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Tutorial: How To Steek

August 14, 2014 by The Twisted Yarn 88 Comments

Steeking (aka setting your knitting up to be cut, in order to turn a knitted-in-the-round piece into a flat piece, for example to open up the front of a cardigan) tends to scare otherwise bold and courageous people. It feels vaguely wrong to take a pair of scissors to your knitting.

Cutting the steek. Can you hear those stitches screaming?!
Cutting the steek. Can you hear those stitches screaming?!

Really, it shouldn’t. Honestly. It used to scare me, until I tried it a few times, at which point I thought, “Is that all?” The secret is this: *whispers* Knitting doesn’t especially mind being cut vertically. (Cut horizontally, and you’d be in a for a whole hairy heap of horror, though.) There’s a wealth of advice out there in the blogosphere, some of it wonderfully detailed and advanced and immaculately illustrated. I’m not even going to try and replicate that, but I will try to condense it. Dis is da basics, no? Steeking 101. Steeking for people who are too busy/impatient to be world experts. Steeking for dummies… like me.

Why Steek?

Fair question: I see that you are a knitter of uncommon perspicacity. A steek is a set of extra ‘bridging’ stitches added in addition to the pattern in a piece of in-the-round knitting, in order to reinforce and cut those stitches to produce a flat piece of knitting. Why would you do that? Well usually, it’s used in colourwork, ie fairisle/stranded knitting, as in the picture above. If you’ve ever tried purling stranded work, you’ll understand why sticking exclusively to knit stitch in the round is vastly preferable. Purling in stranded/fairisle work is poo. Don’t do it. Just don’t. It will visibly age you, which would be a dreadful shame because you look perfectly lovely just the way you are.

How To Steek

Ah, now you’re talking. There are a few basics that you need to know. Let’s award them each a neat, round, inky-black bullet point:-

  • What yarn are you using? No, I’m not just being nosy. Actually, I am. The more that a yarn will felt, the more suitable it is for steeking. So a nice Shetland pure wool will work perfectly and maybe not even need any reinforcing stitches. It’s no coincidence that it’s fairisle knitting that’s best associated with steeking. Animal fibres are (generally) good, though anything superwash is not. Artificial fibres ain’t great for this technique. The more slippery the yarn, the more unsuitable it is. I guess that nothing is absolutely ruled out, but you’re going to have to think long and hard about how much reinforcement your stitches will need if you’re using an ultra-smooth synthetic or cotton yarn. Sorry. You may wish to consider superglue… *joking*

 

  • Extra stitches. Listen up, people. Stop fiddling with your phone, and pay attention, because this is important. The steek comprises some extra stitches that are added for the express purpose of sewing the outer ones in order to secure them, then cutting down the middle. You don’t need many stitches to achieve this: in fact, the fewer stitches there are between seam and cut, the less there is to unravel. But try telling that to a newbie such as me in the (old) example photographed above. I thought more stitches meant more security, so I added eight. In pure wool knitting. Not really necessary, (though more stitches may be helpful in slightly less feltable yarns). Anyway, let’s move on. Steeking is typically used in stranded/fairisle work, and in such cases, I recommend knitting a ‘chequerboard’ pattern for the steeking bridge, as you can see in the photo above. This makes it easy to ‘catch’ everything in your steeking stitches, and also makes it nice and obvious where the bridging stitches are. You can steek with just one yarn, though, as I’ve done for my knitted picture of a mandala.

 

  • Sewing. So, you need to reinforce what will be your two edges before you cut down the middle. There are various ways of doing this. I’ll briefly mention two, before telling you in detail about how I do it:-
    • Crochet-chaining your edges. Google it, if you’re tempted. This method very neatly holds in the cut edges.
    • Machine-sewing beside where you’ll cut. Quick and easy, but watch that you don’t accidentally catch your floats in the machine mechanism. And you risk not catching every thread, because you don’t have exact control over where every stitch lands. (But I’d quite like to use this method, because I’ve got my great great grandmother’s 1895 Singer sitting, rarely-used, in the cupboard upstairs.)
    • My own personal favourite, hand-sewing the edges, because you can see exactly where every stitch lands. Here’s how. Let’s assume we’ve got a lovely fetching brown-and-blue piece of stranded work in progress. No need to adjust your sets, people, but you may wish to fetch your sunglasses in from the car. See the picture below. I’ve chequerboarded the bridge stitches that are to form the steek. In the picture, the cut will (later) be made along the dark red central line. There are two columns of stitches on each side of the cut. This is especially important in colourwork, where you want to catch both colours. (Am I making sense yet?) The black lines in this picture are where I’d sew, catching the two colours by sewing a half of adjacent stitches. (Don’t you love that knit stitches are like little hearts? I once sewed the occasional red stitch into a stranded skirt, and people said, ‘Oh that’s lovely that you’ve knitted hearts into your design’. But I digress – not for the first time, and not even remotely the last.)
Where to sew; where to cut.
Where to sew; where to cut.

For sewing, use a yarn of the same constitution as the knitting (100% wool, for example), though it can be thinner than the yarn with which you knitted. Now, there’s a special way of sewing this. It’s called backstitch. I’ve tried to illustrate it below. In this example, you’d insert the needle in row 2, then bring it out again in row 1, insert it in row 3, bring it out again in row 2, insert in row 4, bring it out in row 3, etc. Make sure you’re using a nice sharp needle, because you want to pierce through the middle of each thread. So stitches on every row will be pierced. Twice. Ha! That’ll learn ’em.

Back-stitch
Back-stitch

Here’s the process of sewing the steek on my knitted mandala picture. The stitch markers are just to remind me of where I’m working:-

Sewing the steek
Sewing the steek
  • Cutting! Simply (yes, simply) cut up the centre of the steek. A few words of warning: the first time you do this, you won’t dare take a breath for the entire time you’re cutting, which could prove problematic if you’re steeking something as large as a blanket – do please try not to lose consciousness through hypoxia. You may or may not be well fortified with gin. And when you’ve finished, it will astound you that your knitting doesn’t immediately disintegrate into a pitiful pile of fluff. The second time you steek, you will approach the matter with calm concentration. And by the third time you steek, you’ll hack away distractedly at your stitches whilst yabbering to your best friend about the price of baked beans.

It really is that simple. So here I am, cutting the mandala picture:-

Eek! Cutting the steek!
Eek! Cutting the steek!

