What is it used for? Do you only use it for certain types of projects?
What exactly is blocking?
Blocking evens out the stitches and with some fibers it can be used to stretch a slightly small item to a larger size. Acrylic can’t be blocked in the same manner as wool, it springs back to the size you knit it, but machine washing and drying will even out the stitches. Everyone says you HAVE to block lace to open up the st pattern, but I don’t much, I just use a larger needle.
I block everything I make. I throw it in the wash on hot and gentle cycle and throw it into the dryer. It softens up the yarns like Red Heart Super saver as well as evens out the stitches
That’s fine for acrylics, but you wouldn’t want to do it for wools.
I don’t use wool ever. My 3 yo is extremely allergic
Okay, but I just wanted to mention it. Someone might try to do that with wool and wouldn’t be happy with the result. For acrylics that’s the best way to ‘block’, though.
Thanks for the info ladies!
Blocking with items knit with wool requires gentle wetting of some kind (no agitation or soap or wool will felt) and then laying the item out flat, shaping it to it’s pattern dimensions and pinning in place to dry.
I remember Ingrid being the blocking queen. I never blocked until I saw pictures of her knitting before and after blocking.
Some lace patterns don’t look right to me unless they are blocked. I think knitted garments, like sweaters, are much improved with blocking. The only thing I don’t block these days are socks – unless I am gifting them to someone. Then I may even block those.
Most important is to block lace. It only looks good once blocked. And with lace blocking I manage to get out quite some length from the initial knitting.
Blocking with items knit with wool requires gentle wetting of some kind (no agitation or soap or wool will felt)
It’s only the agitation that felts, you need some sort of soap to clean an item, at least after the first blocking.