Blocking is a method to set a
knitted piece to its proper measurements, to relax and even out the stitches
(especially helpful with Fair Isle), and to flatten curled edges. It involves wetting
the piece by either immersing it until saturated, spraying it with water from a
spray bottle, or steaming it with an iron. The improvement in the appearance of
knitting can be dramatic.
The type of fiber you’re using
determines whether you can use water and/or steam. Check the ball band for care
instructions. Most fibers can be wetted, but some can’t; some can survive cold
water, but not the heat of steam. For yarns that can’t be wetted, blocking is
omitted.
You will need a cushioned surface
into which you can stick rust-proof pins. Foam waterproof blocking mats are
commercially available and easy to use. An alternative is a towel over carpet
or a bed or, for small items, an ironing board; if your item is really wet, put
plastic under the towel. It may take a couple of days for saturated wool to dry,
though a fan will speed this up.
The most common blocking method is
wet-blocking. To do this, immerse the piece in cool water, either plain or with
a small amount of liquid soap or wool wash; wool wash has the advantage of not
needing to be rinsed. Let it soak for at least thirty minutes, pushing it under
the water occasionally if needed. If you use soap, rinse it gently with fresh
water, swishing the piece, draining the water, and repeating until the soap is
removed. Press gently on the wet mass (don’t wring or twist, or you will
distort the stitches) to remove excess water, and carefully support its weight
as you lift it. Roll it up in a clean towel and let it sit for a few minutes
while the towel absorbs the water. Use a second towel if needed – you want the
piece damp but not dripping. Put it onto your blocking surface, and if it
doesn’t require careful shaping, you can simply pat it into shape. Otherwise, a
good pattern will include a schematic giving detailed measurements, such as
body length, shoulder width, etc., and you should pin the pieces to those
measurements. Pins are especially necessary if you need to stretch the piece,
in order to hold the stretched shape until dry. Use enough pins placed close
together so that edges stay straight and don’t scallop. Start pinning in the
middle of each side, then work your way to the corners. Ribbing should not be
stretched and pinned; it is supposed to pull in. Let air dry. Wet blocking is a
good process for wool, having the advantage of getting the piece really wet and
allowing more relaxing of the stitches and more stretching of the piece when needed.
For delicate fibers like silk,
cashmere, mohair, and angora, spray blocking is used, which involves pinning
the piece to size and then spraying with cold water from a spray bottle. This
dampens the fibers but does not saturate them. A variation is to lay a damp
towel over the garment instead of spraying it. The piece (with or without the
towel) is then allowed to air dry. This method can be used with any fiber that
can be wetted, and it dries faster than the wet blocking method.
Steam blocking can be used for
fibers that cannot be wetted directly, and works well for cotton, which can
stretch out of shape if you’re not careful to support the heavy wet piece. Pin the
piece to size, lay a cloth or towel, slightly dampened or not, over it, and
slowly move the iron over the piece without directly touching it – let the iron
hover an inch or two above the surface. The steam will reach the piece without
the weight of the iron flattening the stitches or the heat from it scorching
the work. Steaming is not recommended for synthetic fibers, which could melt
from the heat. Over-steaming can flatten most stitches, even on heat-safe
yarns, and can shrink wool.
If a garment is to be seamed, block it
first in case you need to stretch the pieces to reach the desired size. Seams,
once sewn, do not stretch much.
I am sure that, once you take the
time to properly block your handknits, you will be pleased with the results.