And then the thing can finally lay flat, prior to blocking and then embroidering with gold:-

Mandala pre-embroidery
Mandala pre-embroidery

Naturally, we need a shot with the star of this bloggy show, ie stork scissors, as usual:-

image

And that, my friends, is all. It’s that simple. 🙂

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Filed Under: Knitting Tagged With: colourwork, cutting your knitting, fairisle, how to steek, knitted mandala, knitting, steek, steeking, steeking made simple, stranded knitting, tutorial

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Comments

  1. Ivana says

    August 14, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    Thanks for this tutorial. Do you use same yarn that you knit with to sew edges, or you use tread for sewing?

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:13 pm

      Sometimes I use the same yarn, but you can use anything as long as it’s the same composition as your knitting (ie 100% wool with 100% wool, cotton with cotton, etc). It can often make life easier to use a thinner yarn than the one you knitted with. All the above was written with the assumption that you’ll be washing what you’ve knitted, so will need the yarns to shrink at the same rate, but in the first picture in this post, I just used ordinary cotton sewing thread with woollen yarn, because this is a picture of my knitted blog header and I’m pretty unlikely to wash it. Hope this helps! Thank you for reading. 🙂

      Reply
      • Ivana says

        August 17, 2014 at 11:24 pm

        Thank you very much!

        Reply
  2. slmann says

    August 14, 2014 at 9:25 pm

    Thanks for the tutorial and your Mandela is awesome. Can’t wait to see the finished embroidery. – Sharon

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:15 pm

      Thank you. I always feel I don’t deserve compliments from you, given your talent. Seriously, may I mention you in a blog post soon and post pictures of some of your work, please? I’m just in awe of what you create.

      Reply
  3. dragontearsoflove says

    August 14, 2014 at 9:39 pm

    Absolutely beautiful. I think you may be braver than I am;-), but one day, when the quilts are done, I will get there, one deep breath at a time;-)

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:31 pm

      Your quilting work is stunning. I love your octopus. (But steeking is fun, too.)

      Reply
  4. thegrangerange.wordpress.com says

    August 14, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    Fascinating, Never done this but am tempted to try just to be able to say, “I’ve steeked! Hvae you?”

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:31 pm

      Do it, do it, do it, do it, do it!

      Reply
  5. thecontentedcrafter says

    August 14, 2014 at 9:46 pm

    I’m going to ‘sqeeeee’ at you again – that is FABULOUS!! I didn’t realise I was holding my breath just reading the process until I got to the bit where you said ‘…….you won’t dare take a breath ….’ Gasp!! Gulp, gulp!! I don’t think I’d make it through without blacking out a couple of times. But you made it all so clear that should I ever find myself in a position to steek – steek I shall!! Your illustrations are so beautiful – are you sure you are not a secret practitioner of fine art?

    My so gorgeous stork scissors are at the ready to spring into cutting action the minute they are needed. I would like to crib one of your photos of them to put into my next blog post – is that permissible?

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:36 pm

      Awww, thank you, as ever. Yes you may of course use my photos. Now, more importantly, thank you so so so so so much for the parcel that I collected from the post office today! Seriously. I got home from work yesterday to find a missed parcel notice, which weirdly stated that the parcel was ‘flat’. Now, I haven’t ordered anything, so I started hoping so much that this was a parcel of beauty from New Zealand. Dragged the toddler twinnage to our nearby town this morning to collect it and, YES! Thank you, thank you thank you! You know already that I think you’re a wonderful artist, both for your skill in drawing, and for your use of rich colour. But it’s amazing to actually have some of your work sitting in front of me. The large print (Butterflies are flowers…) is especially delightful, and ‘A gardener grows tomorrow’s joys’ is so true but also so gorgeously executed. Thank you!!!!! May I show some of your amazing work in a blog post, please? Obviously I’ll fully credit you. Please? Pretty please?

      Reply
      • The Twisted Yarn says

        August 16, 2014 at 7:37 pm

        Oh, and I love the Orlando card too! (But don’t tell Siggy that, or he might be jealous.)

        Reply
      • thecontentedcrafter says

        August 16, 2014 at 7:56 pm

        Ha – you make me smile. I’m so happy you are happy! I hoped I’d send something you would like, especially as you were being so recalcitrant about choosing something yourself! I would be most honoured if you showed anything on your blog – show away! 🙂 And we are now fb friends too – happy days!

        Reply
      • The Twisted Yarn says

        August 16, 2014 at 7:57 pm

        🙂

        Reply
      • The Twisted Yarn says

        August 17, 2014 at 7:10 pm

        Obviously that should’ve been Siddy, not Siggy. I truly have no brain these days. Apologies.

        Reply
  6. gladeridercrafts says

    August 15, 2014 at 4:25 am

    I love your descriptions for how you’ll do your first couple of steeks! Well, I actually love most of the jokes in there, but that bit was particularly amusing! And your mandala is so pretty! Can’t wait to see how you embroider it 🙂

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:39 pm

      Thank you. I never know whether people would just prefer sensible, serious advice. But I can’t help being flippant.

      Reply
  7. kazacrafty says

    August 15, 2014 at 6:02 am

    Wow! Never even heard off this method before, think I would not use gin until I was feeling blazé

    Reply
    • kazacrafty says

      August 15, 2014 at 6:03 am

      Our even blasé

      Reply
      • The Twisted Yarn says

        August 16, 2014 at 7:40 pm

        🙂 The gin might help with the feeling blasé, though. But actually it’s not necessary. Steeking is fine. Thank you for your comment.

        Reply
  8. knittingwithheart says

    August 15, 2014 at 6:23 am

    Your entertaining tutorial takes the “eek” out of “steek” 😀 ❤ <3

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:41 pm

      Ha ha, thank you! I WISH I’d thought of that line first. And thank you sooo much for Facebooking my post.

      Reply
      • knittingwithheart says

        August 19, 2014 at 7:39 pm

        Heehee, well you know what they say… gotta share the wit… ’cause you can’t wit ’em all 😉 Your links are fun to share! 🙂 ❤ <3

        Reply
  9. Gallivanta says

    August 15, 2014 at 6:32 am

    Steeking is awesome; at least the way you do it is.

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:41 pm

      Thank you. It’s actually surprisingly easy.

      Reply
  10. Tajana says

    August 15, 2014 at 6:58 am

    I’m a pupil of yours!!!Great tutorial and have learnt something new and soooooooo useful!Thanks,Phil!!!

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 15, 2014 at 7:29 pm

      You’re always kinder than I deserve, but thank you anyway, m’dear. 🙂

      Reply
      • Tajana says

        August 16, 2014 at 6:24 am

        Oh,it’s true,you are a great and very sensible crafter!!!!!I have to learn from you!!!

