Steam Blocking

Steam blocking is the last of the blocking techniques I know and use.  It works best with wool yarns too delicate to get very wet.  Although very similar to spray blocking, steam is used instead of water. Since it takes so much heat to get steam this technique should always be used with great care.

If you want to be quite adventuresome with acrylic yarns you can use steam blocking sometimes referred to as "killing the yarn."  The steam will literally breakdown the qualities of a stiff acrylic yarn and make the end product quite different.  I  have used this technique successfully in the past, but you have to be willing to take the risk because it is not precise; leave the steam hovering over an acrylic too long and it starts to melt it.  Some suggest using a towel to help protect yarn during this process,  but I find it takes far too long to get the knitting heated up if a towel is placed between the steam and yarn.  If you do use an iron rather than a steamer, never place the heated plate directly on the item.  You will permanently melt the yarn and the outline of the plate will remain on your project.

Here's the acrylic project I promised to show you using steam blocking.

Two white acrylic pieces just off the needles

 What you say?  You don't recognize what this might be?  It is the head of the M doll, of course.  The pieces are approximately 6.5 by 6 inches or 16.5 by 12.25 cm each.  They are in fact exactly the same size, but without the steam blocking they don't appear that way.

I used a steam iron for this small job because the steamer takes far too long to heat up.  Here I am in the midst of blocking the two pieces.

That's steam making the photo foggy, not Vancouver weather.

It is hard to tell, but the heating plate is just above the knitting itself.  When I'm done heating up the yarn, I set the iron down to rest and press the yarn into the shape needed.  Since it was knit using the stockinette stitch the piece is curling.  The heat plus my pressing unfurls the pieces and softens the yarn as well.  It takes a bit of time, perhaps 3-5 minutes each, but in the end I've managed to get the pieces to be the same shape, and soften them up.  It will be the right softness for a baby girl.

Here's the two pieces again, softened and the same size and shape.

These two are drapey, soft and ready to have a face embroidered and hair added.  You'll see more of this M doll as I pull it together.

This also ends the discussion about blocking.  As you can see the blocking process does improve the look of your knitting and cleans or at times, even changes the quality of the yarn itself.  Blocking is a skill well worth developing.  And if you have questions about what technique to use check out this chart:

pressing guide

Because fibers react differently to heat, it is best to know what to expect before you press or steam them. Just remember that there are many combinations of fibers, and you should choose a process that is compatible with all the components of your yarn. If you are unsure about the fiber content of your yarn, test your gauge swatch before blocking your sweater pieces.

Angora	Wet block by spraying.
Cotton	Wet block or warm/hot steam press.
Linen	Wet block or warm/hot steam press.
Lurex	Do not block.
Mohair	Wet block by spraying.
Novelties	Do not block.
Synthetics	Carefully follow instructions on ball band—usually wet block by spraying; do not press.
Wool and all wool-like fibers (alpaca, camel hair, cashmere)	Wet block by spraying or warm steam press.
Wool blends	Wet block by spraying; do not press unless tested.