Dear Kay,
In the home stretch on this Kiki Mariko sweater. You know all the sorts of done that come with knitting a sweater? Done winding yarn. Done with the body. Done with the sleeves. Done blocking. Done sewing it together. Done with buttons. Done weaving ends. Then that final final final moment when there is absolutely nothing left to do but to gaze into the maw of doneness. This can be either a joyous thing or a flat-out existential crisis in which one questions why one ever knitted in the first place, why there are so many things that sit undone while this sweater gets such a bargeful of tender attention.
AW we’re NOT going into all that, are we?
This is why God invented steeks. It gives you one long moment to feel like you absolutely have something very important to do. To recap:
A traditional Fair Isle sweater is worked in the round, bottom up, with steeks at the armholes. Once the body is finished, the steeks are cut (just typed “cute” and by golly they are cute, aren’t they?), and stitches for the sleeve are picked up all the way around. The steek flaps are left unfinished during all this. Just flapping away, unfettered, untended, dangling and tangling.
This is the only image I have of those sad, heartbroken steeks during their time in limbo.
Once the sleeves are done, it’s time to secure the steeks for their ultimate ride through eternity. Some stalwart Fair Islers do not even do this step–the steek will pretty much felt together over time, it is said. But I sew the steek because Alice Starmore told me to.
You trim the five-stitch steek down to three stitches. Which creates a batch of this totally useless yet hard-won stuff:
Then you rig up a yarn and needle and cross-stitch across the flappy ministeek.
Finishing these steeks is dangerously close to being done.
Fortunately, and this is a relief akin to finding that last roll of paper towels in the back of the cabinet, I thought of another thing that needs to be done with this sweater. Not done!
Love,
Ann
oh goodness I can’t wait for the reveal!!!
Looking perfect even not done v
Great googly moogly! Will you wear that sweater everyday during the winter? It’s beautiful but I’m afraid I would need to send it away for a while after working on it for so long.
Not yet done – still more fun!
LOVE THIS!
And I listened to the sample of you reading on Amazon–excellent! And I loved that image of you surrounded by the knits. So cozy.
The Rowan style photo shoot?
For the sake of that sweater, I’m wishing you a cold, long winter.
I love steeks! I confess to only having done one, but I must say, I trusted in the process and the generations of Scandinavians who have steeked before me and just cut. And wow! It works and is truly a sight of bits of yarn to behold!
Your sweater is loverly. I await the modeling.
I love your sweater and can’t wait to see it in its finished form.
Hey, I have a suggestion for your “totally useless yet hard-won stuff”. I take all of my tails and shove them into an overflowing tin in my work room. I use them to stuff the occasional knitted toy. I made an Adipose doll (Dr. Who)last week for my high school daughter to inspire her as she learns about adipose tissue in her biology class. You could knit up a Kiki Mariko Christmas ornament and enjoy that much loved steek-stuff year after year.
Adipose pattern: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/adipose—unavailable (a link to the pattern can be found in the “comments”)
You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din.
Beautiful progress on a beautiful sweater! I know I could never do it (well, if my life literally depended on it…..), all the more to admire your work.
I, too, liked to see you surrounded by all of those familiar projects. It gave a cozy feeling to in some way be a part of this blog’s history.
Namaste.
LoveDiane