        Reply
      • The Twisted Yarn says

        August 16, 2014 at 7:50 pm

        No, no, no, definitely not. Your work is an amazing, stylish, festival of colour, especially your crochet.

        Reply
  11. littleblackdogsa says

    August 15, 2014 at 11:43 am

    Fabulous. Thanks for the lesson. Have never ventured that far, but now I just might, it does not look like “rocket science” any more. 🙂

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 15, 2014 at 7:29 pm

      It really really isn’t anywhere near rocket science. If I can do it, anyone can.

      Reply
  12. Jim says

    August 15, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    I am not a yarn artist, though I am in a family of crafty people who do express themselves through yarn art along with other various crafts. And my current fascination with stringing and training my jungle full of gourds might not be all that far from yarn art. But I must say, your writing style is so engaging it is entirely worth reading your posts whether I will ever Steek or not. Thank you very much. Keep ’em coming. 🙂

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 15, 2014 at 7:28 pm

      Thank you for such a generous comment. And I love your stunning photos of the blooms in your garden, so the admiration is mutual.

      Reply
  13. E.C. says

    August 15, 2014 at 3:28 pm

    Thanks for sharing this. I’ve never heard of Steeking. I’m in awe of you steeking your beautiful work. Well done.

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 15, 2014 at 7:27 pm

      Thank you. *whispers*: nothing I’ve made is worthy of any awe. But thank you, anyway.

      Reply
  14. slippedstitches says

    August 15, 2014 at 5:14 pm

    You are such a brave, brave woman. I screamed when I saw the scissors cutting the knitting in the picture above.

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 15, 2014 at 7:25 pm

      Ha ha, thank you for a comment that made me giggle. 🙂 Steeking was definitely one of those things that used to make me think, “Well obviously, I could never do THAT.” But it’s OK. Honest.

      Reply
  15. KerryCan says

    August 15, 2014 at 9:20 pm

    Such a paragon of calmness and self-control! You really do a great job of explaining this in practical terms–if I were a knitter, I’d give it a try! Or maybe I’ll just go take a whack at a sweater I’d like better as a cardigan?

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:51 pm

      Yes! Do it! At the very least, I’ll pass you the gin if it gets stressful…

      Reply
      • KerryCan says

        August 18, 2014 at 11:52 am

        Gin? I’ve never had gin. Well, at least not so far today . . . .

        Reply
  16. epicyarns says

    August 15, 2014 at 11:37 pm

    Great post! It’s so terrifying making that first cut but kind of liberating haha

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:52 pm

      Very liberating when you realize that nothing terrible actually happens! Thank you for your comment.

      Reply
  17. bamcrafts979 says

    August 16, 2014 at 9:57 am

    You are slowly luring me back to knitting instead of crochet, especially with your mandala. I love the fact that it is possible to do such crisp colour work designs, and steeking would eliminate those pesky purl rows…. When I find myself regularly poking my yarn with two sticks instead of one it will be ALL YOUR FAULT! 😀

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:54 pm

      Ha ha, my plan is working! (Evil cackle). You know you want to put down that hook and KNIT………….

      Reply
  18. crackedbutcrafty says

    August 16, 2014 at 2:55 pm

    Wow, am awe-struck – both by your amazing mandala and your fearless steeking! Love it!

    Reply
  19. mindfulmagpie says

    August 16, 2014 at 7:29 pm

    It’s going to be awhile before I dare to try this, but seeing your tutorial starts me on the thinking process.

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      August 16, 2014 at 7:54 pm

      I promise you, it’s so much easier than it looks. Thank you for your comment. 🙂

      Reply
  20. ceciliaintherain says

    August 19, 2014 at 2:57 pm

    I’ll be trying my first ever steek pretty soon as my cardigan is nearly finished. Just need to block it out first! A bit apprehensive but I am hopeful it will turn out alright!

    Reply
  21. Marlene Hoopingarner says

    September 16, 2014 at 8:23 pm

    Question, I recently steeled a scarf using rayon yarn. I would like to knit another one in the round and cut it but can I use any yarn or does it have to be rayon?

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      September 16, 2014 at 9:10 pm

      At a push, you can use almost any yarn, but you’ll need to be VERY careful to sew in every single thread if you’re not using animal-derived natural fibres. Steeking took off in communities practising fairisle knitting, and the pure wool they used was so feltable that they hardly needed to bother sewing their stitches to reinforce them! Anything synthetic (including rayon, which is semi-synthetic despite being cellulose-derived) will take more work to reinforce, but it can be done. Go for it! I’d love to see what you make…

      Reply
  22. Mary Tang says

    December 6, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Thank you for the tutorial; I’ve learnt a new word as well as a new technique. I should say, ‘learnt of’ because I am not sure if I’ll ever try it but it’s good to know about its use. Your mention of the nature of different yarns also gave me something to think about. I’ve knitted for decades but still at a beginner’s level. Thanks to blogs like yours and youtube I am picking up new tricks 🙂

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      December 6, 2015 at 7:55 pm

      And thank you for your comment. Steeking isn’t difficult once you overcome the perfectly natural horror at taking scissors to your knitting! I’ve just been having a look at your lovely blog, especially your thoughts on teaching Chinese calligraphy – something that must surely take enormous time and patience for beginners to begin to master?

      Reply
      • Mary Tang says

        December 6, 2015 at 8:29 pm

        Time and patience, yes, as in learning anything new. Thank you for visiting.

        Reply
  23. Karen says

    December 8, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    Thank you for sharing this information. I made a child’s sweater out of superwash sportweight yarn with a fairisle yoke of sheep. It is my first fairisle project and I am nervous to sew it with a sewing machine steek. Can I use a hand sewn backstitch for superwash yarn?

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      December 10, 2015 at 8:46 pm

      (Sorry for slow reply: if you’ve seen the latest post you’ll know that it’s been a tricky week.)
      First, thank you for your comment. As for using superwash, the proper textbook answer would be that it’s not suitable for steeking because it does not felt. However, the knitting police will probably turn a blind eye if you hand sew it in backstitch as you suggest. Just make sure your stitching is very dense and thorough. And if anyone asks, I didn’t tell you to do that! From your description, it sounds like a rather lovely project. I hope it’s turning out just perfect.

      Reply
      • Karen says

        December 10, 2015 at 10:01 pm

        Thank you. No problem. I went ahead and moved on as I had to get the sweater done. I did two rows of backstitch with lace weight yarn and a sharp needle with a row of running stitch in between. I think it is going to be fine. I am also going to cover the inside edges with seam tape ribbon. 🙂 I am sort of hooked on this technique and want to start another Fair Isle sweater for my granddaughter in her next size using fingering yarn.

