Why block my crochet/knitting?

No matter what kind of yarn is used, different crochet and knitting stitches pull the fabric in different directions and to different degrees. This means that no matter how carefully the stitches are worked and no matter how even the tension is, the fabric will still be distorted. Blocking settles the yarn fibers into place in the same way that a hot iron or steam press smooths the wrinkles out of our clothing. More than that, it ‘sets’ the stitches in place.

Choose a blocking board

I updated the blocking board that I described in an earlier post. It was made from cardboard and fleece so I had to be careful not to get it too wet. It was good to start with as I was not yet convinced of the need to block.

I chose interlocking foam mats at my local hardware shop, costing a mere AU$9.95 and they are ideal. Each mat is 50 cm x 50 cm so easy to store but the bonus is that they can be joined together to make either a one metre square or a 50 x 100 cm rectangle making it suitable for almost any sized project.

The only modification that was needed was to add a grid for which I joined the four panels together. I drew on the smooth underside using my quilting ruler with an art pen but the pen was a mistake because it turned out to be water soluble so I had to wash it off and start again. This time I used a plain black biro, so whatever you use for the lines check first to make sure it will not wash off.

Wet the fabric

The first step is to soak the fabric in warm water and then firmly hand squeeze (but not wring) most of the water out.

Pin to the gridlines

Next pin the corners to the appropriate grid lines. This depends on how distorted the fabric is and what you want the finished size to be. Now stretch and pin the sides so that they conform to the desired shape. Just use common sense to decide how closely to place the pins. For very distorted fabric, or fabric that needs to be strongly stretched pin at every grid line.

Leave to dry

Leave to dry in a well-ventilated-space, at least overnight but for however long it takes to be completely dry. Unpin and compare.

Even blocks that do not appear to be particularly distorted can benefit from blocking. In the case of the Diagonal Square, it was tighter and so much smaller than other squares. Blocking allowed it to be stretched to match the other squares.