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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?

Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater

The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.” 

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them. 

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits. 

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves. 

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit. 

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy. 

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]