but not yet finished, so close, sooo close. Today its all about the Fannigan Cardigan, oh and my first very nearly real home made yarn. Oh and if you do visit me this week please leave a comment, with some contact details, I've got a little give away to celebrate my 10,000 visitor, While I won't be able to pinpoint just who that is, leave me a note in the next few weeks and I'll organize draw one lucky name out of a hat to send a something to.
Fannigan is finished, nearly, very nearly finished. After the last post I worked a few more rounds decreasing at the front neck edge, then decided that it probably really did need some short rows. After all what sort of cardigan doesn't have a higher back neck? Besides if I continued with decreasing at the front neck edge to raise the back neck, well the neck 'hole' would end up very very narrow, and that would never be a good look. I've have to cut away more than the planned steeks to get a good fit. So I did short row until the back neck was just over 1" higher than the front. I worked carefully - and don't think there is any visible difference between the 'in the round' knitting and the 'flat' short rows. I worked my short rows 5 stitches shorter each time, which seems to work well in this gauge.
I did end up working all the colour work rows in purl, which was good, in a strange way, now I know I can. You see I have another Bohus kit stashed away(large rose lace collar), but I want to knit it as a fitted cardigan, only I don't want to purl so many colour work rows. Now I know I can, if I have to, I can, I don't think I want to commit to that amount of purling, but, I conceivably could.
So I finished knitting, and cast off, That was Monday morning before work. Monday night I steamed her gently, and stitched two rows of machine stitching up either side of each steek. I know you can crochet steeks, and Pam at knit night suggested that hand sewing especially if you make sure the sewing stitches split the knitted yarns with each stitch gives a result that is nice an flexible, and the Zimmer-folk use a steek one stitch wide, but I didn't know much of that when I started Fannigan all those months ago. Besides - I was being super careful. The baby blanket steek was 3 stitches, and it worked, but the colour work wasn't so easy across that small steek. Fannigan has a steek of 10 stitches, and that is to big, but the colour work across the steek was much easier. I will trim much of this steek away.
Any way, prep images of the machine stitched steek. That shows up much better on the 'wrong' side, so I will cut inside out. You can hardly see the stitching lines on the right side. I plan to trim away the middle section of the steek eventually - maybe - perhaps....depending on what I do to finish the edges.
I promised Spinning Jenny at knit -night, that if she brings her fair isle, we can steek it Thursday night. She has had this knit for many many years (10!), so steeking is long overdue. If Jenny does bring hers, I will haul out Fannigan, and we can steek together - a steek-along at short notice! If not, I will have bear record the surgery this weekend and post a video.
So the next issue is how to finish the steeked edge, I already know I'm using clasps not buttons, so won't need button holes. But
... and to finish my first real yarn plied on the spindle.
This photo is a little out of date, I've now skeined it, there was 62 wraps on a 1.5m ninny-noddy, so 90 or so meters. Maybe enough for some wrist thingies for Toby?. Then I soaked it, dried it (a little to much twist methinks but not to bad for a beginner), and wound it onto a center pull ball. Better photo next time.
Fannigan is finished, nearly, very nearly finished. After the last post I worked a few more rounds decreasing at the front neck edge, then decided that it probably really did need some short rows. After all what sort of cardigan doesn't have a higher back neck? Besides if I continued with decreasing at the front neck edge to raise the back neck, well the neck 'hole' would end up very very narrow, and that would never be a good look. I've have to cut away more than the planned steeks to get a good fit. So I did short row until the back neck was just over 1" higher than the front. I worked carefully - and don't think there is any visible difference between the 'in the round' knitting and the 'flat' short rows. I worked my short rows 5 stitches shorter each time, which seems to work well in this gauge.
I did end up working all the colour work rows in purl, which was good, in a strange way, now I know I can. You see I have another Bohus kit stashed away(large rose lace collar), but I want to knit it as a fitted cardigan, only I don't want to purl so many colour work rows. Now I know I can, if I have to, I can, I don't think I want to commit to that amount of purling, but, I conceivably could.
So I finished knitting, and cast off, That was Monday morning before work. Monday night I steamed her gently, and stitched two rows of machine stitching up either side of each steek. I know you can crochet steeks, and Pam at knit night suggested that hand sewing especially if you make sure the sewing stitches split the knitted yarns with each stitch gives a result that is nice an flexible, and the Zimmer-folk use a steek one stitch wide, but I didn't know much of that when I started Fannigan all those months ago. Besides - I was being super careful. The baby blanket steek was 3 stitches, and it worked, but the colour work wasn't so easy across that small steek. Fannigan has a steek of 10 stitches, and that is to big, but the colour work across the steek was much easier. I will trim much of this steek away.
Any way, prep images of the machine stitched steek. That shows up much better on the 'wrong' side, so I will cut inside out. You can hardly see the stitching lines on the right side. I plan to trim away the middle section of the steek eventually - maybe - perhaps....depending on what I do to finish the edges.
I promised Spinning Jenny at knit -night, that if she brings her fair isle, we can steek it Thursday night. She has had this knit for many many years (10!), so steeking is long overdue. If Jenny does bring hers, I will haul out Fannigan, and we can steek together - a steek-along at short notice! If not, I will have bear record the surgery this weekend and post a video.
So the next issue is how to finish the steeked edge, I already know I'm using clasps not buttons, so won't need button holes. But
- do I knit on a double facing as I did on the baby blanket?
- do I knit on a button band for the clasps and hide the steek 'raw' edge with a ribbon facing sewn inside?
- do the raw edges need hiding, or just catch stitching down as done by Zimmer-folk?
- do I single crochet the band, as discussed on Brenda Daynes Cast-on last season?
- Do I moss stitch and i-cord just like the baby blanket, or some other stitch?
- do I bind in fabric, woven or stretch (note - must take yarn to fabric store and scope colour matches)
- or some other solution?
... and to finish my first real yarn plied on the spindle.
This photo is a little out of date, I've now skeined it, there was 62 wraps on a 1.5m ninny-noddy, so 90 or so meters. Maybe enough for some wrist thingies for Toby?. Then I soaked it, dried it (a little to much twist methinks but not to bad for a beginner), and wound it onto a center pull ball. Better photo next time.
7 comments:
Fannigan is looking really good. I'll be interested to see how you finish it off. I did a steek on a waistcoat I made from Noro Kureyon so that the colour runs would be the same front and back and finished the edge with a sort of double knitted binding. A little bulky but really looks good. Handspun looks like fun. Might have to save that until the kids leave home.
It looks wonderful. I've finally gotten the courage to start using my handspun this year instead of petting it like a kitten. I just steeked a cardigan and did 4 stitch i cords for edgings because I chose a zipper for a closure. Excellent work!
I'm watching your steeking process with bated breath, as I'm moving towards that time myself on Kauni. I must admit to a certain degree of terror at the thought of cutting my knitting, but maybe seeing you do it will lend me courage :) Since Kauni's steeks are hidden in other design elements, it's hard to know what to suggest, but the i-cord option seems rather interesting...
I can't wait to see what you do with the homespun!
Fannigan looks great! I have no ideas about finishing, though, unfortunately.
Steeking is something I have never tried, yet, so I'm watching your progress with much interest. Your spinning is looking very good. Well done! Can't wait to see how well you enjoy using the wheel, finally.
Hey! Thanks for the Brittany info.. I managed to repair the needle, but I will email them anyway and see what I can do.
I've never steeked before, but I did use a 4 st I-cord edging on my Sheldon, and it created a nice tidy edge...
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