Since I finished the back of the Bonsai Tunic last weekend, I figured the best way to
start talking about blocking was to do a bit of show-and-tell, starring my new best friend:
the charming Miss Blocking Board! The board was a birthday treat for myself, and now that
I've had a chance to drive Miss Board around the block a bit, I'm wondering what I ever did
without her.
Note: The instructions given here will work for a variety of knitted and crocheted items.
Lace shawls and certain other pieces require a bit of special red-carpet treatment, which
we can talk about later.
Everything you need to start blocking
Step 1: Gather the basic tools. You'll need the
following:
- A surface to block on. Blocking boards,
mattresses, towel-covered tables, foam floor mats, cork boards...you people had a zillion creative ideas
for this. - Some means of getting your knitting
wet. Depending on the method you choose (see
below), you will need one of the following: spray bottle
for spraying, sink big enough to immerse the piece,
wet towels, or an iron or garment steamer. - Something to measure with. Experts such
as Ann Budd suggest a yardstick rather than a tape measure, because tape measures can stretch and cause inaccuracies in your final measurements. - The pattern schematic and measurements. This is to guide you in coaxing the piece into
its proper size and shape as you block. - Pins. Some people swear by using blocking wires, or strong cotton thread, to help eliminate
pin-marks and scalloped edges. Try them if you have them. Whatever you use, make sure all
materials are both waterproof and rustproof.
Step 2: Weave in your ends! Really. Take a deep breath and just do it. Blocking will help all
those little loose ends get secured in place, and also will help "set the stitches" you weave the
ends into, so they don't look quite as bumpy as you think they will. Tip for weaving in slippery yarns
: The Bonsai is knitted out of a lovely, silky bamboo ribbon yarn, so when weaving in the ends, I
used my yarn needle to pierce individual strands of the last few stitches I was weaving into, in
order to lock the ends securely into place.
Use the schematic as a guide
Step 3: Check the pattern measurements.
Look at the schematic, if there is one; otherwise, look
to see what the "finished measurements" section
says. Measurement tip: If you made alterations to
the pattern, you made notes along the way, right?
Of course you did! Make sure that you account for
any changes you made, such as a slightly different
gauge, or customizations, when you block.
Step 4: Decide which wetting method is best
for your knitting. You can spray, steam, soak,
or roll in wet towels to get your knitting wet. Which
method you use depends on the fiber content of the yarn, as well as the stitch pattern, garment
type, and your personal experience and preferences. But which is the BEST method? The best method is the one that gives you the results you want with that particular yarn and stitch combination. (Sorry. I know you wanted The One True Answer, but it's not that simple.) Do your homework--read the yarn label, check the yarn company's website, read your favorite knitting books (all by
Interweave, right? Right!), and then experiment--on a SWATCH, of course, not on the cabled
pullover it took you months to knit (see, swatches are good for something besides driving us
knitters insane).
The most important thing about learning to block your knitting is: It's YOUR
KNITTING. Not my knitting, not anyone else's. Be bold! Try different things until you find
what works for you. By experimenting, you might just stumble on an awesome blocking trick
you can share with the rest of us!
I leave you with an astounding and amazing Knitting Fact: There is no such thing as
The Knitting Police. I promise, on my honor as a knitter, that no one will come in the middle of
the night to cart you off to Bad Knitters' Prison if the way you block isn't the way I block.
Step 5: If you are going to wet your knitting using the immersion method or the
roll-in-wet-towels method, do it now. Immersion method: Soak the knitting in
lukewarm water for about 20 minutes to let the water fully permeate the fibers. Squeeze
gently. Never, ever twist, wring, or otherwise be rough with your knitting (unless, of course,
what you want is a nice felted sweater!). Roll in dry towels to remove excess moisture
(some people use the spin cycle of their washer, but this is for braver hearts than mine).
Rolling-in-wet-towels method: Pretty much just as it sounds. Wet a large towel, wring out
excess moisture, lay it flat with your knitting on top, and roll it up like a big wet
jelly-roll-with-knitted-filling. Let it sit until the knitting inside is completely damp
(this might take several hours). Steaming and spraying folks: Read on.
