My Adventures in Steeking.
Anyone that has been following my blog for a while has seen my two projects The Deep V-Argyle Vest and the Norway sweater. Both Sweaters require me to go where I have never gone before. To the land of steeking. (Here is Eunny's Steeking Chronicles).
I can't tell you how many countless blogs and ravelry groups I have plundered reading up on how to steek, tips on steeking, to reinforce, to crochet, and even Steeking Horror stories. Of course I read of these steeking scary stories after I had invested in Jo Sharp yarn for my Norway. I may have been more reluctant to do this if I had known I would be cutting my knitting. Yep…cutting my knitting.
Anyway.. I have been close to finishing the knitting for the main body portion of the vest but I always seem to have something else to do. I think I just didn't want to face the steek. Honestly. Sometimes when I knit I just want to pick up my familiar knitting and relax into it. I may not want to learn something new.
This weekend, I took the plunge. This vest has (had) four steeks to cut! I crocheted them carefully with Kid silk Haze and cut away. I am not sure if I would use the Kid Silk next time. It sort of hides in the stitches. Maybe a very contrasting color would be better.
Anyway…. I did it…. Things must have been progressing along too well for me because then I made a mistake. While picking up stitches in between the border stitches for the arm hole edging, I noticed about half way around that as soon as I would pick up a stitch it would UNRAVEL. I couldn’t' figure out what happened. I was so mad… mad that I had cut my knitting, mad that it went off without a hitch, I think I might have been cursing at poor Eunny Jang!!!!!!
Well common sense took over and I was able to see that on the second part I accidentally was picking up between an inside row and not the border stitch. Luckily it is salvageable and it is going to be okay. On the inside there are some threads that shouldn't be so dangling, and I really wish it didn't happen, but it looks like it is going to be okay! I will be able to trim and hide it carefully. I am thrilled and excited.
That will teach me to watch Charlotte's web, pick up stitches, while playing with my 2.5 year old grandson. Some things in life just take focus… especially a new technique. Here are some photos so far.
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