Steeks may not be for the faint of heart, but nor should knitters be intimidated by them! Our Steek With Knit Facing Tutorial aims to make steeks approachable… and even fun!

In knitting, “steek” is an old Scottish word that refers to a specific group of extra stitches that are for future cutting. A steek is often used to create an opening (like the front of a cardigan or an armhole) or a place to attach another piece (such as a sleeve). Steeks are primarily used in circularly knit garments and are closely associated with stranded colorwork, like Fair Isle. Steeking makes it possible to create the colorwork in the round (much easier than flat!) and to then transform the tube into a vest, cardigan or Henley. And even if you’re not working elaborate color work but love to avoid purling, steeks may be your new best friend!

Today, steek commonly refers to the entire multistep process, including preparing, cutting, and finishing. There are lots of ways to do all this, and below, we demonstrate our favorite technique. We especially like it because it only involves knitting, without the use of sewing machines or crochet hooks! And so, here’s our Steek With Knit Facing Tutorial…

Click To See Video Transcript

I am going to show you how to work steeks with a knit facing. I’m going to demonstrate this technique here on this tubular swatch. As you can see, it’s primarily in stockinette stitch with the exception of these two purl columns, one running right here and the other running right here, the entire length of the swatch. Another thing to note is that I’ve placed a removable stitch marker here along the bind off edge, just left to this left purl column. This is going to keep us oriented as we move through the steps of the steek process.

Okay, let’s turn our swatch inside out. When you turn your swatch inside out, you’ll notice that those two very hidden purl columns are now quite pronounced knit columns here on the wrong side of the fabric. These two columns are going to work as the anchor for our knit facing. Let me show you how to prepare and knit your first knit facing.

I’m going to work from the cast-on edge to the bind-off edge, using a smaller circular needle and facing yarn and work into each and every one of these stitches. Picking up. Here’s how I’m going to take my needle and insert it from between the two columns outward, making sure to go under both legs of each stitch, starting at the very first stitch of the column. Wrap your facing yarn around the needle and pull it through again. Insert your needle into the next stitch of the column. Wrap your working, your facing yarn around and pull it through.

Once you’ve picked up into each and every stitch along this knit column, you’ll work four rows of stockinette stitch, starting with a knit row. Once you’ve completed your four rows of stockinette stitch, you’re ready to move on to your second facing. You’re going to work your second facing from the bind-off edge towards the cast-on edge. Once again with a smaller circular needle and the facing yarn. Be sure just as last time to insert your needle under both legs of each stitch as you pick up along this knit column, remembering that we’re working in the other direction. So your knit stitches are going to look like upside down Vs instead of right side up Vs.

I have finished knitting my second facing, and I’m now ready to turn this tube right side out. Once again, orient your fabric so the cast-on edge is closest to you and the bind-off edge, farthest away. Find again your two purl columns. Between these two purl columns, there are 10 columns of knit stitches. I want you to identify the most center point of these 10 columns. So five stitches from the right and five stitches from the left with a pair of precision-tip scissors, I’m going to cut directly down the center of that center-most point. So I’m going to count once again before I cut. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and then 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I’m starting at my cast on edge and carefully cutting between the center-most columns of stitches.

You may notice that the edges of your fabric want to curl under. That’s okay. Let them curl under. Okay, there we go. Scary part is over. I’m finished with my scissors. Take a deep breath.

So now what we want to do is secure the first raw edge. Take a look at your now five columns of stitches here. Identify of these five columns between the purl column and the edge. The most center column, the third and center column. It’s three over from the left, three over from the right. Fold your fabric so that that column of stitches is along the top.

Now what you’re going to want to do is hold your facing yarn, the needle with your facing yarn on it parallel to that folded edge with a spare needle. You’re going to work into each and every stitch along this folded edge at the same time as its corresponding stitch on your circular needle, knitting them together as you go and binding off as you go. Working from the cast on edge to the bind off edge. Here’s how. Insert your spare needle under both legs of that top column of stitches, that center column, and then insert that needle into the first stitch on your circular needle. With your facing yarn knit these two stitches together.

There we go. Now do the same steps for the next stitch. Insert your spare needle under both legs of the next stitch of the folded fabric, as well as the next stitch on this needle, of your circular needle, and knit these two together. Now, use the tip of this circular needle to pick up that first stitch and pull it up and over that second stitch and off your needle, binding it off. Continue repeating these steps for the entire length of your swatch, knitting together and then binding one off. Once you finish securing the first edge, you’re ready to secure the second.

To secure the second edge, you’re going to work from the bind off edge to the cast on edge. Once again, find that center stitch of the five edge stitches. Fold your edge in half so that that center column of stitches falls to the crest of the fold, holding the fold parallel to the circular stitches. Once again, you’ll work into each stitch of this center column together with each stitch on your circular needle binding off as you go.

Remember that since we’re working from the cast-off edge, sorry, the bind-off edge to the cast-on edge, your stitches are going to look like upside down Vs. Instead of right side up Vs. Insert your needle under both legs of that stitch, of that first stitch, and then into the first stitch on your circular needle. And then using the facing yarn, knit those two stitches together, work into the next, the following two stitches. Work those two together, oops, and then bind off. Working into the fold of these edge stitches and working together with the facing stitches, not only traps the raw edge between the two, but it also prevents the raw edge from unraveling further. Just as you did with the first edge, continue in this fashion all the way for the length of your swatch. 

