I have been working on my Autumn Rose fair isle top and have reached the 10th increase round of the body. Stitches for the steek are cast on at this point but I am a little confused because it seems like if I do the instructions as written the center of the neckline will be off??? (Pic of how it should look below)
Could someone elaborate/reassure me on the instructions here? They are as follows: “begin working front neck shaping on same round as 10th inc round by slipping the center 31 sts of front to holder. Place marker on left hand needle, co10 steek sts, place marker and continue chart as set.”
To me it seems like the CO steek sts should be the center of the neck and if I CO AFTER the center 31 sts that would be off. I’m also unsure of how to treat the center sts on the holder? Am I to work in pattern across the 31 sts then place them on the holder? What do I do when I come to them on the next round?
I’m sure Ingrid will come to the rescue here. I have only done one steek in my life but reason seems to tell me you would work to the point where the first of the 31 stitches that you center at the neck begin, leave your yarn right there, and slip those next 31 stitches to the holder (don’t work them at all just slip them to the holder), then go back to where you left the working yarn and at that place cast on the 10 steek stitches. I think I would do it by turning the work so the last stitch is the first stitch and then use a cable cast on to add 10 stitches. I don’t get the part about placing stitch markers, but I guess you could place a stitch marker at each edge of the steek stitches. When you turn the work to add on the 10 stitches, if you place a marker there (it will be the LH needle for the moment) then CO the 10 and turn it back and place another marker right there you would have a marker at each edge of the steek.
Then you continue on around your sweater following the chart where it matches up with the pattern as you have been working it. When you come back around to the stitches on the holder you just skip them and work the steek stitches, alternating the 2 colors you are working with until you get to the other side of the steek. It looks like you pick them up later to work the brown edging around the neck.
Have you read Ingrid’s sticky thread in this folder about steeks? It is very helpful.
Thanks so much for the reply. I found a picture here: http://chappysmom.typepad.com/bookworm/2007/11/steek.html (the first one) and I think it’s making more sense now. Looks like after I put the middle sts on a holder I just continue knitting in the round as if they weren’t there at all pulling together the gap?
You’ve got it. You just keep knitting in the round, leaving the center neck stitches on a piece of yarn so it can fold a bit. Your decreases for the neck will take place outside the steek stitches, and when you cut the steek–Voila!–a shaped neck.