Month: June 2022

Steeks, Here We Go

I’m a little shaky as I write this because I just did it. I have sleeve openings!!

Yahoo. My steek is cut. I’m so happy to be able to put this sweater on.

It looked like this before I started this morning.

Here are the 5 steek stitches for my sleeve opening. Now it’s time to open that steek.

I was going to machine stitch the steek before cutting but the thought of getting my machine out, finding a place to set it up and getting it ready was daunting. I decided to try the crochet method. There are lots of videos available.

I grabbed a small crochet hook and some lace weight yarn and got started. I worked a slip stitch through both legs of stitch #2 and stitch #4 of the 5 steek stitches.

I found that folding the fabric to make a ridge of stitches made it easier to crochet into.

There they are. Two rows of slip stitches with a nice clear path in the centre to cut.

A big breath in and snip.

Ta, da, a sleeve opening. Isn’t that amazing?

Both sides of the steek roll to the inside of the sweater. Steeks really are wonderful. I’m just going to sneak over and admire mine again.

Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free patterns by Deb

On instagram: Deb.Gemmell

Two steps forward and one step back

I’m glad I celebrated finishing the lace section of my Corbis sweater because, you guessed it, the one step back part is coming up.

I finished the sides, working the German Short Rows. I was very pleased with it. Then I measured the width and maybe you guessed it, too small. At least it would have fit pre-covid but not now. I’ve bumped up a size and well …

I spent an afternoon outside on my rocking chair ripping both sides out. Sigh.

Now I am redoing both side panels with a larger needle. One side is done and the second side will be finished shortly. Yay. This is a big win!

That’s the quick story of this sweater. I’m still looking forward to finishing. It’s going to be terrific.

Since I don’t work on only one project I’ll give you a quick update on my top down slope-shoulder sweater. I finished the sleeve steek knitting.

If you haven’t done a steek before, this is my method, working from the top down or the bottom up. At the beginning of the sleeve opening cast on 5 steek sts. Knit round and round to the finished length of the sleeve opening. Then cast off the 5 steek stitches.

I find this makes the machine stitching of the steek much easier. That’s coming up soon but for now I’m going to continue working the body round and round.

I hope you’re having as much fun as I am, ha, ha. Cheers, Deb

Any Gauge and Gauge-Free knitting patterns by Deb

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