        Reply
        • The Twisted Yarn says

          December 10, 2015 at 10:03 pm

          I agree: it’s going to be fine. Just don’t tell the knitting police. Enjoy your next fair isle sweater. 🙂

          Reply
  24. boheme2012 says

    February 11, 2016 at 3:17 pm

    You have given me back some of my knitting confidence that I can do this!- thank you for demystifying what I believed was a technique that would take me years to build up the confidence to try!

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      February 11, 2016 at 8:47 pm

      Oh thank you for such a kind comment! Don’t worry, steeking isn’t that hard really, although you may require wine on the first attempt…

      Reply
  25. Dinah says

    March 1, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    I’m curious if this was the front of a cardigan and you set in a zipper along your cut lines, wouldn’t the stay stitches be seen? How do you actually finish this because it seems like you’d have a lot of fabric in any seam you made. Hope that question makes sense!

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      March 13, 2016 at 9:04 pm

      Hi Dinah,
      I am SO sorry for slow response. And I hope that late is better than never…
      Thank you for your comment/question. If you’re going to add a zip, I’d recommend folding the steeked edges under before sewing in the zip. Am I making sense? Happy to chat about this more (and I’ll reply more quickly next time…)

      Reply
  26. April Chard says

    October 26, 2016 at 8:11 am

    okay so here I am searching for an explanation of how to steek and came across your brilliant tutorial. Yes like others, I nearly blacked out reading it but had a nebuliser handy ! … after taking deep breaths I wanted to say thankyou for that – I will attempt it with confidence and gusto 🙂

    Kindest regards – April ( UK )

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      November 2, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      Yay, very glad to hear that you survived the experience! It really does get easier. Soon you’ll be chopping up your knitting without a care in the world. 🙂

      Reply
  27. mamasuds says

    December 18, 2016 at 8:47 pm

    When listing the reasons one might need to steek, here’s another scenario: you’ve knitted an entire hat without having done a gauge swatch and realized half way through that you’ve been wasting time and yarn making it much too large. You skip a whole mess of stitches, only to find that wasn’t enough either. After all this, you know you have to seam your hat, so you find out how to steek! Thank you for your funny and informative blog post!!

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      December 19, 2016 at 8:49 pm

      Tee hee, I totally feel your pain. I have a jumper (sweater if you’re non-UK) that suffered the same fate. Thank you for your kind words.

      Reply
  28. Jonena says

    December 26, 2016 at 9:44 pm

    Great post! So how many stitches would you recommend? Six?

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      December 30, 2016 at 3:38 pm

      Hi, and big apologies for being slow to respond – I was a wee bit distracted by Christmas for a few days.

      Anyway, your question. Yes, six stitches should be sufficient in most cases, especially if you’re using a fairly rough-textured pure wool. It’s tempting to think that more stitches = more security, but that’s not really the case. As long as you’ve got space to work your reinforcing stitches, you *should* be fine. Enjoy!

      Reply
  29. Jac Howard says

    December 28, 2016 at 8:59 am

    I’m eeking about fast approaching my first steeking. Your words calm me somewhat….
    Raga jumper in Jamieson’s yarn… is it really, truly possible not to sew if it’s 100% wool… if this is my first time… would you sew – just in case????
    I love your human foible approach to this whole thing…
    Jac

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      December 30, 2016 at 3:34 pm

      Hi Jac, and sorry for slow response. I got a tiny bit distracted by Christmas, there!

      Wool varies so much in terms of how sleek vs grippy it is. Maybe test out on a little swatch? Or rub two strands together to see how easily they begin to cling to each other. But yes, brave souls in Shetland have been known to steek without stitching. I’ve never tried it, personally!

      Good luck, and happy knitting.

      Reply
  30. Isobel says

    June 17, 2017 at 8:31 am

    I dont suppose you can still get the variegated wool you used in the first photo?

    Reply
  31. Ali P says

    August 30, 2017 at 2:47 pm

    This was a great tutorial! Thank you! I’m working up to knitting a fair isle Cardigan in the round to steek (pattern was written for it to be knit flat, but everyone tells me I’ll be miserable doing it that way). Anyway, I noticed that your mandala has pretty thick white borders around it, did you float the blue across the white when working in the round and then just weave in each row after cutting the steek? Maybe that seems like a dumb question!

    Reply
  32. Michaela Huesing says

    October 23, 2017 at 11:08 pm

    I’m not afraid of the steeking. My problem is where to change colors. My directions do it at one side of the steek. It seems to me that if you change colors in the middle of the steek, then you wouldn’t have weave in any ends (big bonus), because you would later cut everything away anyway. Am I missing something?? . I’m working on a cardigan, and am ready to start the color work. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Anna-Lena says

      October 25, 2017 at 6:41 am

      Hello, I have exactly the same question as Michaela: where to change colors and what happens with the ends of the yarns; necessary to weave in “away” from the steek or OK to leave “hanging” in the middle of the steek? I am using 100 % Shetland wool.
      Thank you for great instructions abt steeking!

      Reply
      • The Twisted Yarn says

        October 28, 2017 at 2:55 pm

        Hi Anna-Lena, and sorry about the delay in responding. Good questions. I would change colours at the point at which you’ll cut, because you’ll be using sewing to secure all the ends that are created there. (It’s ok to weave in ends away from the steek if you need to, but it just creates more work!) I hope that this makes sense and is helpful. Best wishes, Phil

        Reply
  33. LionesseM says

    August 31, 2018 at 10:05 am

    Big thank you for explaining it that easy way. Can’t await to knit something colorfull 😀

    Reply
  34. laurelton6 says

    March 31, 2019 at 9:15 am

    Can you please tell me the yarn you used to make the twistedyarn.com? I’ve searched for weeks trying to match it but end up frustrated with no wool. You have great taste in the yarns and projects you choose.
    Thanks laurelton6

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      April 1, 2019 at 8:12 pm

      Hi Laurelton, this was so long ago that I had to have a bit of a rummage around to remind myself! It’s made using Katia Azteca in shades 2826 (Red) and 7829 (Natural Brown), but I hacked most of the pink out of the 2826 before I used it! Hope that’s useful. What are you making????????
      Phil x

      Reply
      • laurelton6 says

        April 5, 2019 at 5:37 pm

        Thanks very much. I’m knitting a vest/poncho. Basically a sweater front and back, A loose neck and buttons on the side.

