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21 comments on “Steeking”

  1. Staci, wonderful tutorial on steeking. If I wanted to insert a zipper or a button band, would I do so using the crochet stitches?

  2. Yes, you could pick up the crocheted stitches to attach a button band. You’d want to attach a zipper to the inside of the fabric, so you wouldn’t attach to the the crocheted stitches in that case.

  3. Hi Staci,

    Thank you for showing this method. I have two question for you that is,
    1. After you cut the yarn, won’t the yarn slip out of the crochet stitches.
    2.while cutting for sleeves do we need to cut it straight or slightly arch shape near armhole (as we do while knitting normally). You know what I mean.

    Thank you
    Jyothi

  4. Hi Jyothi –

    Here are your answers –

    First, you want to use a really sticky animal fiber yarn. The cut ends will be too sticky to work their way out, and eventually will felt a little with wear.

    You’ll want to follow your pattern for how to cut the armholes, but every pattern I’ve seen that uses steeking only has you cut straight edges. It usually ends up being a bit of a dropped-shoulder look.

    S t a c i

  6. This is way over my head! :^)
    Do the crochet stitches stay in the garment?
    I always thought a sewing machine was involved with tacking down the stitches? This way seems easier and nicer, but I’d have to use another method since I would be using plant fiber.

  7. Strix, yes – the crocheted stitches stay in the work, which is why you want to choose a complimentary color. There are other ways of steeking, and machine sewing around the steek is another way of doing it. But that way doesn’t make a nice fold with the pokey ends inside. If you’re going to use a plant fiber, you’ll probably want a machine stitched steek, then fold the ends in and top stitch down each side.
    🙂
    S t a c i

  8. Hi Staci,
    Thanks for another great tutorial~

    I was wondering if steeking could be worked on a doll sweater.

  9. Thanks for the video. Great timing. I am working on the Knit Picks Fair Isle Cardigan. I am super nervous about cutting it after all the work I’ve put into it. My fear is the whole thing will unravel! Your video makes it look fairly easy. Thanks!

  11. This looks easy to do… Thanks for the video tutorial… By the way, do you happen to have men’s socks? I am knitting my first sock on magic loop using your method/video and my husband asked me if I am knitting him a pair when I am done. How different would it be? I know my husband’s ankle is bigger than mine. Use different size needle and use same construction??

  12. Can u steek with a wool blend such as lion brand wool ease worsted weight or does it have to be 100 percent animal fiber?

  13. Hi Lucas – it’s risky to try steeking with anything but 100% wool, because there is always the chance that your work will come unraveled if the yarn isn’t “sticky” enough to hold the steek together. You can always knit up a swatch with the yarn you want to use and give it a try!

  14. really helpful for me
    I also have a question. Is it possible to use this method when we have different patterns?
    I have a work which I knit all of it using stitch. so in the line that I want to separate the work, I have one stitch and one purl and so on.
    Is it possible to use this method for it?

  15. Shima – yes, it will be a bit different to work the crocheted part, but if your wool is “sticky” enough, you can really cut any knit fabric.

    Good luck!
    S t a c i

  16. I know this is unrelated to steeking, but can you tell me where to find the pattern for the sweater in the background? Thanks, Staci
    Linda

  18. As usual your videos are awesome! I am almost finished my first 2 socks on one circ thanks to you 🙂 You mention in this video that you must use a sticky yarn. Will this crocheted steek work for superwash Merino wool. It doesn’t have the barbs normally found with untreated wool but isn’t as slippery as the other yarns mentioned. Looking forward to your response…and trying my first crocheted steek! Thanks so much 🙂

  19. Trish – you can always try knitting up a sample with the superwash merino, and steek it here as I’ve done in the video. But my guess is that you’ll get some unraveling…if not immediately, then over time. You really need untreated (non-superwash), sticky wool to have this technique work properly.

    But I do have another suggestion – you might try searching for instructions for a machine-sewn steek. I don’t have a video on that, but securing the stitches with the sewing machine will be safer in your case.

    Good luck!
    S t a c i

  20. I really wanted to try this method…guess I will need to knit something out of non-superwash…thanks for getting back to me so quickly!

  21. Hi.
    Thanks for a lot of nice tips.
    My mother always used a sewing machine and zigzaging, and then zigzag back, before cutting the wool yarn. Munch faster and always secure.

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