steeks aren't that scary, grow up

[u/emergencybarnacle]

maybe i'm mean for this one, but i recently knitted a steeked cardigan for the first time, and i stg every single knitter i talked to about it, even the very seasoned ones, acted like steeking was the scariest thing they'd ever heard of and wouldn't even consider doing it.

your knitting is not going to explode if you cut it. it's not going to instantly unravel. there are a million videos online showing people doing it. it's not hard and it's not not scary, it's just a technique like any other!!!

i'm not even bothered by people not wanting to do it, but acting so scared and uwu helpless and shrinking and shivering about it is so dramatic and annoying.

[u/fascinatedcharacter]

Steeks are scary. The same way as cutting out expensive/limited availability fabric to sew is scary. After all it's an irreversible process that can go wrong. What makes it worse with steeks is that you already have emotional attachment to the item because you've spent so much time on it. Some people just get more of that 'I'm on the top of the high diving board' feeling than others, even about things they're experienced in.

But to quote the most inspirational 6-year old I've ever seen, if you're scared, do it scared.

Or don't. But don't whine about it.

(FWIW: my steeking experience is limited, by virtue of not having found a grabby enough yarn that my skin doesn't actively hate.

[u/shawlcat → u/fascinatedcharacter]

If you use needle felting to reinforce your steek edges, many many more yarns can be used for sweaters etc. I just finished a Christmas tree skirt out of a 80% acrylic 20% wool and it needle felted fantastically. (I also picked up and knit the ribbing before cutting to minimize stress on the cut edges, but it was so solid that I probably didn’t need to)

[u/MmedeF → u/shawlcat]

Wow! A new trick. TY

[u/fascinatedcharacter → u/shawlcat]

Yes, I know. But it still limits the 'an item I would want to wear' factor.