I’m sure you have heard blocking mentioned somewhere in a pattern or blog post. So we thought we’d do a little tutorial explaining what blocking is, why you should do it and how.
Blocking is a technique used to set your knitting or crochet work with water. This can be by either spraying with a bottle, submerging (and thoroughly soaking through) in a tub of water or steam blocking. All of these technique will give the same results and everyone has their own chosen method. The main thing to remember is that blocking works best on natural fibers.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that once you have finished a project, the piece can be a little uneven, maybe a little small and generally a bit rumpled. This is where blocking helps.
Blocking:
- helps by relaxing and evening out your stitches
- can help to increase the size of your project slightly
- helps set the shape or size of your project.
For spray blocking, you will need the following:
- your finished project piece
- a blocking mat, towel, bed or any flat space where you can lay and pin your piece
- rust proof pins
- a spray bottle with water
Step 1
Start by checking your pattern for the finished piece dimensions. This is what you should follow when blocking your piece. I will be working with granny squares since I am working on a blanket. The finished size should be 8 x 8cm.
Step 2
Lay your piece (I will refer to my squares from now on) on the surface of your choice. I will use a cutting mat. Laying the square in the corner of the mat on the ruler, place your first pin to secure the square in place. Next, gently stretch the square to reach the required dimension, in this case 8cm. Then place your next pin. Do this for all four corners. If you find that the sides are curving inwards or not staying in shape, insert additional pins, following the grid on the mat to keep the sides straight.
Step 3
Using your spray bottle, saturated the blocks evenly making sure that you spray everywhere.
Step 4
Leave your pieces to dry thoroughly. I usually leave mine overnight.
Step 5
Once dry, remove the pins and you are done!
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