When picking up a new project, apart from the obvious satisfaction of playing with yarn and making something tangible, I try to find something new to learn, because one of the wonderful things about knitting is that there is ALWAYS something new to learn. So, this project appealed to me in part because of its required steeking.
Steeking is not something I have ever done in my 37? 38? too high to count, my head hurts? years of knitting. I have seen it demonstrated on tape and in person, have read about it many, many times, and have always thought it was a good idea.
For other people.
For other people who know what they are doing.
Not for me. The thought of cutting that which I have lovingly wrought with my hands makes me turn cold and shudder.
Time to get over it. This project has three areas for steeking: the v-neck, and both armholes, all delineated by a 5-stitch band:
being the (scared shitless) cautious soul that I am, I basted along the centre stitch, so I wouldn't lose my spot:
and incidentally, my instructions said to use bright contrasting yarn, hence the pink...
I then proceeded to crochet together half of the centre stitch with half of its neighboring stitch, and ended up with one nice row of single crochet:
turned it around, and did the same for the other half of the centre stitch, giving me two very neat rows:
did it for all three steeks:
and then found the little bump in the middle of the centre stitch, which represents CUT CENTRAL:
I tried to warm up my hands, gave serious thought to a shot of something highly alcoholic but refrained, and started cutting, very, very slowly...
and found this lovely little edge:
Look what happened...
a lovely, lovely edge along the neckline, which has suddenly assumed the v-shape it was always meant to have - the armholes are sleek and smooth, waiting for the cabled edging to finish them..
and I can breathe again...
I think maybe now I'll go for that drink, thank you...
Resources: Meg Swansen's Knitting
See Eunny Knit
4 comments:
What an incredible job you have done. That is a major accomplishment.
I do not even begin to understand what happened there but it looks beautiful.
I cannot wait to see the end product. Your work looks fabulous.
Raise that glass high Deirdre!
You are very kind, Scarlett... things are much better explained on Eunny Jang's website, if you find yourself feeling the need to steek - I am going around the house now looking for things to cut...
I think I held my breath all through that post.
Job well done!
Amazing. Your knitting is beautiful. I have a beautiful view of some birds building a nest on a broken light outside of the building. My hope is, they do not fix the light, as for four years now, these birdies have returned. Think of the lovely heat they get on a cool spring night? What does this have to do with knitting? Well, at home we put out our dryer lint and pieces of tossed away yarn for them to build their nests. Perhaps I need to bring some to work for these country birds.
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