        Reply
        • laurelton6 says

          April 5, 2019 at 5:44 pm

          I just found it and I will be chopping out the pink. I’m glad I’ve just learned how to join wool together leaving no indication that it what been cut. Thanks again. L

          Reply
  35. Christopher says

    August 9, 2019 at 1:45 am

    I wonder if it’s been too long.

    I just steeked a sweater for my daughter. It came out beautifully–and it fits, miracle of miracles–except that there are about 5 loose strands at my steek. I cannot figure out how this happened, since the strands seem not to have been caught by the sewing thread. I discovered them as I sewed on the button band.

    In any case, any suggestions for fixing this? I was thinking of glue, but worry about lumpy hard spots. My current plan is to hand sew the strands with backstitch along the line of the main steek stitching.

    Reply
  36. Misty S says

    November 18, 2020 at 12:59 am

    I made a Fair Isle style sweater and tried steeking for the first time, a fun challenge especially because I adapted a plain sweater pattern and put my own combination of designs in, as well as adding the steeks. However, I crocheted the steeks, and, since I was using acrylic yarn, it did not hold AT ALL. (I was able to save the sweater, though!) I enquired of another knitting site about sewing the steeks before cutting, and was recommened this page. So now I’m going to try another sweater that’s already knitted. I didn’t intend to make it with steeks, but since it’s a variegated yarn (also acrylic, that being what’s available to me), and started on the round, it was easier to add steeks than switch to back-and-forth, and preserved a bit more the pattern with the variegated yarn. I’m hoping for the best using your backstitch method!!

    Reply
    • The Twisted Yarn says

      November 21, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      Good luck! Although in theory, you’re not “supposed” to steek with acrylic yarn, if you’re prepared to sew enough tiny little stitches, you should be able to hold most things except cotton. Hope it works…

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Blocking Your Knitting | the twisted yarn says:
    August 18, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    […] ← Tutorial: How To Steek August 18, 2014 · 1:41 pm ↓ Jump to Comments […]

    Reply
  2. Knitted Mandala Picture… Finished! | the twisted yarn says:
    September 4, 2014 at 5:11 pm

    […] Steeking is easy. […]

    Reply
  3. “That” Project | the twisted yarn says:
    February 6, 2015 at 9:41 pm

    […] was different. That was a steek.” (OK, so there wasn’t a hyperlink in my actual speech.) “You can’t just […]

    Reply
  4. #stEEkal: Prompt #3: Snip Your Knits | Wool & Needle says:
    April 11, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    […] is the first of the two hand sewn swatches. I reviewed this tutorial before I got started. The steek stitches were knit in a checkerboard pattern, and I sewed down the […]

    Reply
  5. How to Steek for the Absolute Beginner - Sheep Among Wolves says:
    August 22, 2017 at 4:28 pm

    […] or twice on each side of where you are going to cut. Phil over at A Twisted Yarn has a really good in depth explanation on how to do that. And here is a good video on this method as well. They are doing it slightly differently, so best […]

    Reply
  6. Finishing a UFO | Kaza's creations says:
    October 26, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    […] how many rows I would need to frog (at least 3″ worth). The pattern was too complex to steek, no matter how simple the Twisted Yarn claims it is to do . So I decided to put it out of sight for a while until my frustration reduced and I had a spare […]

    Reply

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British Craft Awards 2017
crochet knitted ikea poang chair cover cottage house garden
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Phil, knits+runs+cancer. 🇬🇧🇪🇺

thetwistedyarn

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Knitting+silliness at thetwistedyarn.com.
NHS psychologist. Stranded knitting book out 2022. Stylecraft Blogstar. Runner. Garden @the.twisted.garden

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Aug 3

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New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com (see link in bio). Includes happy times with fellow Stylecraft Blogstars.

New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com (see link in bio). Includes happy times with fellow Stylecraft Blogstars. ...

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Sep 10

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Knitting the 'spring' colourway of my next pattern. Nearly done. Yarn is @stylecraftyarns Highland Heathers. 
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#stylecrafthighlandheathers #strandedcolourwork #strandedknitting #strandedcolorwork #fairisleknitting #fairisle #fairislefriday #knitspo #knitspiration #knitdesigner #freeknittingpattern #garn #virkning

Knitting the `spring` colourway of my next pattern. Nearly done. Yarn is @stylecraftyarns Highland Heathers.
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#stylecrafthighlandheathers #strandedcolourwork #strandedknitting #strandedcolorwork #fairisleknitting #fairisle #fairislefriday #knitspo #knitspiration #knitdesigner #freeknittingpattern #garn #virkning
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Jan 23

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My long-loved and dear friend @mary_megarry_number452 sent this card two years ago with many warm-hearted words inside. Little did either of us know that in addition to the knitting, the two black cats would also become a reality. Hope to see you soon, Mary. ❤ Artist is Dee Nickerson.

My long-loved and dear friend @mary_megarry_number452 sent this card two years ago with many warm-hearted words inside. Little did either of us know that in addition to the knitting, the two black cats would also become a reality. Hope to see you soon, Mary. ❤ Artist is Dee Nickerson. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Jul 5

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New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com,  or see linky in comments..

New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com, or see linky in comments.. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Apr 16

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Kittens sitting in the crocheted garden. By the way, someone pointed out that there's a fake account pretending to be me: it's at thetwistedyarn_  I can't view it because they've blocked me, but if any kind soul would be kind enough to report it, I'd be very grateful. Thank you, my Fine Fibrous Friends!

Kittens sitting in the crocheted garden. By the way, someone pointed out that there`s a fake account pretending to be me: it`s at thetwistedyarn_ I can`t view it because they`ve blocked me, but if any kind soul would be kind enough to report it, I`d be very grateful. Thank you, my Fine Fibrous Friends! ...

