Steek Cutting

I'm ready to get cut my steek. I've altered my capelet. Altered, meaning frogged a whole lot of it since I discovered I'm not a capelet person. Who knew. I've taken it back so I can make it a sweater since I know for sure I'm a sweater person. But I'm going to cut it now to show you my method of cutting a steek.

My sewing machine is set up for a short stitch with a loose tension. I sewed 2 lines up stitch#2 and stitch#4.

I turn it inside out so I can see the sewing lines.

Cut right down the centre being very careful not to cut any of the machine stitching.

As easy as that.

The steek wants to roll to the back on each side. Next step would be to pick up stitches for the buttonbands. Steeks are easy to do and so effective. I'm not very good with my sewing machine and I find this quite fun to do.

Just one more tool for your knitting toolbox. You might start to look at pullovers differently from now on knowing that they can be converted to a cardigan with just a little bit of sewing and a pair of scissors.
Deb

Steek Set-Up for cutting

I've been asked about converting the pullovers in the Need A Circular Yoke book into cardigans. If you're considering working colourwork for a caridgan, steeks, in my humble opinion, are the way to go. I knit a capelet with a steek so it can be cut open down the centre Front and a buttonband picked up and worked.

 

I'm going to sew the steek over the weekend. This is the plan. Here is my 5 stitch steek worked in a checkerboard pattern with the 2 colours.

 

I'm going to sew along the pink lines. There will be two lines of sewing close together up stitch#2 and stitch#4.

 

And then I will cut along the turquoise line, down the centre of stitch#3.

I will pick up for my buttonbands along the black lines, along the outside of stitch#1 and far side of stitch#5. Right now I'm just contemplating since the capelet is drying after blocking. On Sunday I cut! Woo hoo.
Deb

KnitTrade, we're almost ready.

There is a large knitting industry trade show called TNNA, held in Columbus Ohio in June every year. It's where big and small companies show their new lines of yarn, patterns and books. If you're in teh U.S. your local store probably has been there to see what's new. Lyn & I have gone to this show as vendors selling our patterns and books to yarn store owners for many years. Every year we would say to ourselves "we should have something like this in Canada".  But alas there wasn't anything here. So 5 years ago we decided it was time to start a trade show ourselves. And now this is year 5, amazing. 

We were looking for a venue and then it came to me - a curling rink. It's a big barn with a cement floor and off season there is no ice. Perfect.

Most of our vendors are small to medium sized knitting companies selling specialty items. It's exciting for store owners to talk to the company owner, and often the manufacturer, of the goods they buy.

We've been very busy over the summer and especially this week, getting set up and now this is it. 

Our 5th annual KnitTrade show is on Sunday. 

We're almost ready!
Deb & Lyn

Magazine Shelf Space

I've taken the step of purchasing the download of a magazine, first time ever. I usually like to buy it as a print version. In my town the knitting magazine I like is not longer available in any store, boo, hoo. Last year I went the subscription route, mailed to my house. It was great to get the magazine but because I'm in Canada I seemed to get the magazine about 3 weeks late. I've seen photos and read about the magazine on the internet for several weeks before I receive it. I missed the excitement of seeing it for the first time in my hands. Now I have the downloaded version, the excitement of looking at it for the first time is back.

My pile of old magazines is getting very high. I used to browse through them all once a year. I found that an article or pattern that I passed over last year would be more relevant now and worth the time to read it through. An overlooked technique might inspire a new idea for a pattern. But now the pile has become so overwhelming that I'm finding I don't do this any more. How can I justify the shelf space? Maybe I could randomly pull an old magazine out once a week and take a look at it. Is it possible that a plan is emerging?

How do you justify shelf space for your old magazines? Do you revisit them? Are they a source of inspiration?
Deb

One Step Further Away From the Pattern

I've decided that I wanted to add a little more lace work to my latest Circular Yoke. It's turning out to be lots of fun.

I'm adding lace down the sides. I cast on 16 sts at the Divide Round for the underarm cast on. Perfect for adding 2 x 8st lace pattern I used in the yoke. If you cast on more or less than 16 sts you can still work out where to put 2 repeats of the pattern in. It certainly adds quite a bit of interest to the knitting of the body. I think a twist or knit and purl pattern would work just as well.

I knit every round until I was below my bra since I don't always wear a beige coloured bra and didn't want it to show through the lace. One less decision to make when I get dressed is a good thing, ha, ha.
Deb
Thanks Karen, Liz & t_a for your thoughtful remarks. It's great to know I'm not alone in the two steps forward, one step back approach but always moving forward. It's a journey as well as an adventure!

Can We Learn and Be Comfortable

We all know that learning can be uncomfortable. I don't remember school being all that comfortable lots of the time. If you are working at something you're really interested in it can be stimulating, intense, frustrating and confusing. But learning is still exciting and worthwhile. Frustration teaches us to put it down, pick it up the next day and try again, perseverance is necessary. How many projects have you gotten bogged down in, thrown in the time-out chair, only to pick them up and say this is not going to get me down. Who ever said that knitting is only for old ladies in rocking chairs didn't know what they were talking about. Those chair rockers know a thing or two! This is my mantra "I am the boss of my knitting. I am more able to handle life because I knit". YAY.
-Deb

Think Inside the Box

Do you like that phrase "think outside the box"? I must admit that I don't. I once heard someone say that outside the box is a lonely place. It's the place for geniuses. Geniuses think up weird and wonderful stuff and then wait for the rest of us to catch up. Sometimes we do and often we don't.

On the other hand, the centre of the box is a very safe place. It's where lots and lots of people are and never venture away from. Safe if great lots of the time. But sometimes we can get stale there. It's fantastic knitting when you love what you're seeing in the photo or you're stressed in other areas of your life and need something to turn out right. I do it myself from time to time.

But what if we ventured closer to the outside edge of the box? That's where interesting things can happen. You might add in a stitch pattern you made up yourself. I bet it would look great. Or exaggerate some feature of the sweater, like the shaping. How about a really, really wide A-line? Or take a chance and pinch in that waist one more inch. How about an assymetrical bottom border just for the fun of it. It might surprise you how good it can look. Not quite knowing the outcome is a little scary but it certainly adds a little spice to your knitting and possibly a new "look" to your sweater wardrobe.

I'm hoping that the Need A Circular Yoke book takes you closer to the outside of the box. All the numbers are there but the decisions are yours. If you're taking on the challenge of putting together your own sweater I applaud you. I'm glad you're coming on the ride. Join us at Need A Circular Yoke KAL for some company along the journey, advice and answers to any questions.

Add some spice,
Deb
P.S. Thanks Sharon & t_a. I truely appreciate your encouragement.