Just more than a week ago, Helene Magnusson released a new cardigan pattern, Lopi Affection, and with it, a free Swatch pattern, to practice new techniques as well as an opportunity to participate in the Ravelry KAL, where the two projects with the most favs will win a sweaters worth of yarn for the Lopi Affection cardigan.
Since the new design is quite alternative and intricate, I wanted to try it's techniques, so I sat down to make my first swatch. I knitted in the round on magic loop, in order to have the settings for steeking practice (yes, you have that option too!), but as soon as I finished the first one, I looked at it and thought: this looks nice as a glove!
I try it on, and yes, it looked great! That's when I decided to make a second one, identical and a third swatch, for the proper pattern instructions, ie to become a pencil/glasses case.
For the first pair, I used some matching ribbon I had leftover from another project and voila! Fancy ribbon gauntlets in super warm Lopi yarn!
And for the second one, oh the steeks! I did it. It's a rather simple technique, I always thought that, but it's not easy. And it's definitely not getting any easier if you have never used a sewing machine before (like me).
The seams in my case look ugly, because I ran through the same place twice or more times to be sure that the seams were sturdy enough, and because I couldn't really see what I was sewing, under the metal part thingie the sewing machine has, to keep fabric down to the ground.
I was also fighting with the machine for almost an hour, because it refused to cooperate.[ie function properly]
In the end I made it. It turned out ok, and it worked. But one thing I learned for sure: I won't be trying it in a sweater unless I work on my sewing machine skills first. And it's not because I am afraid that I will destroy what I have knitted, I am only considering the amount of time it would take me to perform the steeks (it's a lot!).
That means of course that the patterns I have in my queue that include steeking, I will have to execute otherwise. ^^
Now, if you have a Ravelry account and want to support my work (I am participating in the KAL competition), then you can favorite one of my projects here and here. Thanks!
Since the new design is quite alternative and intricate, I wanted to try it's techniques, so I sat down to make my first swatch. I knitted in the round on magic loop, in order to have the settings for steeking practice (yes, you have that option too!), but as soon as I finished the first one, I looked at it and thought: this looks nice as a glove!
I try it on, and yes, it looked great! That's when I decided to make a second one, identical and a third swatch, for the proper pattern instructions, ie to become a pencil/glasses case.
For the first pair, I used some matching ribbon I had leftover from another project and voila! Fancy ribbon gauntlets in super warm Lopi yarn!
The seams in my case look ugly, because I ran through the same place twice or more times to be sure that the seams were sturdy enough, and because I couldn't really see what I was sewing, under the metal part thingie the sewing machine has, to keep fabric down to the ground.
I was also fighting with the machine for almost an hour, because it refused to cooperate.[ie function properly]
 |
| this case has already become a gift! |
That means of course that the patterns I have in my queue that include steeking, I will have to execute otherwise. ^^
Now, if you have a Ravelry account and want to support my work (I am participating in the KAL competition), then you can favorite one of my projects here and here. Thanks!
I find it much easier to steek with a sewing maching, when I knit 2 purl stitches in the middle, that way I can sew into each "line" and cut between, I recommend that you try it next time
ReplyDeleteI should make another swatch and try it! xD
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