Blocking - Why and How {TUTORIAL}
- Ker
- Jul 26, 2017
- 3 min read
Having taught myself crochet around 3 years ago, I never thought that blocking would be such an integral part of the process. I only discovered it recently, and my God, it's been a saviour for my work.
Blocking a crochet or knitted piece gives your item its shape and keeps your hard work neat and tidy. It also helps smooth out the wrinkles you may find, it's a little bit like ironing, but without damaging or melting the fibres. It's EXTREMELY easy to do, like, shockingly easy, and it doesn't take up too much time or money. All the items you need you may already have at home, this includes a foam board (kids jumbo jigsaw pieces and garden knee pads work the best), wooden or metal skewers used for food, a spray bottle and a bit of time! Simple. These methods that I am about to show you are best for square, rectangular, triangular or whatever shape projects you like! Blankets, scarves galore! The only thing I don't block is my amigurumi, unless they're wearing their own little scarves of course.
ESSENTIALS
When I first came across blocking, I thought it would require some fancy kit. Don't get me wrong, you can get some awesome blocking boards handmade by expert crafters from Etsy, but if like me, you haven't got the money for such things, a garden knee pad and some wooden kebab skewers will do the job.
This is what is currently on my blocking "board".
The foam kneeling pad was around £1.50 and a pack of 100 skewers were £1, both from Home Bargains.
I also recommend a spray bottle, which are readily available from the cheaper shops on the high street or even EBay.
METHOD
First off, you need to sew in any of those pesky loose ends. I have attempted to block without doing so first, and once sewn in the ends seem more noticeable, so make sure that is done first and foremost.
Secondly, poke a skewer trough a corner of your work trying not to catch any fibres on the wood (this happens a lot with the cheaper kebab skewers, but don't fret, it's usually unnoticeable after blocking is complete). Once you have the skewer in position, press it into the foam. Next, slide a skewer in another corner, pull your work tight and push that one. Repeat until you have a nice, tight and flat square.
Thirdly, spritz that granny square with water, and don't be too scared to go over the top with the water, it'll block better the more you use.
Finally, leave those perfectly formed squares to sit until they're dry (I usually block at night so I can join in the morning), gently remove the skewers and there you have it. Perfect granny squares.
BLOCKING LARGER ITEMS
I wanted to block the Caron Cakes scarf from last week (here) and this is my process. Others may do it differently, but this is what I do when achieving the perfect look for my work.
First off, I start by blocking first thing in the morning. I get a box of cherry pins (mine are from Hobbycraft, yes, I splurged once!) then I clear the duvet off my bed. I lay down two or three towels and pin my work on top of them.
As you can tell from the image above, I have pinned the scarf down at the corners and at random places on the edges. Spray very thoroughly with water and leave to dry.
As you can see, it's very much like the process with the smaller squares but on a larger scale!
I hope this helps with any of your blocking fears and worries. If anyone has any other suggestions, please feel free to let me know in the comments!
Have a great week
Ker
Comentarios