Once more 'round the block

Block,  v.  [blŏk]  To shape, mold, or form with or on a block

Oh dear.  I’m going to sound like a broken record this month!  I am once again going to extol the virtues of blocking your project pieces before sewing seams or knitting edges.  I can’t stress enough how professional your finished project will be if you just block!  We’ve all finished the knitting only to have something like this to deal with … curled edges and skewed pieces.

First, let’s talk about fibres.  Animal and plant fibres respond best to blocking.  This includes wool, alpaca, bamboo, corn, silk, cashmere, etc.  And then, there are those man-made fibres … the acrylics.  Acrylic yarn is sometimes called the memory yarn because it always goes back to shape after being washed and dried.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t manipulate that “shape” at this stage of your project. 

Whether you are working with animal, plant or man-made fibre, the first step of blocking is washing the knitted fabric … BY HAND!!  NOT IN A WASHING MACHINE!!  I use a handwash detergent called “Soak” which you can buy in almost any lingerie department.  A small amount of this in a sink full of water is all you need to get out the manufacturer’s sizing and oils from your hands, making the fabric ready for blocking. 

I fill a small sink about halfway with water and put ½-capful of Soak in the water.  I lay the knitting in the water and gently push it to the bottom of the sink with open flat palms repeatedly.  The idea is to gently push water through the fabric without wringing or twisting.  Drain the sink and fill with clean cool water and again push water through the fabric to rinse it.  Drain the sink again and push excess water out by pressing the fabric against the bottom of the sink.

Transfer the wet knitted fabric to a large bath towel, being careful not to stretch it.  Lay it gently on the towel allowing it to be slightly bunchy rather than spreading it out smoothy.  Next gently roll the towel to absorb excess moisture.  Leave it rolled for 5-10 minutes.

  

Now comes the real work of blocking – pinning it to a drying board.  I purchased a cardboard cutting board from a fabric shop and covered it with clear MacTac (contact paper).  Having the 1” grid is very useful for pinning the pieces symmetrically and to the size noted in your pattern.  In my opinion, you can never use too many pins!! 

With the knitted fabric all pinned, now you wait.  Where I live the air is so dry that I can usually just let it dry overnight.  You may have to wait longer to make sure the pieces are COMPLETEY dry before removing the pins.  Then comes the magic:  the blocked pieces stay flat and to size after you remove the pins.  No more curls!

The pictures here show the knitted piece of the pattern I’m offering this month:  a bolero for a baby (using some of the Kool-Aid dyed yarn from a couple months ago).  It is knit in one piece so taking the time to block your work ensures that the left and right sides are symmetrical and will sew together nicely.  And of course, it gives that perfectly finished look!

To block or not to block?  Definitely block!