Hello - I am in the midst of completing a 2X2 ribbed scarf. When I first casted on and started the stiches it looked really fat, which I wanted, because the stiches were spread out. Now as I have a couple of feet on, I noticed it scrunches up so that you don’t see the individual stiches…my question is, upon completition, would I be able to block the scarf so that it would be spread out and fatter or is that just the way the ribbed pattern is?
Thanks!
Ribs are very elastic; that’s why they’re used at the bottom of sweaters and cuffs and at necklines – to add elasticity and spring where you want something to fit snugly. So yes, they’re supposed to pull together. If you block them, they will flatten out and lose that tightly-packed look, which would probably be fine for a scarf. Blocked ribbing will also become wider. However, a lot depends on the yarn. Wool and cotton will will block well; acrylic won’t.
Ribbing does that by nature. It can be blocked though, to some degree, depending on what fiber you are knitting with. If it’s a synthetic, you likely won’t get it to block, but if it’s wool or cotton or anything ‘natural’ it should be able to be blocked so that you can see the knits and the purls.
Thank you Knitqueen! Got any blocking tips? :eyebrow:
Thank you Knitasha!
All I do is wet the item, gently squeeze out as much water as possible and then gently roll in a towel to get even more water out. Then pin it to the size you want, I just do it in a corner of the livingroom, pinned right into the carpet, and let it dry.