Hi all,
I’ve recently knit a hat in the round, i.e. no seeming involved (whoo!). There’s a lovely lace pattern in it, and I’d like to pin the lace while blocking to open it up. I’m not sure how to do this, since I can’t pin the whole thing flat.
a) Does anyone have tips for blocking round items, in general?
b) Do I have to do anything special with the lace?
Thanks trillions,
Amberle
Absolutely, you can do it. You need a steamer, and if you don’t already have one, they are not hideously expensive-- about $30 at KMart or Target or WalMart. A lot of people use them all the time for all kinds of blocking. You want to stuff the hat with something that will hold the shape, but just be careful whatever it is doesn’t have dye that will bleed! So stuff so that the lace is exactly the way you want it, and then steam it so that it’s damp. Then let it completely dry for a couple of days and you’re all set.
I’ll back up the $30 steamer brittyknits suggested. But with a steamer you shouldn’t need days to dry. That’s the main reason I like it, I don’t have room to have stuff laid out for days.
I’ve read that professionals put the stuff on a form, blow the steam in and then suck it right back out. If it doesn’t fit they repeat until it does.
If I’m blocking in the round I block the center and don’t go all the way to the edges. I wish I had some forms to block with, a wig head in your size would be great for hats.
Thanks a bunch! A steamer it is. I’ll have to keep dreaming about the wig head in my size.
I suppose the steamer is great, but I think you could do this by shaping as they said and then just misting with water until damp and letting it dry.
Try a mixing bowl as a hat form. Use one a little smaller than the size you want and pad it with washcloths or dishtowels until it’s the right size.
brilliant! I was wracking my brain for something round-ish of vaguely the right size. I had thought of using the small coffee tin, but it’s metal and could have rusted.