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May 2

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I finished designing a thing. @novitaknits yarns are lush. 🙂
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedknitting #strandedcolorwork #fairisletechniques #fairislefriday #fairisledesign #knitdesigner #knittingdesigner #nevernotknitting #novitaknits #novita #garn #strikkedilla #strikke #virkning #knitspo #knitspiration

I finished designing a thing. @novitaknits yarns are lush. 🙂
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedknitting #strandedcolorwork #fairisletechniques #fairislefriday #fairisledesign #knitdesigner #knittingdesigner #nevernotknitting #novitaknits #novita #garn #strikkedilla #strikke #virkning #knitspo #knitspiration
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Dec 4

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Steek without the 'eek'!
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#steeking #steek #cuttingthesteek #rowanfeltedtweed #garn #strikke #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairislefriday #fairisleknitting #fairisle

Steek without the `eek`!
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#steeking #steek #cuttingthesteek #rowanfeltedtweed #garn #strikke #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairislefriday #fairisleknitting #fairisle
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thetwistedyarn

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Jan 14

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Time to stop the colourful stuff for a while and begin crunching some serious numbers. Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Depressive Pencils = a fabulous gift from my super friend @toads_mum 
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#knitdesigner #knittingschematic

Time to stop the colourful stuff for a while and begin crunching some serious numbers. Crunch, crunch, crunch...
Depressive Pencils = a fabulous gift from my super friend @toads_mum
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#knitdesigner #knittingschematic
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thetwistedyarn

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Aug 9

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There's a new blog post at thetwistedyarn.com. Enjoy.

There`s a new blog post at thetwistedyarn.com. Enjoy. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 2

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New blog post alert! See link in bio. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂

New blog post alert! See link in bio. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂 ...

278 6

thetwistedyarn

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Oct 31

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There's a new blog post in town. See link in bio or explore thetwistedyarn.com.

There`s a new blog post in town. See link in bio or explore thetwistedyarn.com. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Jul 27

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Annnnnd breathe. Post-work knitting in the garden. Not shown because I don't have four hands: a large glass of wine and a book.
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#knittingoutside #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairisle #fairisleknitting @stylecraftyarns #stylecraftyarns #stylecrafthighlandheathers

Annnnnd breathe. Post-work knitting in the garden. Not shown because I don`t have four hands: a large glass of wine and a book.
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#knittingoutside #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairisle #fairisleknitting @stylecraftyarns #stylecraftyarns #stylecrafthighlandheathers
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thetwistedyarn

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Dec 14

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There's a new blog post at thetwistedyarn.com (or see link in bio). Just sayin'.

There`s a new blog post at thetwistedyarn.com (or see link in bio). Just sayin`. ...

162 3

thetwistedyarn

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Jan 14

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Uh-oh. #knittingwithcats @stylecraftyarns

Uh-oh. #knittingwithcats @stylecraftyarns ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 22

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Crunching numbers for a pattern for @stylecraftyarns . Crunch, crunch, crunch. I love-hate this stage. 
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#knitdesigner #stylecraftyarns #stylecraft #nevernotknitting #knittingpatterns #knittingpattern #yarn #garn #strikke #virkning #strikkedilla #knitspo #knitspiration #winterknitting

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#knitdesigner #stylecraftyarns #stylecraft #nevernotknitting #knittingpatterns #knittingpattern #yarn #garn #strikke #virkning #strikkedilla #knitspo #knitspiration #winterknitting
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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 19

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Just got home from a really intense work-day down the psychology mines, only to discover these wonderful socks that the ever-awesome @buttonspickles knitted for me. They are very beautiful and very cosy, and the yarn is the colourway that I designed for Stylecraft, i.e. Head Over Heels in the shade 'Saltaire'. (I don't think Stylecraft sells it any more.) But these socks are just perfect and I love them and I'm feeling very grateful for my friends. ❤
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#stylecraft #stylecraftyarns #stylecraftheadoverheels #sockknittersofinstagram

Just got home from a really intense work-day down the psychology mines, only to discover these wonderful socks that the ever-awesome @buttonspickles knitted for me. They are very beautiful and very cosy, and the yarn is the colourway that I designed for Stylecraft, i.e. Head Over Heels in the shade `Saltaire`. (I don`t think Stylecraft sells it any more.) But these socks are just perfect and I love them and I`m feeling very grateful for my friends. ❤
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#stylecraft #stylecraftyarns #stylecraftheadoverheels #sockknittersofinstagram
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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 10

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Haven't done a knitting-and-walking photo for a while, so here's a shot from walking the twinnage to school this morning. 
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#knittingandwalking #roosimine #roosimineknitting #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #rowanfeltedtweed #estonianknitting #garn #strikkedilla #strikke #virkning

Haven`t done a knitting-and-walking photo for a while, so here`s a shot from walking the twinnage to school this morning.
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#knittingandwalking #roosimine #roosimineknitting #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #rowanfeltedtweed #estonianknitting #garn #strikkedilla #strikke #virkning
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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 9

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Working on the book, fuelled by green tea and optimism.

Working on the book, fuelled by green tea and optimism. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Sep 21

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NEW BLOG POST at thetwistedyarn.com (see link in bio) with link to a marvellous* new pattern. Enjoy. 
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#stylecraftyarns #stylecrafthighlandheathers #newknittingpatterns #knitspo #knitspiration #nevernotknitting #knittingpatternsonline

NEW BLOG POST at thetwistedyarn.com (see link in bio) with link to a marvellous* new pattern. Enjoy.
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* In other news, I`m very modest.
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#stylecraftyarns #stylecrafthighlandheathers #newknittingpatterns #knitspo #knitspiration #nevernotknitting #knittingpatternsonline
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thetwistedyarn

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Jan 29

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There's a new blog post at thetwistedyarn.com, or see link in comments.

There`s a new blog post at thetwistedyarn.com, or see link in comments. ...

191 0

thetwistedyarn

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Feb 25

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When life imitates "art". Note the little crocheted kitten beside the pond, paws stretched out, just like the real thing. I had no idea when I crocheted/knitted this chair cover that I'd one day be a kitten-slave for real. #blackcatsrule

When life imitates "art". Note the little crocheted kitten beside the pond, paws stretched out, just like the real thing. I had no idea when I crocheted/knitted this chair cover that I`d one day be a kitten-slave for real. #blackcatsrule ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Dec 31

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New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com,  or see link in bio.

New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com, or see link in bio. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Jul 30

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I've done walking-and-knitting plenty of times on here. Time for WALKING-AND-KITCHENER-STITCH! OK, I was only wandering round and round outdoors, not hiking up a mountain in a blizzard, but still. 
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#stylecraftyarns #stylecrafthighlandheathers #walkingandknitting #knittingandwalking #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #strandedknitting #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #fairisle #fairisleknitting #garn #strikke #strikkedilla #strikstrikstrik #virkning #nevernotknitting #kitchenerstitch

I`ve done walking-and-knitting plenty of times on here. Time for WALKING-AND-KITCHENER-STITCH! OK, I was only wandering round and round outdoors, not hiking up a mountain in a blizzard, but still.
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#stylecraftyarns #stylecrafthighlandheathers #walkingandknitting #knittingandwalking #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #strandedknitting #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #fairisle #fairisleknitting #garn #strikke #strikkedilla #strikstrikstrik #virkning #nevernotknitting #kitchenerstitch
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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 20

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Hairy trouble is afoot. See thetwistedyarn.com or linky in profile for new blog post.

