Maggie's Rags Knitting Tips

Knitting Tips - How do I block a garment?

There are several different ways to block knitting. My favorite, being lazy, is to soak the garment in water, or to wash it, and then lay it out flat, pat it into the shape I want (or stretch it to the dimensions I want), and let it dry. If you do this on top of a towel, there's usually enough friction for it to hold its shape as it dries.

For a tougher problem, like a garment that REALLY needs to be stretched, wetting or washing, then pinning it into shape with many pins may be necessary.

There are also blocking wires available, which are long stiff (for straight edges) and flexible (for curved edges) wires that are run thorough the edge of the garment pieces before sewing up. The wires hold the edges even and can be pinned down for more stretch in the piece. The instructions that come with the blocking wires recommend pinning out the garment when it's dry, and then using a steam iron or steamer to spray the garment with steam, rather than wetting the garment. Do not actually iron the fabric, because this may damage it. Another option is to stretch the dry garment out to the proper dimensions, and then use a spray bottle to mist it with water, and leave it to dry.

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