How to Block a Knitted Tam

A red tam ready to be blocked.

A tam is a woolen hat of Scottish origin with a tight headband, a flattened, circular crown and usually a pompom on top. The word "tam" is derived from Robert Burns' poem "Tam o'Shanter." Tams are versatile wardrobe additions for winter as they can be tilted to the side for a saucy look or worn back on the head for a "slouchy" look. The design of the tam lends itself well to several knitting styles and patterns such as Celtic cables or Fair Isle knitting. Any woolen knitted garment should be blocked, but especially so with tams to achieve and set the classic tam shape and appearance.

Things You'll Need

• The tam
• Water
• A 10- to 12-inch dinner plate
• Darning needle and waste yarn
• Dry, colorfast towel

Instructions

1. Wet the hat thoroughly using room temperature water. Gently squeeze out any excess.

2. Place the dinner plate inside the hat, positioning the plate equidistance from the edges of the ribbing.

3. Thread the darning needle with yarn and thread through every knit stitch at the edge of the ribbing.

4. Pull the waste yarn up tightly to stretch the hat over the dinner plate. Place the hat on a colorfast, dry towel. Let the hat dry for at least 24 hours until the hat is completely dry and the shape of the hat set.

5. Clip the waste yarn and gently pull it out of the stitches. Remove the plate from the hat.

Tips & Warnings

• For yarns that are not wool, such as acrylic or cotton, the hat can be positioned as described but misted with water from a spray bottle instead of soaking.

• When blocking wool, take care not to get the water too hot and not to agitate the garment too much. Too much of either can result in "felting," the wool's tendency to shrink into a tight, dense material. The best guide is to use water for washing or wetting wool close to room temperature. This goes for the rinse water as well.

References

• Knitpicks: Blocking tams
• "Lace Tam and Scarf Set"; Rainey, Susan; 2006
• Knitty: Three Tams