Swatching For Double Knit Button Band! Very Fun!

The sweater I am working on for the Knits That Fit course by Tonia of Nerdy Knitting calls for a ribbed button band.  I don’t want to do that. A year ago I saw a sweater with a double knit button band. I just had to knit that sweater so I purchased the pattern for a chunk of change. I then saw it was knitted with fingering weight yarn. That would take me about six years to knit in my size…so I scrapped that idea. Every pattern I have seen with a double knit button band has a V-neck. I like that neckline for shirts but I want a crew neck in a sweater to keep warm. I wondered if I could knit a double knit band on this crew neck sweater so I made a swatch!

Here is the cute little crew neck sweater swatch with a double knit button band…knit with two different-sized buttonholes so I could decide which size buttons to use…not these specific buttons but these sized buttons. Dear One liked the size of the yellow button. What do you think?

The steek went fine but I used the crochet plan for reinforcing the steek. I did not like that method nor the leftover stitches which made a bulky mess. In class tonight Tonia shared that she had needle felted her steek swatch and loved the simplicity of this method and the results. I have a good mind to make another swatch and steek with needle felting, though I totally can take her word for it…

Elizabeth Zimmermann Adult Surprise Jacket, Steeked and Ready to Wear!

Years ago I took a class at Country Woolens in Lebanon, New Hampshire.  Debbie, the store owner, taught us how to knit Elizabeth Zimmermann's Adult Surprise Jacket. (You can find the pattern at Schoolhouse Press.) I knitted up a Baby Surprise Jacket on size 8 needles and worsted weight yarn to make a giant "swatch" which I was able to give to a granddaughter as a gift.  That worked up in two evenings and was very successful, so...on with the Adult Surprise Jacket.

There is math involved as you are beginning the jacket.  Once that has been worked out you just knit knit knit!  It is a garter stitch with a few strategic increases then later some decreases.  You end up with a humpy rectangle that you fold up then stitch the shoulders/arms together and that is it depending on what you want for the front closure.

For mine, I decided to put pockets in the fronts and a sturdy zipper closure.  I was very happy with this sweater except for one thing...I had not trusted my math and continued knitting on for a while.  The jacket ended up with 4-5 extra inches on the sleeves.  That meant I had to fold over those inches thereby making a double thickness cuff.  You might have thought that was a good thing, but it was not. At least, not for me.

Extra bulky fold-over cuffs

For quite some time I have been thinking about how I could rectify the problem.  A few months ago I decided the smartest thing was to steek off the cuff and replace it with a ribbed cuff.  This week I did it!

Here is the completed Adult Surprise Jacket post steeking!  I am ever so happy with it.  Of course, I will need to winter somewhere else if I want to wear it...!

Maybe next week I will share the process.  Today I am not up to a longer post. (I have been brushing dead dry skin off my face.  I am grateful it is dead and am hopeful that there will be good new soft healthy skin underneath.  Dear One keeps reminding to stop touching the face.... All this face stuff is taking it out of me.  I look forward to the end of the line on this minor situation.  I am grateful that it has been such a small trial but now I am ready to move on...!)

Steeking After The Fact

Some years ago I blogged about the Elizabeth Zimmermann Adult Surprise Jacket that I knit while taking a class at the Country Woolens shop in Lebanon, New Hampshire.  Sadly, that shop no longer exists.  The Upper Valley had three wonderful yarn shops at one time which I enjoyed patronizing.  Debbie's classes were wonderful at Country Woolens.

Anyway, that sweater is a pretty easy one to knit.  You just need to do the math before you cast on and write down your numbers.  Then trust them!  I did not trust the numbers so I knitted a few more rows than I should have and ended up with "cuffs" that were really heavy.  Almost immediately I planned to insert a fleece lining with ribbed cuffs inside those big honking cuffs.  I never got around to it.

Now the we are in South Carolina where there is a good chance I will never need that sweater at all ever, I have decided to steek those sleeves.  Steeking is something that I have done before, also with Debbie at Country Woolens when I made a fabulous little green and white Norwegian sweater for a young granddaughter.  I loved that sweater.  It looked so impressive but was actually so simple to knit.  When you know you are going to steek a sweater, you add in a few extra stitches where you want your steeks to be. In that case it was up the front and also in the sleeves.  It was so nifty to be able to just knit and knit and knit in pattern and make a tube then at the end, cut the steek, add in the front ribbing and pick up for the sleeves and you were done.  So nice.

Notice the two rows of black yarn...this is a crocheted steek ready to be cut.

Well, this is not a planned-for steek. I do not know if it will work.  Here is the sweater with the crocheted stitches all done.  The Surprise Jacket is now ready to cut the steeks.  I am giving you the Before photo.  After I cut the steek, unravel the cut-out yarn and splice it back together for knitting the cuff, then knitting the cuff, I will put up an After photo.  Wish me luck!

PS The first time I ever heard about steeking was in Elizabeth Zimmermann's book Knitting Without Tears.  Such a fabulous book for knitters.  Actually, it is good for everyone.  So entertaining and instructive and also inspiring.
PPS . Great news!!!  When I went to Schoolhouse Press, Elizabeth Zimmermann's (she died late in the 1990's) family company, there was a NEW Surprise Sweater...this one a vest. In Fair Isle!!!  That is truly exciting.  Something I would like to make.  I must HURRY to finish up a couple more projects so I can invest in the yarn for this one.