Our steeking class was small but brave. Naomi and Deborah did all their homework, and came to show their knitting just who’s boss. I also knit another Kerfuffle so I could cut right along with them. First, we marked our cutting line. This made it a lot easier to see where to crochet our reinforcement.
Deborah was the first to cut.
It’s always nice to have friends for support on your first steek! I cut next.
And Naomi cut her steek, too.
I brought bubbly, and we toasted our success! We picked up the stitches for the ruffle and headed home. Thanks to Naomi and Deborah, for doing all the homework, and for having faith that this little cutting exercise would work out!
Question for you: Would you rather steek and cut a swatch, or an actual project, like we did on Monday? There’d be homework either way, but a swatch would be a quicker, simpler knit. I’d love to teach a class like this again, and am wondering which way would make it the most enticing.
Onward! I finished my Kerfuffle that night, and blocked it the next day.
The purple scarf is another Filigree, knit with MadelineTosh Pashmina. It’s sport weight, and it’s absolutely yummy. I knit it mostly because I wanted to see if there was enough yarn in a skein to make this, since the other Filigrees are knit with fingering weight. The answer is yes, I had plenty of yarn. And the sport weight version is just a little weightier, which is pretty cozy for winter. I’m not sure if this one is for me, or for a friend. We’ll see!
What’s next on the knitting agenda? I have a few design projects that are due in the next few months, so my home knitting will be focused on that. But for public knitting? I’m planning to knit another Filigree, and you are welcome to join me! I’m planning a knitalong, both through the blog and in person at Twisted during December. It’s a quick knit, one skein, a perfect gift. More details in the next post, after I get things figured out. I hope you’ll knit with me!
PDXKnitterati 
Re: steeks
I’m thinking about doing a swatch that could then become a mug cozy when I tackle steeking. Which is going to be a while — I have two sweaters in progress (one that is THAT CLOSE to being done, but needs blocking first) as well as sundry smaller items. But I like the idea of doing something small the first time I tackle cutting into knitting. (!!!) That way if something horrible does happen and it explodes, I won’t feel it necessary to faint. 😉 Less homework for a class, too. (But your design is *lovely*, and not a terrible way to learn either. Just takes longer for prep.)
A coffee cozy would be nice, but I’d be reduced to knitting it on DPN’s, and that would be a pain with the 2 colors. I suppose you could magic loop it or use 2 circs, but neither of those are my favorite way to knit a small circumference object. But it would work. What I wouldn’t want is to knit the homework flat with 2 colors; that would defeat the purpose of steeking for me!
I didn’t really think about the fact it would require DPNs — I’ve done just a teeny bit of stranded knitting at all, and opted to do it in the round on DPNs (it was sweater sleeves) rather than attempt color work on the purl side. ;D
I guess for a class, I’d do either a swatch or a full project, but it would depend on the time I had available leading up to the class as to which I’d prefer. But my life is unpredictable that way (I’m self employed/independent contractor, so I work when the work is there. It makes for interesting scheduling sometimes), so I’m careful about when I take classes. I hate to be rushed.
The filigree scarf is awesome! 😀 Definitely tempted by that one!
The scarf itself is what sold me on the class! I HAD TO HAVE THAT SCARF!!! It was so fun and I would do it again with another scarf.
And now that you know how, there’s no stopping you!