Hairy trouble is afoot. See thetwistedyarn.com or linky in profile for new blog post. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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May 3

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New blog post! See thetwistedyarn.com or link in bio. Warning: contains personal inadequacy and failure.

New blog post! See thetwistedyarn.com or link in bio. Warning: contains personal inadequacy and failure. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Jun 15

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A new pattern for you! Today sees the launch of Stylecraft's Blogstars On The Beach initiative. See my blog post at thetwistedyarn.com or follow linky in profile.

A new pattern for you! Today sees the launch of Stylecraft`s Blogstars On The Beach initiative. See my blog post at thetwistedyarn.com or follow linky in profile. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 2

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Knitting on the rug beside the first fire of the season.

Knitting on the rug beside the first fire of the season. ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Aug 22

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: CHECK YOUR BITS AND PIECES, PEOPLE! Today was the third of my annual post-cancer mammograms. Honestly, it's uncomfortable rather than painful, and definitely worth it.
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Also, top tip: if your hair is somewhere between chin and shoulder length, take a hair bobble to tie it back, so that it doesn't interfere with the imaging. (Longer hair isn't a problem, because it can be draped over a shoulder.) I forgot this time, and had to improvise with a surgical glove! By some miracle I remembered to remove the glove before venturing back out into the hospital.
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#breastcancerawareness #breastcancer #ibeatcancer #mammogram

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: CHECK YOUR BITS AND PIECES, PEOPLE! Today was the third of my annual post-cancer mammograms. Honestly, it`s uncomfortable rather than painful, and definitely worth it.
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Also, top tip: if your hair is somewhere between chin and shoulder length, take a hair bobble to tie it back, so that it doesn`t interfere with the imaging. (Longer hair isn`t a problem, because it can be draped over a shoulder.) I forgot this time, and had to improvise with a surgical glove! By some miracle I remembered to remove the glove before venturing back out into the hospital.
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#breastcancerawareness #breastcancer #ibeatcancer #mammogram
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thetwistedyarn

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Oct 31

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Corrugated rib. The trickiest bit of this technique is finding a third hand to hold the camera.
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#corrugatedrib #corrugatedribbing #fairisle #fairislefriday #rowanfeltedtweed #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #advancedknitting #knitspo #knitspiration

Corrugated rib. The trickiest bit of this technique is finding a third hand to hold the camera.
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#corrugatedrib #corrugatedribbing #fairisle #fairislefriday #rowanfeltedtweed #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #advancedknitting #knitspo #knitspiration
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thetwistedyarn

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Sep 15

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Whilst I recover from surgery, I'm knitting another Äkäslompolo cardigan (that I designed for @novitaknits yarns) because I want one to keep! Just started the armhole steeks. The thing about having a rubbish memory is that every instruction comes as a surprise, even though I wrote it. 
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Pattern currently available in Finnish in the Novita magazine, but I'll be allowed to publish it in English in a couple of months' time. 
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairislecardigan #knitdesigner #fairisle #fairislefriday #strikke #strikkedilla #virkning #garn #knitspo #knitspiration #novita #tricot #tricoter #steek #steeking #knitwear #stashknitting #handknit #handknitting #colourworkknitting #colorworkknitting #igknit #igknitters #strikstrikstrik #heirloomknits #knitting

Whilst I recover from surgery, I`m knitting another Äkäslompolo cardigan (that I designed for @novitaknits yarns) because I want one to keep! Just started the armhole steeks. The thing about having a rubbish memory is that every instruction comes as a surprise, even though I wrote it.
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Pattern currently available in Finnish in the Novita magazine, but I`ll be allowed to publish it in English in a couple of months` time.
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairislecardigan #knitdesigner #fairisle #fairislefriday #strikke #strikkedilla #virkning #garn #knitspo #knitspiration #novita #tricot #tricoter #steek #steeking #knitwear #stashknitting #handknit #handknitting #colourworkknitting #colorworkknitting #igknit #igknitters #strikstrikstrik #heirloomknits #knitting
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thetwistedyarn

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Sep 6

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Hunter would like to inform you that after very extensive testing, he can confirm that @stylecraftyarns are soft and cosy and excellent for napping against. (Pictured: #stylecrafthighlandheathers and a cushion cover I designed with #stylecraftdreamcatcher ).

Hunter would like to inform you that after very extensive testing, he can confirm that @stylecraftyarns are soft and cosy and excellent for napping against. (Pictured: #stylecrafthighlandheathers and a cushion cover I designed with #stylecraftdreamcatcher ). ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Aug 15

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Met up with three very dear friends today. There was yarn. And gossip. And biscuits. @alicadabara @ruth_underdown @buttonspickles

Met up with three very dear friends today. There was yarn. And gossip. And biscuits. @alicadabara @ruth_underdown @buttonspickles ...

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thetwistedyarn

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Jun 24

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Thank goodness I'm not a perfectionist. 
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#fairislecardigan #fairisletechniques #fairisleknitting #fairisledesign #fairisle #fairislefriday #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting

Thank goodness I`m not a perfectionist.
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#fairislecardigan #fairisletechniques #fairisleknitting #fairisledesign #fairisle #fairislefriday #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting
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thetwistedyarn

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May 22

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Sunday morning stitchery, fuelled by green tea. Watching insects bumbling about amongst the #nomowmay grass. Enjoying @novitaknits yarn.

Sunday morning stitchery, fuelled by green tea. Watching insects bumbling about amongst the #nomowmay grass. Enjoying @novitaknits yarn. ...

138 3

thetwistedyarn

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Dec 28

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Places you can knit: in the rainforest! 
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Visited @livingrainforest with the twinnage, and spent a happy couple of hours spotting critters hiding in trees. 
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#placesyoucanknit #stylecraftyarns #stylecraftspecial #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #knittingandwalking

Places you can knit: in the rainforest!
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Visited @livingrainforest with the twinnage, and spent a happy couple of hours spotting critters hiding in trees.
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#placesyoucanknit #stylecraftyarns #stylecraftspecial #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #knittingandwalking
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thetwistedyarn

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Nov 9

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Playing with the Estonian stranded technique of roosimine. Floats on the right side look like embroidery! Kinda fun.
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#roosimine #roosimineknitting #Estonia #estonianknitting #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting

Playing with the Estonian stranded technique of roosimine. Floats on the right side look like embroidery! Kinda fun.
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#roosimine #roosimineknitting #Estonia #estonianknitting #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting
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thetwistedyarn

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Apr 30

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Washed ready for blocking... and mysteriously suddenly enormous. The swatch didn't behave like this!

