How to Block a Knit Item
Technically speaking, you don't have to block your knitted work. You can cast off, stitch any seams, weave in loose ends and put whatever you just made to use right away. But taking the time to block adds a subtle -- or sometimes not-so-subtle -- touch that distinguishes high-quality knitting from amateur efforts. Blocking evens your stitches out, creates straight, even edges, opens lacework, and can even be used to add shaping to a garment that would otherwise hang flat and straight.
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Things You'll Need
- Spray bottle, garment steamer or steam iron
- Towel
- Blocking board
- T-pins
Instructions
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1
Moisten the knit item using any of several methods: Immerse it in a tub of water and gently lift it out without agitating it (agitation might cause wool or other natural fibers to felt); saturate it with a spray bottle of water; pass a steam iron over it on full steam, but without actually touching the hot iron to the knit fabric; or steam it until moist with a garment steamer. Avoid using the steam iron or garment steamer methods on acrylic fibers, which could met beneath the heat.
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2
Roll the dampened knit item in a towel, if necessary, to remove excess moisture. Don't wring, twist or squeeze the item or the towel it's wrapped in. Just lay the knitting out on the towel, roll it up, leave it for a minute or two, and unroll it.
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3
Lay the knitted garment out on a blocking board. If you don't have a blocking board, you can create your own by covering a large piece of foam with sturdy fabric.
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Pin the knitted fabric in the desired final shape, gently stretching -- if necessary -- as you go. If you're seaming pieces together, try to pin them together so you can both eyeball and measure to make sure the sides of the seams match. Depending on the fabric and type of yarn you'll end up using quite a few T-pins, spaced close together, to get straight, even edges.
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Leave your knitting in place until it's completely dry. Depending on the yarn and how you moistened it, this may take a couple of days.
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Tips & Warnings
If you've knit a garment in multiple pieces, blocking it before stitching the seams makes the seaming process easier. However, you can also help shape a garment by blocking it once it's fully assembled. Moisten the garment and stuff it to the desired shape with crumpled butcher paper or a towel. Remove the shaping material once the garment has dried.
