Steeking: Beginner’s Guide to Making the Cut

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The thought of taking scissors to a freshly bound-off bit of knitting has been known to make knitters break out in hives. But with a bit of knowledge and proper preparation, you can learn to steek without fear. It’s a technique that can open the door to exciting new adventures.

Steeking is most often used when dividing the fronts of a colorwork cardigan knit in the round (such as the Susurrous Cardigan, by Olya Mikesh), but that’s not where its uses end. Consider steeking for any project that is essentially a divided tube. The body of a V-neck pullover can be knit entirely in the round, with steeks at the armholes and front neck. This can allow the colors in a self-striping or patterning yarn to flow smoothly from upper to lower body and keep the stripe pattern consistent on front and back. You might even choose to use steeks for a single-color project if your gauge when working flat is different from your gauge working in the round, or if you simply prefer to avoid purling.

What is Steeking?

The word “steek” is rooted in a Middle English verb meaning to shut or fasten. In modern knitting parlance, a steek is a narrow panel of extra stitches connecting two pieces of fabric with the intention that they will be cut when the knitting is complete. Steeking refers to the acts of knitting or cutting these extra stitches.

Before You Begin

Consider the yarn. Ideally, it will be mostly wool or other animal fiber (other than  silk) and will not be superwash. The slicker the yarn, the more reinforcement your steek will need before cutting. Yarns that are prone to felt are perfect for steeking since the fibers cling together and help keep the stitches in place. Slippery yarns such as silks, cottons, and superwash wools can also be steeked but may require the firmer reinforcement of machine sewing to secure the stitches.

Another Reason to Make a Swatch

Your swatch not only lets you test your gauge, it’s also the perfect opportunity to practice the techniques you’ll use for your project, including steeking. Add some stitches to your swatch for the steek, then knit and block the swatch as usual. Reinforcing and cutting the steek stitches on this relatively small piece will give you the practice you need to apply these skills to your project with confidence.

How to Knit a Steek

The “steek” is the panel of stitches added to a project in the place where the knitting will be cut open. If you’re following a pattern that is written for steeking, these stitches will already be included. If you are modifying a pattern (changing a pullover to a cardigan, for example), or designing your own, add an odd number of stitches (five are used in the samples shown here) at the place where the opening will be. Place a marker on each side of these stitches. Of course, the steek could be made wider, but keep this in mind: more stitches in the steek will create more bulk on the inside of the garment. 

When planning and knitting your steek, remember that this panel is the ideal place to join a new ball of yarn and to change colors. The yarn tails will be secured when the steek is reinforced, and the excess snipped away when the steek is cut, eliminating the need to weave in ends. 

Work any shaping for the armholes or neckline outside the steek. The steek stitches should remain isolated between their markers, regardless of what is going on in the rest of the garment.

Two Methods for Knitting Steeks

The colorwork within the steek is commonly arranged in one of two ways. Option A (the checkerboard) has been used by Shetland knitters for centuries (Figure 1). 

Option B (used for the samples shown here) arranges the colors in vertical columns (Figure 2). 

Both options alternate one stitch of each color, ensuring that both colors are secured in the reinforcement, but Option B has an added benefit: it creates a clear vertical line that makes it easy to locate the places to secure and cut the fabric.

Preparing to Cut

After all the knitting is done, and the steek stitches are bound off, it’s time to prepare the steek for cutting. First, take a moment to gently steam block the work. Steam helps the stitches relax and settle. Take care to pin and steam as needed to ensure the rows and columns of stitches are straight and perpendicular to each other.

Now, let’s mark exactly where we are going to cut. The best way to do this is using a lightweight yarn or embroidery floss in a highly contrasting color that shows up well against the yarns in the project. Beginning at the bottom of the steek, work a loose running stitch up the middle of the center column of stitches (Photo 1). These large, temporary stitches help us keep our place as we work.

Reinforcing the Stitches

Next, we’ll secure the stitches on both sides of the steek so they won’t unravel when we cut. There are several effective methods for securing the stitches, including machine sewing or crochet reinforcement. Machine sewing is fast and sturdy, but not everyone has access to a sewing machine or is comfortable using it on handknits. Crochet reinforcement works well but adds more bulk to the edge of the piece. Both of these methods are great for slippery yarns that need extra reinforcement, such as superwash wool, silk, or plant fibers. The technique demonstrated here works well for all yarns and simply requires a bit of handstitching. It takes a little time (but not nearly as much time as was invested in the knitting) and since we love spending time with yarn, it’s also an opportunity to closely admire the stitches you created.

Handstitching Method for Reinforcing Steeks

Thread your sewing needle with a strand of embroidery floss or sewing thread at least four times the length of your steek. We’ve used a contrasting color for these photos, but you’ll choose a color that closely matches the yarn used for the project.

Beginning at the bottom of the steek, with the right side of the work facing you, add a line of backstitch in the column of stitches two to the right of the center steek column as follows: Bring the needle through the fabric to the right side in the center of the first stitch of the column, bring the needle around the cast-on edge to the wrong side, then come up again in the center of the second stitch in the column. Take the needle to the wrong side through the center of the first stitch and bring it to the right side through the center of the third stitch (Figure 3).

Continue in this manner, travelling one stitch backward on the right side, followed by two stitches forward on the wrong side, until you reach the bound-off edge. It helps to think of this as “two steps up, one step down.” Be sure your stitches are catching both yarn colors in every row. Keep going until you reach the top of the steek. Turn the work 180 degrees and repeat, this time beginning at the top and working toward the bottom of the steek. Knot the ends of your thread together.

Repeat on the other side of the steek, in the column two stitches to the left of the thread that marks the cutting line (Photo 2: Right Side) (Photo 3: Wrong Side).

Related: Wrong Side Out: Gettin’ Steeky with It

Cutting the Steek

For this step, you’ll need a firm, flat, well-lit work surface, a piece of scrap cardboard, and a pair of sharp scissors.  Lay your project out flat, with the prepared steek facing you. Place the cardboard inside the tube of knitting to separate the steek (and your scissors) from the rest of the garment. With a steady hand, begin at the bottom of the steek and use the contrasting thread to guide you as you snip through the horizontal bars of each center stitch, pausing to remove the contrasting thread as the stitches are cut (Photo 4). Keep snipping until you reach the top of the steek. 

From here, you can pick up and work stitches for a button band, edging, or other type of border. Pick up stitches for your border between the main fabric of your project and the column of stitches at the side of the steek where you worked the reinforcing backstitch.

You can leave the cut edges as they are. If you’ve used a felting wool, the yarn ends will soften and full with wear. If a more finished look is desired, you can fold the cut edge under and sew it in place with thread that blends with the colors in your garment. For a more refined finish, consider covering the cut steek with decorative ribbon. Take care to ensure that the ribbon you choose is pre-shrunk and colorfast before neatly handsewing it to your garment. 

Won’t the Stitches Unravel?

No, they will not. If you’ve properly reinforced the steek on each side of the cut, the stitches are beautifully secure. 

Wait. Was it that simple? Indeed, it was! Using your swatch to practice, taking time to identify and mark the center cutting line, and using embroidery thread to secure both sides of the steek with backstitch all but guarantees your success in this technique.

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Designer, author, and instructor Kyle Kunnecke is obsessed with stranded knitting and the technique of locked floats. He leads virtual and in-person workshops nationwide. Learn more about Kyle and his work at kylewilliam.com.

Originally published in Interweave Knits Fall 2022.

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Work on Your Steeking