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Lace Isn’t Done Until You Block It

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blocking laceLast week I went to a big blogging conference, and I decided that I wanted to be the person who was always wearing a hand knit scarf or shawl. I also happened to be knitting a little lace scarf, so I decided I would try to finish it in time to wear it at the conference.

Well, I got it done. On Wednesday night before leaving town Thursday morning. There wasn’t really time to block it, because it wouldn’t have time to dry thoroughly, but it did look pretty sad, as fresh off the needles lace usually does, so I gave it a quick bath, stretched it by hand and laid it out to dry as much as it could before I grabbed it and hit the road.

Honestly, as you can see above, it still looked pretty sad.

Now that I’m home again I can block it properly, and while I’m thinking on it I thought I’d direct you to my tips on blocking lace over at About, as well as my knitting buddy Eileen’s instructions for blocking a circular lace shawl, should be the type who knits such a thing.

Do you always block things that need to be blocked before you wear them, or are you a little more casual like me? I’d love to hear your thoughts. And I’ll be blocking that scarf for real soon, I promise!

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Comments

  1. I don’t knit, but I always block my crochet work unless it is made with nylon thread/cord. To each their own I suppose, but my work just isn’t finished until it’s blocked. I suspect that’s why I win a LOT of awards.

  2. Hi Sarah, I think you have to consider blocking a piece on a case by case basis. I’ve posted an article about blocking on my blog at: http://purl3agony.hubpages.com/hub/Knitting-Hints-A-Beginners-Simple-Guide-to-Blocking

    I make the (perhaps) controversial statement that not all knitted garments need to be blocked. I would agree that lace usually benefits from blocking, but sometimes you can lose the dimension of textured stitches with blocking (like some cables) and may be better off NOT blocking a knitted piece, or just blocking certain areas. You really need to think carefully about what is best for each piece and how you want your finished project to look!

Have you read?

Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four. 

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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