How to Block a Chenille Sweater
Chenille is a fluffy yarn made by twisting loose fibers around a central core of nylon, cotton or polyester. These fibers then stand out, giving the yarn a plush feel and texture. Chenille is commonly used to make sweaters, scarves, gloves and hats because of the soft texture and the warmth of the yarn itself. A chenille sweater should not lose its shape upon washing as a wool or cotton sweater might because acrylic has excellent shape memory, but if you find you need to stretch your sweater out slightly, you can block it into shape. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Large towel
- Flat surface
- Rustproof pins
- Steamer or iron with a steam setting
- Water
Instructions
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Lie the towel on your bed or flat surface and put the sweater down on top of it. Try to center it as much as you can.
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Pin the front of the sweater out to shape with your rust-proof pins. Begin at the corners--pin the bottom of the sweater to the width you prefer, then pull the shoulders of the sweater up until it's as long as needed. Pin the waist into shape (if the sweater is shaped) and put pins in the cuffs of the sleeves to put them in place. The number of pins you use will be determined by your sweater's shape. To prevent scalloping on the edges, you may need to place five or six pins in a 1-foot run. This is especially important if you're trying to stretch the sweater.
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Fill the iron or steamer with water and set it to the lowest steam setting. Acrylics and other synthetics react badly to extreme heat, so you never want to overheat the yarn. Once the iron is ready, pass it over the sweater, not touching it or resting the iron on the fabric, but holding it about 1 inch above the surface, while producing steam. Do this until the sweater feels loose and pliable to the touch, which should take one or two full passes with the steamer.
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Allow the sweater to dry completely before unpinning it, flipping it over and doing the same to the back.
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Tips & Warnings
Never let the iron touch your chenille sweater because the heat can damage the fibers.
References
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
