Semitone: Preparing the Steek for Steeking

Issue 39: Winter 2021 features the stunning Semitone pullover, designed by Valerie Ng! Semitone uses a variety of techniques, some you'll be familiar with and others that might be completely new to you. 

Valerie has created a set of tutorials for some of the more intricate or intimidating techniques to guide you through creating your very own Semitone! Thank you Valerie!

---

 

Part of the yoke of the Semitone sweater is worked in the round (that is to make working the Knitweave portion more enjoyable), a steek is added to the lower part of the armhole. The steek has to be prepared and cut open to open up the entire armhole for adding the sleeve. To prepare the steek, both the crochet steek method and the needle-felting method described below are used.

Crochet Steek

Step 1:

Identify the column of stitches that will be cut in half. It is the centre column (4th column of a 7-stitch steek panel) of the steek.

Step 2:

Locate the gap between the first stitch of the centre column and the first stitch of the adjacent column.

Step 3:

Insert the hook from back to front through that gap located in Step 2.

Step 4:

Grab the working yarn and pull up a loop on the back of the work.

 

Step 5:

Thread the yarn tail through the loop to secure it.

Step 6:

Insert hook from right to left to pick up one leg from the stitch from the adjacent column and one leg of the stitch from the steek column. – 2 loops on hook

Step 7:

With working yarn, yarn over and pull through both loops. – 1 loop on hook

Step 8:

With work yarn, yarn over and pull through 1 loop. – 1 loop on hook

Step 9:

Insert hook from right to left to pick up one leg of stitch from the adjacent column and one leg of the stitch from the steek column as in Step 6. – 3 loops on hook

Step 10:

Yarn over and pull through 2 loops. – 2 loops on hook

 

Repeat Steps 9-10 till the end of the steek panel.

Repeat the above steps to create a line of crochet stitches for the other leg of the stitch from the steek column and the stitch from the adjacent column on the other side.

Pull the two column of crochet stitches apart to reveal the horizontal bars in between.

With a pair of sharp scissors, cut the bars to separate the fabric.

 

Needle-felt Steek

With some felting needles, felt the two halves of the steek panel to further secure the stitches (keep poking the steek panel until the back of it is felted).