Galloway Cardigan: Knitting a Swatch to Practice Steeking
In my Galloway Cardigan class, I ask my students to knit up a "Steeking Swatch" for practicing steeking before doing it for the first time on the actual Cardigan. Following are the instructions I provide to the class. I'll be posting a video of how to reinforce the steeking stitches for cutting and another of me actually cutting the swatch.
For now, here are the instructions for the swatch:
Use two contrasting colors of 100% wool (not superwash).
Steek swatch
A GREAT! visual reference can be found at: https://katedaviesdesigns.com/2012/04/29/steeks-2-reinforcing-and-cutting/ and my instructions are based on them.
1. Choose two contrasting colors of scrap 100% worsted weight (not superwash) yarn and appropriately sized (US 6, 7, or 8) 16-inch circular needle. Choose the darker color to be BC and the lighter color to be DC.
2. Cast on 60 stitches in BC and join in the round.
3. Knit one plain round in BC.
4. Knit rows 1 through 32 from the Steek Swatch Chart. The steek stitches are between the red lines.
5. Knit one plain round in BC.
6. Bind off loosely.
7. You can block the swatch if you like. Here’s what I did:
8. Bring your dry completed swatch to Class III along with a crochet hook a bit smaller than the needle you knit with. Also bring a contracting color scrap worsted-weight yarn.
Here's a picture of what the completed steeking swatch looks like.