A Slightly More Snarky Than Intended Post on Why Steeking Isn’t Always a Good Idea
To my great delight, the Nostalgic Sweater Coat is one of those patterns, which people tend to immediately start knitting after purchase. But with all the newly started projects, I have also received some questions about modifying the pattern. Namely: The sweater-coat is designed to be worked back and forth flat. But some knitters would prefer to knit it in the round with a steek, and have asked me about the logistics of going about this (how many stitches to cast on for the steek, and so on).
As politely as I can, I decline to give advice on this matter. Firstly, because I cannot offer support with aspects of a pattern which I did not design.
And also, because I feel steeking this garment is a bad idea (…which is why I did not design it with a steek. See? It all sort of connects into a neat circle of logic).
Alas, the comeback to my response is this…
But Caroline knitted her coat with a steek and she showed it on YouTube!!!
Ah. Well at least now I know where the steeking thing is coming from!
Yes. Caroline (of Höner och Eir) sometimes modifies my patterns according to her own preferences, which she is absolutely free to do (as are you). But it doesn’t mean I think that everything she does is a good idea. She has a right to modify. I have a right to disagree. She knows I disagree and does her thing anyway. We celebrate our differences and have a fabulous relationship.
In writing posts like this, there is always a feeling that I am slipping into this cranky persona, kill-joy of current knitting trends. (Which is possibly exactly what I am, and I needn’t fight it?)
But in any case, I recognise the subject of steeking is important. And so I will give you an explanation of why the Nostalgic Sweater Coat is designed to be worked flat - and why I think that it shouldn’t be modified to be worked in the round, and then steeked.
The Knitter and the Orthogonal Parallelogram
As many of us know already, the term ‘knitting in the round’ is in fact a misnomer. What we are actually doing, is knitting on a spiral. And this spiral knitting puts a slant, or twist, into the fabric. With small objects worked in the round, this phenomenon is usually not noticeable. But the longer we make our circular tube, the more evident the slant in the fabric becomes. And if we cut the tube open along the vertical, the fabric opens up and falls in place according to the slant - to become not a rectangle, but more like a non-orthogonal parallelogram.
Depending on the yarn used and the knitter’s technique (some ways of knitting accentuate the twist more than others), the effect may be subtle and could even disappear after blocking… or it could be obvious to the point that the garment will look crooked after it’s cut open. There is no way of telling which of the two will happen, until after you steek the garment. And of course, once you steek, you cannot unsteek. So not only might the garment prove unwearable, but you won’t even be able to unravel and re-knit it; the yarn itself will be ruined as well.
Is it worth the risk? As a knitter considering whether to modify, the decision is up to you. As a designer, my decision is No.
Stranded Colourwork vs Stockinette
While in general, it’s true I believe that steeking is an over-used technique in today’s knitting culture (more on that in a future post), I am not ‘against’ steeking in all circumstances.
When applied to colourwork knitting the practice is useful, as it allows us to work complex pattern repeats in the round without disruption. It is also important to note that with stranded colourwork, the twisting tendency of the fabric worked in the round is greatly reduced, because the fabric is stabilised by the extra layer of un-worked strands running along the underside. To some (albeit lesser) extent, fabric that features an all-over combination of knit and purl stitches also resists the spiralling effect.
It’s stockinette fabric in its pure form that is most susceptible to the slant. Which is why a floor-length garment, worked in stockinette, is not a good candidate for being worked in the round and then steeked open. It lends itself better to being worked flat.
The Stabilising Effect of Button Bands… Or Lack Thereof
An additional factor to consider about the Nostalgic Sweater Coat in particular, is that it features integrated button-bands. This means that, when worked in the round and cut open, it will not benefit from the stabilising effect of perpendicularly knitted-on button bands that steeked cardigans are usually designed with.
Taking all these elements into consideration, I hope it is clear why I designed the Nostalgic Sweater Coat to be worked flat, and why I think steeking it is a bad idea.
And yet…
But Caroline knitted her coat with a steek and she showed it on YouTube!!!
Yes. And you can too.
I absolutely support every knitter’s right to modify this pattern any which way they like - as long as it comes with an awareness that doing so means stepping outside pattern support parameters.
Moreover… might I just gently point out that if you are inspired by a specific individual’s modification to one of my patterns, it makes more ense to contact that individual about it, rather than me - After all they designed the modification.
Okay, admittedly I feel a little guilty after writing the above, imagining the sleep-deprived Caroline after a long day at the mill opening her inbox to a dozen steek-related emails!
Better you than me, girl. Better you than me.
The End.
