Sunday, January 31, 2010

February 12m/12p/12boy and a request for help

I am planning my Feb 12m/12p/12boy already. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/multidirectional-diagonal-scarf

is my plan in Zauberball black/grey/white colours for my Mom for her birthday. I hope to cast on tomorrow.

I have been test knitting a toddler cardigan that I signed up for on the Free Pattern testers on Ravelry. It is knit in the round and steeked up the centre front to make it a cardigan. I have never steeked before, but loved the pattern, so figured I could do it. So, I knit a test swatch, did the crocheted steek as per Eunny Jang, cut the ladders and it totally unravelled about mid way down and then all the way when I pulled it. Thank God I did a test swatch.

I am wondering if anyone has any advice for me about this? I have been hunting on the internet and some sites have me completly confused and others look like what I did exactly. So, I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask my "circle of knitters" as I am at a loss.

Thanks for any help. If you would like to pm me with any suggestions on Ravelry, I would greatly appreciate it. (My name is jaerrt)

Jill

5 comments:

Calophi said...

I've never actually steeked before, but are you using wool or not? I heard if you aren't using a really grabby yarn like wool, you actually have to reinforce your steek with a sewing machine before you try to do it.

Also I heard fair isle stays together better than just normal knitting.

peacockmom said...

Hi Jill, I have not done these myself, but there is a lot written about the method on Wendy Johnson's site:
http://wendyknits.net/

Type in steeks in her search box and you'll get quite a few results.

Good luck with this; too intimidating for me, but love the look the method produces.

I seem to recall the Yarn Harlot and Grumperina also writing about how to work with steeks.

maz said...

Hi,
steeking is a technique best used in knitting with wool and best known in Fair Isle knitting or similar, just to have a knitting in the round when dealing with more than one colour/thread.

There are enthusiasts, thoug. Look at the green sweater of EZ, where there is no actual need of steeking - and im my opinion absoulutely no adavantage or sense in it- , but she did it obviously to avoid purling.

If you have questions, drop me pm.

adrienne said...

ahhhhhhhh...steeks!!!!!!!

>>>>>>running from the room screaming...........

i am so glad that it is you and NOT me! =D

jaerrt said...

LOL Adrienne! Thanks for the advice ladies. I kind of feel that way about this weater. If I had known I would have so much trouble, I would have just knit back and forth. There really is no reason to steek this except to avoid purling. I'll check out that website,