I have secured my second edge. And now if you take a look at the inside of the fabric, you’ll see these original knit columns, which are anchoring our knit facings, which we secured by working through that center column along our raw edge stitches. With these three things combined, we have worked steeks with a knit facing. The only thing left to do is to take a tapestry needle and with either your main yarn or your facing yarn, close the ends of each channel created during this process, and that’s it. That’s Steeks With A Knit Facing.


Read on for written instructions plus a still-photo tutorial, or jump right into your first steek project with our Learn-to-Love-Steeks Blanket, pictured below.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

To Make a Mini Sample

The first time you try steeking, you may want to do it on a simple knit tube, rather than on your finished knitting. Here’s how…

Materials

  • Main Yarn (worsted weight) + corresponding set of double pointed needles or 16-inch circular needles
  • Facing Yarn (light worsted/dk weight) + 2 corresponding 20-inch circular needles
  • Spare Needle: 1 needle (straight, circular or double pointed), same size as Facing Yarn needles
  • Two stitch markers, different colors
  • Removable stitch marker or scrap yarn

Gauge

IMPORTANT: The Facing Yarn’s stitch gauge needs to equal the Main Yarn’s row gauge. For example, if the Main Yarn’s gauge is 17 stitches and 24 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, then the Facing Yarn’s gauge needs to be 24 stitches and xx rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch. (The row gauge of the Facing Yarn is less important than the stitch gauge.)

Pattern

Knit a Tube

With the Main Yarn and double pointed or 16-inch circular needles, cast on 13 stitches, place marker, cast on 25 more stitches. [38 stitches]

Place a different color marker and join for working in the round, being careful to not twist the stitches.

Round 1: Knit to next marker, sm, p1, k10, p1, knit to end of round.

Repeat Round 1 until piece measures about 8 inches from cast-on edge.

Bind off knitwise.

Weave in the ends.

Steek

NOTE: Place a removable stitch marker or piece of scrap yarn on the bind-off edge to help you keep track of which end is which.

Prepare First Facing

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

Turn tube inside out, and orient it so the cast-on edge is closer to you. You will see two pronounced columns of knit stitches.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

With one of the 20-inch circular needles and the Facing Yarn, start at the cast-on edge and work towards the bind-off edge, picking up under both legs of each stitch of the knit-stitch column on the right.

Working these picked up stitches…

Row 1: Knit.

Row 2: Purl.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time.

Cut yarn and leave the stitches on the needle.

Prepare Second Facing

Orient the piece so the bind-off edge is closer to you.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

With the second 20-inch circular needles and the Facing Yarn, start at the bind-off edge and work towards the cast-on edge, picking up under both legs of each stitch of the knit-stitch column now on the right.

Working these picked up stitches…

Row 1: Knit.

Row 2: Purl.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 one more time.

Cut yarn and leave the stitches on the needle.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

Cut!

Turn the piece right side out.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

NOTE: If the yarn you used is very slippery, or if you are worried that the stitches will unravel after you cut them, secure each side of the steek with thread before cutting. Sew one or two lines of stitches down each side of the center of the steek (on stitches 5 and 6 of 10), either by hand with a needle and thread or with a sewing machine. This step was not necessary for the sample because the yarn is sticky enough that it would not unravel easily in the time it takes to secure the facings.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

Between the two purl columns there is a column of 10 knit stitches. Beginning at the cast-on edge and working towards the bind-off edge, carefully cut up the exact middle of these 10 knit stitches for the entire length of the tube. As you cut the fabric, the two new edges are going to curl under. That’s okay, let them.

There are now 5 knit stitches at each newly-cut edge.

Fold + Secure First Edge

Orient the piece so the cast-on edge is closer to you.

Identify the column of stitches in the middle of the left-hand edge, the third stitch of the five. In the following section you will work along this center column, picking up into each row and knitting the picked-up stitch together with a stitch from the corresponding Facing, working from the cast-on edge towards the bind-off edge and binding off as you go. Here’s how…

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

Beginning at the cast-on edge, insert the spare needle under both legs of the first stitch in the center column, then insert the spare needle into the first stitch on the circular needles, with the Facing Yarn, knit these two together, *insert the spare needle under both legs of the next stitch in the center column and the next stitch on the circular needles, k2tog, pass second stitch on spare needle over stitch just worked to bind off 1 stitch, repeat from * to end of column/last stitch on circular needles.

You now have a precise fold with the raw edge sandwiched and secured between the facing and the main fabric.

Fold + Secure Second Edge

Orient the piece so the bind-off edge is closer to you.

Once again, identify the center (third) column of stitches between the purl column and the now-left-hand edge. You will work along this center column similarly to how you did in the previous section, but remember, you’re now looking at the fabric upside down, so you’ll insert the spare needle under both legs of an upside-down V rather than a right-side-up V.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

Beginning at the bind-off edge, insert the spare needle under both legs of the first stitch in the center column, then insert the spare needle into the first stitch on the circular needles, and with the Facing Yarn, knit these two together, *insert the spare needle under both legs of the next stitch in the center column and the next stitch on the circular needles, k2tog, pass second stitch on spare needle over stitch just worked to bind off 1 stitch, repeat from * to end of column/last stitch on circular needles.

Steek With Knit Facing | Purl Soho

Finish

Use a tapestry needle and a length of Main Yarn to sew closed the top and bottom of the channel created from securing the main fabric to the facing.

Weave in remaining ends.

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