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How to Make Your Own Blocking Board

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How to make your own blocking board.Blocking knitting projects when they’re finished isn’t always essential, but sometimes it is (lace) and sometimes it just helps to make things look a little nicer or to get two pieces of knitting that ought to be the same size to actually be the same size (say, the front and back of a sweater).

I have a purchased blocking board, which is great, but it’s heavy, and they can be expensive.

This alternative from Jessica Joy is quick, easy and cheap to put together yourself with foam board and gingham, which is used not so much as a measuring tool but to allow you to line up edges on the straight lines of the fabric.

She notes in her tutorial that the foam board curled up at the edges because it doesn’t really like to be wet, but this is still a great in a pinch option for blocking, particularly if you need a really big space, because foam board is pretty inexpensive.

Have you ever made a DIY blocking board? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo via Jessica Joy.]

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Comments

  2. I bought the thick pink insulation foam board at HomeDepot/Lowes. Covered with gingham and stapled to the back of the boards. So that it wouldn’t be to big to fit under a bed, I did a kind of dovetail hinge where the two boards met so that the whole thing could be folded in half. Cheap, store-able and still working years later.

Have you read?

Summer Headband Knitting Patterns

Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.