I ain't skeered of no steenkin' steeks

It's not frightening to put in a basting stitch to mark the cutting line and machine sew in holding stitches.

And it's not frightening to cut the stitches either. The machine stitching keeps them from coming undone and the direction of the steek is counter to the natural direction of the stitches' desire to zip down.

It makes what was once a tube a flat piece that can now be assembled into a cardigan.

There are tutorials on steeks on the Net, including this one from Lucy Neatby. Work a few in wools (other fibers aren't quite stickery enough to work well for steeks) to get familiar with the technique. You don't need a glass of wine. You don't need your hand held. All you need are two colors of wool, some scrap wool, a tapestry needle, a good sharp pair of scissors, and if the wool isn't Shetland or other fluffy wool, a sewing machine.