Blue Steel

Anyone a Zoolander fan?? I immediately thought of the movie when I downloaded this picture..... Eli's version of "Blue Steel"

If it wasn't obvious already, I finished Eli's BTSS 2010. This cardigan was my first real attempt at steeking (I have steeked once before on a sweater that didn't work out... the steeking was OK, but it didn't fix the problems of the sweater all of which were knitter error). Steeking, for those who don't know, is when you knit your sweater as a tube and then cut (yes, I said cut) either the fronts or sometimes even the armholes in order to finish your sweater. Apparently  this is handy for fair isle, as purling while changing colours is a pain in the backside (I say *apparently* because I haven't knit a full fair isle sweater before and therefore cannot use my own experience to qualify the above statement). Steeking is also handy for any sweater who grows up wanting to be a cardigan, but who's knitter is too lazy to purl (yes, I'm pointing at me).

Eli's cardigan began it's life as a top-down raglan crew neck sweater (my own design). It looked like this:

I then researched steeks and decided to attempt a crochet steek. Which looked like this:

I then held my breath, grabbed my scissors and began to cut. Which looked like this:

The cardigan held.... but the crochet pulled on the fabric a bit too much, causing it to ripple and stretch. I decided to re-do the steek, by crocheting a new reinforcement row on either side of the original in smaller yarn and much smaller hook....... Much nicer (but no pictures).... 

I then sewed down the steeked edge, sewed in the zipper and Voila! Cardigan done...... and steeks are my newest friends....