Knitting

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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!

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?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]