Lay your knitting down on the surface with the right-side facing up. Begin carefully stretching the fabric to fit the size and shape you need. Set your iron to the lowest temperature that allows steam. Once it has heated, hover it slightly above the surface of the protective cloth and steam the entire garment in an “up and down” motion. You can also use a steamer for this process if you have one.

Some purists might say absolutely, but honestly I don’t think it’s necessary in every project. It really depends on what it is and what it’s going to be used for. Repeat the same process, but lengthwise. Fold the garment in horizontal sections and pull it from top to bottom, stretching out the fabric. At this point, the stitching should start to look a little neater. When pinning out finished garments (rather than flat pattern pieces), you may just want to focus on specific areas which may need more shaping. If you’ve read any of my posts on gauge, you will know that I am a fan of always making a swatch for any crochet item which needs to fit. Water – you can soak your project in a clean bowl, basin, sink or bath, and you may also find a simple spray bottle usefulSteam is an alternative way to get a small amount of moisture into your fabric. The added element of heat can be used to create shape and additional drape on your fabric. Please take all the necessary safety precautions when working with steam appliances and follow manufacturer guidelines. First you will add 1 wire on each side of your project. Then either pin the wires out flat to shape or hang the piece from one of the wires, depending on the shape you’re working with. The next pin(s) should go half way across the gaps between pins and so on until you have your straight edges.

Allow the fabric to dry completely before removing your pins or moving the garment. This will usually take between 24 and 48 hours. If it takes any longer, start the process again or it may begin to smell.I aim to reassure you too, that it’s not as intimidating as it can seem. And in addition to my normal disclaimer, as I so often find in crochet, there is rarely only one correct approach. It is also used to evenly shape pieces; whether they are panels for a sweater or simple granny squares, finished items look a whole lot better if their parts are neatly shaped. Repeat the process until you have hidden any obvious mistakes and made your stitchwork as uniform as you’d like it.

The precise approach to pinning will depend on the shape and style of the garment you’re working with, but I wanted to include this image to give you an idea. Once you have the pins in the centre of the sides, continue to evenly shape the fabric, then you can add the pins in the corners. They are essentially boards with holes drilled into them at regular intervals, like peg boards, into which tall solid doweling type ‘pins’ (pegs) will fit. If you are working with a larger or more complex shape, this process can take a while as you may need to adjust pins as you shape your work. Especially if you’re working with lace patterns. Lightly spray the fabric with clean, lukewarm water from a spray bottle. Aim to dampen and relax the yarn fibers without completely saturating them.Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. If you have any particularly large holes, uneven stitches, or mistakes, pull on the surrounding stitches to distribute the yarn more evenly. That’s a simplistic example which gives you an idea of the variation. It’s hard to be definitive about which projects will retain the best stitch memory, but it’s the kind of thing that becomes more intuitive with experience. So give it a try!

Once you have allowed the fabric to fully soak, carefully squeeze out the excess water and lay it flat on a towel. Gently roll up the fabric in the towel and give it a soft press to take most of the water out. It may feel counterintuitive, but do not put your first pins in the corners. Pin in the centre of the sides and keep opening up the fabric out towards the corners. If you plan to pin your knitting in place, choose a cushioned flat surface like a yoga mat, ironing board, bath mat, cushion, carpet, or a bed. If your project is small enough, you can even use a corkboard.

How to Block Your Knitting Without a Board, Mat, or Pins

As the fabric dries, it will retain the size and shape it was pinned to. 6. Seam the Pieces Together It is a very effective way to even out tension and, especially for open work, to really show off the pattern. You will see here that there are dips in the fabric between the pins. Carry on using your fingers to manipulate that fabric and place the next pins half way between the previous pins. To use them, you weave the sides of your fabric onto the wire (think of the tip of the wire as a yarn needle) at regular intervals, spreading one side out evenly over the wire Throughout the instructions, I have given some guidance about the best method for different fibres but I wanted to take a moment to clarify this.