Your turn comes later.
Shape garment from the center outwards
Step 6: Start pinning. Starting from the center
and working outwards, smooth your knitting out
to the approximate measurements, and start
placing pins at wide intervals. What do you mean,
start at the center? For the Bonsai Tunic, I started
at the ribbed waistband (see note below about
blocking ribbing!). I patted the upper back into
place and pinned the center neck, then working
again from the ribbed waist, smoothed out
towards the armholes and pinned those.
Then I did the same with the lower half, always
working from the center waist downwards.
Step 7: Measure and re-pin as necessary to shape your garment more accurately.
This is where the fun starts, particularly for all of us OCD knitters. Measure, pin, repeat. Use the
schematic or finished measurements as a guide. How much can I stretch my knitting to obey me? Depends on the yarn, the gauge, and the garment. For most lace shawls, you can stretch it out to
the fullest extent the stitches will reach. For all knitting, keep in mind that if you pull in one
direction, your knitting will shorten in another direction to compensate. Try to keep the overall
proportions correct and don't forget to allow for things like negative ease, texture, and how the
stitches look.
Don't stretch out the ribbing!
Special note about blocking ribbing: See the
photo of the waist ribbing on my Bonsai? Notice
that it is NOT stretched out at all. I actually
compressed it a bit, patting it evenly into place,
and leaving most of it unpinned. (In contrast,
I pinned the heck out of the lace skirt.) This will
allow the ribbing to maintain its elasticity and shape.
Step 8: If you are a steamer or a sprayer, it's your
turn now! Starting (again) at the center of the
garment, carefully steam or spray the knitting, patting
it with your hand to gauge the amount of
moisture as you go. (Use caution with the hot steam, and maybe wait a second after applying the
steam to let things cool a bit. Don't burn yourself! Burns might get in the way of casting on your
next project.) Make sure to spray/steam your piece evenly so all parts of it absorb the same
amount of water (and in the case of steaming, heat).
Step 9: Let dry thoroughly. Do not bother your knitting whilst it is drying. Leave it alone,
close the door, keep your cats and overly-helpful roommates away. The impatient amongst you
may use a fan to help the process along. If you really must use a blow dryer, remember that a
blow dryer adds heat to the equation and consider carefully if heat is appropriate to your
particular blocking situation.
Each star marks a pin
Final and most important step: Un-pin, and
admire the beautiful drape, the awesome
workmanship, and lovely stitches that comprise
your knitting.
As I was taking the photos for this post, I realized
that some folks might want a clearer photo of
exactly where I placed the pins. I quickly
discovered that the little silvery pin dudes
wouldn't show up in the photos, so I dug around
in the supply closet (I'm blocking this in a spare
office at work, because I have four very helpful
Assistant Felines at home) until I found some glittery foil stars. See the photo? Voila! Each star
marks a pin location. Note that there are no stars at all in the ribbed waist section, but there are
stars all over the lace skirt. 
Pinning out the lace pattern I placed one pin near the
top yarnover of each lace repeat, in the decrease
immediately adjoining. For lace patterns, I like to
place pins in the center of an ssk or k2tog, as those
are the strongest parts of the knitting and thus less
likely to distort. You can put pins in the yarnovers
themselves, but be careful--you want the yarn to
form a graceful "yarnover" and not an awkward
"pointy-over!"
Questions, Questions...and some Answers!
Which wetting method did you use for the Bonsai? My yarn is Berroco Bonsai, an absolutely
lovely bamboo ribbon yarn, with drape and a teeny, tiny bit of "crunch" that adds texture and
memory. I blocked my swatch using my garment steamer (I LOVE my garment steamer), but I
wasn't thrilled with the results. The heat seemed to take away a bit of the sheen of this lovely yarn.
So for the back of my tunic, I used the spray method, and sprayed liberally until the fabric was
quite damp. I was really happy with how it came out. REMEMBER: You might prefer how your
garment looks when steam-blocked! It's YOUR knitting, not mine. Experiment to find a way that
works for you.
