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Finishing Workshop: Blocking Options

February 11, 2014 by Sarah White

blocking knittingI will admit that I don’t always block all of my knitting projects, so I’m still impressed at how much better things look when I do.

Blocking is a really helpful step in finishing if you’re going to be sewing pieces together, but it’s great for any project you want to look its best.

Blocking smooths out your stitches, can help with minor sizing problems and just makes your project look better. finishing knits

It’s kind of a pain because when you finish something you want to wear or use it right away, but in a lot of cases it’s well worth the wait (and when it comes to lace, it’s essential, but we’ll talk more about that tomorrow).

I pretty much always do what’s known as “wet blocking,” meaning that you get the item wet (which I do by soaking in the sink or a bucket for 30 minutes or so, usually with a squirt or wool wash), get out as much water as you can by rolling the item in a towel and pressing, then lay the item out on a towel and, if necessary, pinning it into the shape you require.

Pinning can also help smooth out the edges of stockinette pieces, which will make them easier to seam.

There’s also spray blocking, where you pin the garment into shape first, then spray it with a bit of water to relax the fibers and get them to smooth down. There’s a detailed tutorial on this over at the Purl Bee. Or steam blocking, which is done the same way, except you use a steamer or the steam setting on an iron to push the steam through the garment.

The big warning on that is to make sure the iron doesn’t touch the knitting, so it doesn’t scorch. Some people use a piece of cloth over the knitting, or you can just be careful to keep the iron a couple of inches away from the garment.

Blocking is typically done on wool and other animal-fiber garments, but you can do it with other fibers as well. Check out this article from knitty that covers ways to deal with different fibers, and even how to make your own blocking board if you want to get fancier than a towel on the dining room table.

Do you ever block your knits? I’d love to hear what method you use!

[Photo via the Purl Bee.]

Next Pattern:

  • A Simple Sweater Knitting Pattern to Play with Color…
  • Lines Top Gives You Options for Summer
  • Textured Knitting with Lots of Options
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»

Comments

  1. Susan Delaney says

    February 12, 2014 at 11:05 am

    When I lived up north, the cold water was always cold enough to stiffen my wool items so that I could lay them out to block/dry.

    Recently I tried to wash and block a wool scarf here in Texas. It grew and grew in the tepid “cold” water. I now realize that I need to add ice cubes to my final rinse to stiffen the wool fibers.

    Lesson learned.

Have you read?

Bucket Hat Knitting Patterns

As I was starting to write this post I thought that it was true that I’d never done a roundup of bucket hat knitting patterns before. But then I looked, and I actually did one last year (which you can find here) but there are plenty of cute bucket hats to do another post about, right? 

The one that made me want to write about this (again) is the Red Heart Knit Fanfare Bucket Hat from Yarnspirations. This cute striped hat can be worked in team colors, and while I might prefer a non-acrylic yarn for a summer hat, it would be fine when it’s not too hot outside (or try a cotton yarn instead). 

Claire Slade’s Sunlit Bucket Hat has an angled brim to help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’s worked from the bottom up using worsted weight cotton yarn, and comes in three sizes. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Get a little air flow in your bucket hat with the Shady Bucket Hat from Wool & Beyond. This one uses DK weight yarn and an eyelet pattern throughout the body to keep it cool. It comes in sizes ranging from newborn to adult large, and is worked in one piece from the top down. You can grab the pattern (in English or Swedish) on Ravelry. 

If you’re looking for a fun, floppy sun hat for kids or adults, this pattern from Muki Crafts is a little more slouchy than a traditional bucket hat but it’s super cute. It comes in baby, toddler and bigger kid sizes and adult. I uses worsted weight yarn and is worked from the bottom up. 

Another variation on the classic bucket is this one that’s more of a cloche style. Made by branda, it uses bulky yarn so it’s more of a winter bucket hat, but now’s a fine time to knit it if you live somewhere that’s warm right now (or even more so if you live somewhere that’s cold right now). 

Another one to get you ready for colder weather is Tirmety, a two-layer bucket hat from ViTalina Craft, which has a textured stitch pattern on one side and stockinette on the other. You can wear either side out or even make them different colors if you want. The pattern is sized for toddlers, kids and adults. 

And if you want to add some extra cuteness to your bucket hat, I love this (of course totally optional but also totally adorable) embroidered deatila on the New York Bucket Hat from Pauline Fanguin. It uses two strands of DK weight yarn held together for extra sturdiness, and uses changes in needle size to shape the hat. Of course you could also knit stripes or use different textures of yarn to change up the look. This pattern is made to fit your head and is available in French and English. 

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