Washed ready for blocking... and mysteriously suddenly enormous. The swatch didn`t behave like this! ...

263 25

thetwistedyarn

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Nov 30

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Busy on the book. 
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairisleknitting #fairislefriday #fairisle #knitdesigner #knittingdesigner #rowanfeltedtweed

Busy on the book.
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairisleknitting #fairislefriday #fairisle #knitdesigner #knittingdesigner #rowanfeltedtweed
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thetwistedyarn

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Sep 2

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An afternoon walking in the New Forest with the Twinnage and the Stoic Spouse. Of course I brought yarn.
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#newforest #newforestpony #newforestnationalpark #knittingandwalking #knitinpublic #stylecrafthighlandheathers #fairisleknitting #fairislefriday #tricoteuse #tricot #garn #virkning #knitspo #knitspiration

An afternoon walking in the New Forest with the Twinnage and the Stoic Spouse. Of course I brought yarn.
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#newforest #newforestpony #newforestnationalpark #knittingandwalking #knitinpublic #stylecrafthighlandheathers #fairisleknitting #fairislefriday #tricoteuse #tricot #garn #virkning #knitspo #knitspiration
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thetwistedyarn

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May 6

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Friday night post-work chillin'. 
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #Fairisle #fairiskefriday

Friday night post-work chillin`.
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#strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #Fairisle #fairiskefriday
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319 4

thetwistedyarn

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Jun 1

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Knitting and walking in the sunshine. ❤ 
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#knitspo #knitspiration #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #knittingandwalking  #nevernotknitting @novitaknits #novitaknits #knitdesigner

Knitting and walking in the sunshine. ❤
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#knitspo #knitspiration #knitinpublic #knittinginpublic #knittingandwalking #nevernotknitting @novitaknits #novitaknits #knitdesigner
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130 2

thetwistedyarn

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Mar 7

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Public service broadcast by @thetwistedyarn! Steeks aren't scary.
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#steeking #steek #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #garn #strikkedilla #strikke #virkning #Fairisle #fairisletechniques #fairisleknitting #knitspo #knitspiration #nevernotknitting #knittingblogger #knittingblog #knitdesigner #fairislefriday

Public service broadcast by @thetwistedyarn! Steeks aren`t scary.
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#steeking #steek #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #garn #strikkedilla #strikke #virkning #Fairisle #fairisletechniques #fairisleknitting #knitspo #knitspiration #nevernotknitting #knittingblogger #knittingblog #knitdesigner #fairislefriday
...

344 31

thetwistedyarn

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Jan 1

Open
Speed-cutting the steek to fit into 15 seconds. Didn't quite make it!
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#steek #rowanfeltedtweed #fairisletechniques #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairisleknitting #fairislefriday

Speed-cutting the steek to fit into 15 seconds. Didn`t quite make it!
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#steek #rowanfeltedtweed #fairisletechniques #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strandedknitting #fairisleknitting #fairislefriday
...

716 20

thetwistedyarn

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Aug 15

Open
New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com (link in bio). It was going yo be about knitting, but then I got carried away...

New blog post at thetwistedyarn.com (link in bio). It was going yo be about knitting, but then I got carried away... ...

219 7

thetwistedyarn

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Jun 6

Open
There's a new-yesterday post at thetwistedyarn.com (or see link in bio). But just to respond to people's comments on the post, don't worry, I'm not injured or ill! I was just commenting on the universe's general propensity to cause trouble!
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#knittersofig #knittersofinstagram #knittersofinsta #knitspo #knitspiration #breaconbeacons #breaconbeaconsnationalpark #ilovewales

There`s a new-yesterday post at thetwistedyarn.com (or see link in bio). But just to respond to people`s comments on the post, don`t worry, I`m not injured or ill! I was just commenting on the universe`s general propensity to cause trouble!
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#knittersofig #knittersofinstagram #knittersofinsta #knitspo #knitspiration #breaconbeacons #breaconbeaconsnationalpark #ilovewales
...

127 4

thetwistedyarn

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Jan 31

Open
Crunching the numbers. Crunch, crunch, crunch...
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@novitaknits #knitdesigner #knitspo #knitspiration #nevernotknitting #knittingblogger #novita #novitaknits

Crunching the numbers. Crunch, crunch, crunch...
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@novitaknits #knitdesigner #knitspo #knitspiration #nevernotknitting #knittingblogger #novita #novitaknits
...

103 3

thetwistedyarn

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Jul 4

Open
Been a while since I posted some hospital knitting, but today I had a pre-op appointment for my post-cancer evening-up-the-boobs-so-I-don't-list-to-the-left-when-I-go-running surgery. @novitaknits

Been a while since I posted some hospital knitting, but today I had a pre-op appointment for my post-cancer evening-up-the-boobs-so-I-don`t-list-to-the-left-when-I-go-running surgery. @novitaknits ...

220 13

thetwistedyarn

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Nov 14

Open
Being a good girl for once and blocking this swatch.
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Blocking mats and pins by @knitiq . Disclosure: I didn't pay for them, BUT I've had them for several years now, and I love them (in as much as you can actually love a blocking mat).
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#strikkedilla #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strikke #strandedknitting #rowanfeltedtweed  #knittingdesigner #nevernotknitting #knittersofig #knitspiration #knitspo #fairisletechniques #fairislefriday #fairisleknitting

Being a good girl for once and blocking this swatch.
.
Blocking mats and pins by @knitiq . Disclosure: I didn`t pay for them, BUT I`ve had them for several years now, and I love them (in as much as you can actually love a blocking mat).
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#strikkedilla #strandedcolourwork #strandedcolorwork #strikke #strandedknitting #rowanfeltedtweed #knittingdesigner #nevernotknitting #knittersofig #knitspiration #knitspo #fairisletechniques #fairislefriday #fairisleknitting
...

249 10

thetwistedyarn

View

Mar 5

Open
New blog post, right here: https://thetwistedyarn.com/2022/03/05/blue-and-yellow/

New blog post, right here: https://thetwistedyarn.com/2022/03/05/blue-and-yellow/ ...

174 4

thetwistedyarn

View

Jan 29

Open
There's a new post at thetwistedyarn.com, or see link in bio. Much covid, very yarn.

There`s a new post at thetwistedyarn.com, or see link in bio. Much covid, very yarn. ...

197 4
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