Category Archives: Finishing

Finishing

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jenjoycedesign©steeking
Little piles of trimmed yarn from finish work makes as good of a place as any to put down a hot cup of coffee. (*) I happen to love saving all these little ends, and keep them in a place to use one day, like filling a pillow or something. I’m in the middle of steeking and knitting button bands on two cardigans. Two cardigans which will be given to my nieces around the Autumnal Equinox ~~ our little tradition.

These were my left-over yarn project gone ship-wrecked on the remote deserted island of Bad Planning (I try not to visit often, though I find myself stranded there without warning, still.)  The blue one was inspired by about six balls of left-over yarn I had from a project of last Autumn , and I thought to use it up for a lovely turquoisey cardigan for Niece Who Is Thirteen, thinking only another couple of skeins would do the trick (I was thinking a vest at the time, two or three designs ago…). Plus the same yarn in another colorway for Ten Year Old Niece. Long story, and three colorways later (**) I had to re-order two more balls of each along the way, then just before binding off at the neck I was groaning as I realized I *still* wouldn’t have enough yarn to do the bands. So one more… just one wee skein more of each color, will surely do the trick. Yeah, got the yarn a couple of days ago, now I’m finishing these cardigans , and will surely be finished by the Autumn Equinox next weekend.  Here’s to a fun week ahead of finishing !

(*)  Yes Lizzi, that is the wee Queen’s Jubilee cup you sent, which I use every single day. Heartbroken I will be the day it cracks.

(**) So what if I will have even more yarn left over from this project than I had before !!!

~~~~And now,

I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH

to   ELIZABETH over at Island Time   for nominating me for this  . . . 

one_lovely_blog_award

Finishing . . .

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I’ve been knitting again on this cardigan started last year, which went into hibernation due to other projects that came up, and quite frankly, was forgotten.  Now near completion, I am in a total state of agitation, as I have had to knit the left, then the right button bands over, then bind off again & again. Soon it will be finished, and I can show you, after I get it all blocked a second time and buttons sewn on of course,  some vintage buttons I bought from Knitterly in Petaluma last February, especially for this sweater …

They are wood, not sure what kind, but one thing is for sure, they are lacquered well. They were in the vintage odd bits bin, wired together and rather spendy. Twelve bux for twelve (and I will use nine), but you know, they were the only buttons of the seemingly thousands at Knitterly, which seemed to enhance the colors in the yoke. I’m so predictable to choose the natural materials when making things.  What do you think? Shall I sew ’em on???


I’m performing cosmetic ‘surgury’  with a steam iron, on this badly fitting sweater.  I’m doing things with moist rags I probably ought’nt, but I’m hopeful I can gently coax and block the fit into the right proportions for my shape.  The couture of knitting, I’m finding is more and more important , as each project seems to have it’s own couturesque challenges. This one, as we know, has a whole nest of them !

The Genius of Elizabeth Zimmermann

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Here is Michigan Winter ‘Hers’ in the home stretch, about to be washed & blocked.

Just look at that lovely switching of direction of the grain in the knitted fabric !  All knitted in, seamlessly, and very tidy.  Isnt’ it just so exquisitely clever ? Just wonderful is the Elizabeth Zimmermann Shirt Yoke seamless sweater design ! I have done things a bit differently overall, but stayed true through the shirted yoke section at least, because that is the element of design I’ve wanted to learn. And learn I did. And I love, love, love the EZ Seamless Shirt Yoke !!!!

Am finishing off the neck with something different for me, as edge for a K2/P2 rib, I’m trying a 2-stitch i-cord bind-off ! Yes, the highly esteemed and beloved Elizabeth Zimmermann  ~ Mother of Modern Knitting ~ is responsible for this knit-trick of the “i-cord” , and brought it into the limelight with so many of her designs, as applied, cast-on, bind-off, and anything in between. I don’t know why people just don’t refer to it as the ‘ EZ cord’ , or even the E-cord (for Elizabeth). I think I shall for fun. (call it the e-cord). I’m going to just ‘toss one on’ each of these neck finishes as a bit of an afterthought,  because quite frankly… Everybody’s Doing It !

  * *    * *    * *

Edit in :  Both His & Hers sweaters are all done, washed, blocked. Need to just sew on the “hand-knit by Jennifer” labels,  photograph & post final pictures of them…. then send them off to Mr & Mrs  Homesteaders in Michigan.  Yay… done & dusted !  I am off for a celebratory walk in the cold post-rainy mossy green woods, and I’ll be bringing my knitting of course.   C’mon Emma, lets go stir up them giant salamanders !

Spring Sweater Tee’s Finished

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Finally finished with another epic sweater duet for my two nieces, which started back in January in this post.

Done and dusted !

I’ve been experimenting putting the rather crisp charm labels in the back near the bottom band.

Time for the Spring Sweater Tees to arrive into the arms of my smiling nieces tomorrow,

 as they’ve been waiting patiently since January.

It has been raining all day, and weather will undoubtedly *not* give us a daffodils-and-blue sky photo session.

It will be cold, it may even snow …

(insert disappointment here)

… but that’s okay.

I will take photos of them regardless and then post here very soon. Stay tuned !

(((Oh, and this is my second post of the day, crazy obsessed with this business of knitting and sewing on charm labels !

 Have I gone crazy ?)))

Steek & Soak

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My thoughts about steeking are only that I am improving with each project. I am happy that I didn’t give up those first times when too many crocheted loops were making the edge ruffling out, or when I crocheted then tighter to  compensate, and then distorting the edge as well. I’ve figured that similar to picking up stitches for the bands, that to crochet 3 rows and then skip a row, makes it seem to be just right, not too many, not too few.

Now, the big thing this time which I’m doing differently, is that I’m going to crochet the edges, finish it all off, then wash and block… all before cutting the steek. I can bet then that picking up stitches won’t be so difficult as I wouldn’t have varying length edges from mismatched tensions and washing/blocking with edges cut apart.  Personally I think this discovery might be an improvement on the process of steeking.

Now it’s time for the magical soak !