, you’re all finished! You can enclose the cut edge if you want to, but those sewing machine stitches are really going to hold everything in place, so it’s not required. Securing Steeks with CrochetTo secure a steek with single crochet, you’ll crochet half of two stitches together, all the way along the area to be cut. The crochet stitches will lean to one side – you can use this to your advantage by making sure they roll outwards. This will leave you a clear path to cut. If you're planning on picking up stitches, you may want to go ahead and pick them up before cutting the steek. When you’re ready to cut the steek, cut carefully with a pair of sharp scissors, right down the center of the steek stitches. Make sure you’re only cutting through one layer. Once the steek is cut, you’re all finished! You can enclose the cut edge if you want to, but those crochet stitches are really going to hold everything in place, so it’s not required. Once you've cut your steeks, you'll just proceed with your pattern. For me, this included a fit check, followed by sewing the sleeves into the armholes.
After all the work of blending fiber, spinning yarn, and knitting a sweater...I decided to cut it apart! As a young knitter, I felt like cutting knits was about the worst thing you can do. After all, it's a decision you can't really reverse, and one of the things I like about knitting is the ability to unravel and re-knit to fix mistakes. But, that was before I understood the concept of steeks. Once I learned how they work, I started using them for almost everything! What is a Steek?The word “steek” comes from Middle English “steken,” meaning to shut, close, or fasten. But in knitting, it means the opposite, to cut open. A steek is a column of extra stitches connecting two pieces of knitted fabric, allowing the knitter to work more quickly in the round. The center steek stitch will later be cut. Most people get nervous about their knitting unraveling when they cut a steek. However, if you cut along a column of vertical stitches, you'll find that the knitting really doesn't want to unravel in that direction! Traditionally, steeks are used in stranded colorwork garments made with non-superwash wools - wools that will felt with wear. Over time, the cut edge felts together and is virtually indestructible. However, you can use this in other ways - like I did with this sweater. When Use a Steek?Use a steek when you want to knit in the round, but are working in a pattern that needs to have openings or separate pieces. This includes:
How to Set Up a SteekTo set up a steek, you'll add an odd number of stitches in the location you'll cut. Seven stitches seems to be the ideal number. These extra stitches won't add to the finished size of your garment - they'll get folded under during finishing. Most steeks are done in stranded colorwork, and the steek stiches alternate in some way. I prefer a column of stitches, as shown below, but some knitters like to do a checkerboard pattern. If I'm not working in stranded colorwork, I'll purl the stitch that needs to be cut so that it's easy to see.  Ways to Reinforce a Steek
Cutting the SteekYou'll be cutting along the center stitch (stich #4 in the diagram above). Use a sharp pair of scissors, be sure to cut a straight line, and make sure you're cutting only one layer of fabric. That's all there is to it! Ways to Secure a Cut SteekMany people find they want to reinforce the cut edge in some way. Here are the ways I've used over the years.
Found a mistake? Is it time to unravel? Or can you get away with duplicate stitch (aka "Swiss Darning")? For me, this is a matter of scale. Big mistakes (rows and rows worth) call for unraveling. Small mistakes can often be fixed with a quick duplicate stitch. In these two videos, I end up doing both. I've gone through all the design options...now it's time to start knitting!
There were three main options for the sweater constrution: a yoked sweater, a Norwegian ski sweater, and a top-down sweater with set in sleeves. With a yoked sweater, the colorwork design fans out as the stitch count increases. Instead, I wanted the design to go straight up and down. I settled on a top-down sweater, with the armholes closed by a steek for ease of knitting. In this video, I talk about these design choices, as well as make some last-minute decisions about color. |
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