SECURING STEEK EDGES
Many knitters like to stabilise the edges of steeks before cutting them open, by working a column of crochet stitches either side of the edge to be cut. Always use a crochet hook one size smaller than your project’s knitting needles.
1 Identify the sides of the two stitches you need to pick up by folding your knitted piece in half. You’ll be working through one ‘leg’ of the central steek stitch, and one ‘leg’ of the stitch next to it.
2 Insert the hook through so that you have picked up the right side of one stitch and the left side of the central stitch.
3 Wrap the yarn around the hook and draw through to create one loop of yarn on the hook.
4 Wrap the yarn around the hook again to create one chain.
5 Insert the hook through the next ‘pair’ of stitches along.
6 Wrap the yarn around the hook and draw through the stitches to create a yarn loop on the hook. There are now two stitches on the crochet hook.
7 Wrap the yarn around the hook again and draw this yarn through both loops on the hook.
8 Continue in this way, creating an even double crochet edge. When you get to the end, cut the yarn and draw through the final stitch.
9 Turn the work and repeat this process along the opposite side of the central stitch.
Once complete, you’ll see that you have accounted for the whole of the central stitch and one side of the stitches to the left and to the right of it. If you stretch the fabric gently you should be able to see the ‘ladder’ that the yarn creates through the middle of the central stitch – this is the line along which you are going to cut.