Do you block acrylic and other non-sheepy, non-planty fibers? I've heard blocking
kills them! What kills acrylic and some other human-made fibers is direct application of heat.
So: Don't iron them. (If you must apply steam, keep the iron or steamer high enough above the
fabric so you don't melt or scorch the yarn.)
But Sandi, tell us the ANSWER: Do you NEED to block acrylic? Welllll. Here's where I
have to make an admission. I have not knit with acrylic yarn since I was a teenager, so I don't
actually have any personal experience with this. What I do know is that many experienced
knitters say you don't need to block acrylic. Given that, and given that I believe deep in my
knitter's heart that blocking has miraculous results, if I were to knit something out of acrylic
(or any other unfamiliar fiber, for that matter), I would knit five swatches--yes, five--and then
try a different blocking method on each one: immersion, steam, spray, jelly-roll-of-wet-towels,
and no blocking at all. I might use pins on one or two, and just pat out the others. After they
dried, I would evaluate the look, feel, and drape of each swatch. The swatch I liked best would
be my guide for blocking the finished garment.
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Wet Blocking
By definition wet-blocking uses more moisture than steam-blocking, and can be used to stretch
and enlarge a knitted piece (although loosely knitted pieces stretch more easily than tightly
knitted ones, and any extra inches you gain in width, you may lose in length). There are three
degrees of wet-blocking, depending on the amount of moisture added to the knitted fabric.
Spr ay-blocking i s the mi lde s t form of wet-blocking . I t work s equally wel l for all fibers—
although silks and synthetics require more wetness than wool—and it allows for total control
over temperature, dampness, and finished texture because you are not restricted to the
temperature and amount of steam that comes out of your iron, and you can gently pat and
shape the piece with your hands while you work. Pin the handknit to shape right side up on
a padded surface placed away from direct sun or heat. Fill a spray bottle with cool tap water
and spritz a fine, even mist over the piece. Use your hands to gently pat the moisture into the
handknit, if desired, but be careful not to flatten any textured stitches.
Wet-wrapping imparts moisture deeper into the fibers and is appropriate for all types of yarn,
especially cotton and acrylic, which are less resilient than wool and require more moisture
penetration to reshape stitches. To wet-wrap, thoroughly soak a large bath towel in water,
then put it through the spin cycle of a washing machine to remove excess moisture. Place the
handknit on top of the towel, then roll the two together jelly-roll fashion. Let the bundle sit
until the handknit is completely damp, overnight if necessary. Unroll the towel, remove the
handknit, and pin it out to measurements on a padded surface away from direct sun or heat.
Immersion imparts moisture thoroughly through the fibers and allows complete reshaping.
It is appropriate for all fiber types, and particularly ideal for heavily ribbed or cabled fabrics,
or fabrics that have taken on a biased slant during knitting. It is also the method to use after
washing a handknit. To immerse a handknit, turn it inside out and soak it in a basin of
lukewarm water for about twenty minutes, or until thoroughly wet, gently squeezing water
through the piece if necessary. Drain the water, carry the wet handknit in a bundle to the
washing machine, and put it through the spin cycle (or roll it in dry towels) to remove excess
moisture. Do not twist or wring the handknit. Shape the piece right side up on a padded
surface, using pins (and blocking wires) as necessary.
Blocking Tips
• Experiment with blocking your gauge swatch before you block an actual knitted piece.
• Do not rub, twist, or wring a handknit. Doing so may distort the stitches beyond correction.
• Before blocking, weave in all loose ends—the blocking process will help secure the ends in place.
• It is preferable to block individual pieces before sewing them together. Blocking makes the
sewing process easier and the results of blocking are more consistent when you work with a
single layer of fabric.
You can block a garment that has been sewed together, but the results may not be as good.
• Many experts warn against blocking ribbing, which will lose its natural elasticity if blocked while
stretched open. However, ribbing can be successfully blocked if you squeeze it into its most
contracted state (so that all the purl stitches recede behind the knit stitches) before you apply
moisture.
• Allow the blocked handknit to air-dry completely before moving it.
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