Wet Blocking

Blocking is the final process in knitting something.  It is the step that takes a finished project off the needles and turns it into something handmade not homemade.   Unfortunately, it is a step often skipped by knitters because it does require a different skill set.  I was driven to blocking because I knit so many baby things and wanted to clean them before passing on to baby.  Once I saw the difference blocking made I vowed to always block everything before giving them away.

According to Sarah White:  "Blocking is a method of stretching and shaping a finished knitted piece to reach the dimensions suggested in the pattern, to make two pieces that need to match the same size, or to make your stitches look nicer and more even."  Or it can do all three at the same time.

You don't see many of us write about the blocking process because frankly, it isn't all that exciting.  But as dull as it might be, it is vital if you want your end result to look great.  Blocking has a way of fixing some of the slight imperfections created by making something by hand, but having said that, it won't fix every mistake.

Before getting into a discussion about blocking itself there may be a few tools you'll want to have on hand.

• A good wool wash (many do not require rinsing) which can be purchased at your LYS.  There's disagreement about whether Woolite or baby shampoo should be used; I encourage you to do your own research and make a decision about what works best for your purposes and price point.  (Personally I find Woolite just great for acrylic yarn.)
• Stainless steel pins are used to hold a piece in shape and place.
• Blocking mat which can be as simple as those large plastic puzzle pieces that go on the floors of kids' play areas.  Just cover the bright colours with something to prevent them from bleeding into your project. 
• Towels for drying.
• Forms for the types of shapes you need, like a balloon blown up to the proper diameter for a toque.  Or a plate for a beret shape.  Or lace blocking wires or rods for a shawl, and so on.

There are three different types of blocking techniques to use: wet, spray or steam.  The one you select will more than likely be determined by the type of yarn used to knit the project.  This post will focus on wet blocking the toque I finished as I travelled last week.  It is another Selbu Modern in colours that will match with my purple winter coat.  The colours are very close in tone so the design doesn't jump out which is the type of effect I was looking for when I selected them.  Here it is just off the needles.

Take a look at the ribbing on the left the lines aren't straight

See how there are a few stitches that aren't perfect.  There's bumps on some and tightness in others that will relax after the blocking process.  The shape is not very good at this point either.  Since this thing travelled from Vancouver to Seattle to Minneapolis and back and was out in homes, airplanes and hotels, it needs a good cleaning as well as.  So wet blocking from my POV for this all wool project makes best sense.

This process requires soaking the piece completely in soapy warm (never hot) water, letting the wool "bloom" and then allowing it to dry.  It is important the water not be too hot and that little agitation takes place because otherwise you are felting the work.  This would make the project smaller by tightening up the stitches, something to be avoided for this toque to fit.

See the lack of suds and the purple tint of the water.

Here's my toque in the sink with the wool wash of my choice.  I've been taught it should stay in the water at least 20 minutes.  This allows time for the wool to become completely saturated.  There's no need to panic if a bit of colour bleeds into the water, this is something that often happens and even with greatly contrasting colours, I've never seen evidence of it impacting the knitwear.

I do agitate the toque slightly trying to get the oils from my hands, the errant cat hair and other foreign materials out of the yarn.  This works best for me after the wool has sat in the water for the full 20 minutes.  When the toque is removed from the water I'm careful as I squeeze, without twisting water out of it.  The project is very vulnerable at this point so I have a towel ready.

Still wet and laid out in a form I want it.

At this point the toque is shaped something like I think it should be and then rolled in the towel to squeeze even more water out of it.  It is unrolled and then rerolled in another dry towel before it is placed on the form.

My toque is in there; pressed to get it as dry as possible.

While it is still wet, I stretch the toque over the form.  Here I'm using a balloon blown up to the size I want the toque to take.  It's a bit tight so it takes time to shape it;  but being careful and taking time at this point in the process is worth it in the end.

My homemade head form, a balloon which fits in a small bowl

Here it stays to dry.  The time it takes to dry is directly proportional to my ability to wick water out of it with the towels and how much humidity is in the air.  Generally speaking I find wool yarn needs a full 48 hours to dry.  Once dry, the toque is ready to wear.

I had hoped to get you a picture with me wearing my new toque.  Paul needed to take it for me because my own attempts at a selfie had failed.  Unfortunately, I shared with him my stomach virus and there's no more sick individual than a large man taken down by a bug.  I'll get him to take a picture when he's up for more than 10 minutes at a time.

P.S.--That photo ended up being a selfie after all.