Last Saturday I had the pleasure of teaching at Purlescence. Back in February, Sarah had asked if I might run a workshop on steeking. I liked the idea and wanted to develop a pattern involving the two methods I know and producing a finished object. I wrote a bit about my design process here and the end result – SLICE! – is a pattern for a matching coaster and latte glass warmer involving the knotted steek and the crochet-reinforced steek.
The coaster and the glass warmer are relatively quick knits and represent a non-intimidating starting point for knitters who have never worked a steek before. They are also designed to serve as a friendly daily reminder of the ease and fun involved in cutting up your knitting!
The two motifs used on the coaster and the latte glass warmer are based on two culinary pleasures which I enjoy sharing with my knitting comrades: cake and coffee. The pattern includes colourways for Victoria Sponge, Fruitcake, Latte and Lemon.
Victoria sponge!
Fruitcake!
…however there are also options to bake and brew your own colourways which is exactly what many comrades did on Saturday at the Purlescence workshop. It’s always so wonderful to see how using different shades transforms a design.
I thought it would be unfair to run a workshop based on cakes and coffee without bringing some kind of sweet treats to sustain us and my Nigella recipe orange cake and coconut fudge-fleeced BAAscuits went down a treat!
Orange cake.
BAAscuits.
It was a very jolly day and everyone worked both types of steek with no unraveling disasters. I think this is partly because of the fantastic sheepy yarn that we all used – Jamieson & Smith Jumper Weight 2-Ply. You can read more about that wonderful yarn here as Ella has recently organised a super series of posts about how J&S produce their yarns. If you would like to knit your own coaster and latte glass warmer you can buy SLICE! here for £2.95. It includes full instructions for working a knotted steek and a crochet-reinforced steek and also involves i-cord bind off, picking up stitches for a garter-stitch border and working an i-cord buttonhole.
CUTTING UP YOUR KNITTING IS A PIECE OF CAKE WITH SLICE!
Thanks to the Purlescence Crew for such a fun day on Saturday,
YOURS IN HAPPY STEEKING ADVENTURES!
XF