blocking: it's not just for lace
You know what a difference blocking makes in a knitted item. Lace is particularly dramatic because of the thin yarn and big holes and whatnot. How many bloggers have done one of those "before-and-after" posts chronicling the metamorphosis of a crumpled up piece of knitting into a gorgeous, ethereal shawl after a good soak and dry-out with blocking wires?
I've never done one of those posts, because I rarely knit lace. I love the look of lace knitting and knitted lace (and I do know the difference!) but to be honest, I find all those yarn overs rather tedious, and I can't really pull off wearing a shawl, I just can't.
But I am here to show you just how big a difference blocking can make in a regular ol' knitted sweater. Below is a picture of the two halves of my nearly completed Drambuie:
The piece underneath, the one with cables, is already blocked. And I don't mean I gave it a little misting with a warm iron. I soaked it for a good twenty minutes in Eucalon, spun it out in the washing machine, and laid it out carefully on a towel until it was dry. See how much better it looks than the piece on top? I don't think the gauge changed, but the knitting is smoother, the ribbing relaxed and you can really see the sheen of the yarn. Now all I have to do is block the second piece, sew them together, and do the ribbing around the sleeves. You'll be seeing an FO post for this one soon!
I've never done one of those posts, because I rarely knit lace. I love the look of lace knitting and knitted lace (and I do know the difference!) but to be honest, I find all those yarn overs rather tedious, and I can't really pull off wearing a shawl, I just can't.
But I am here to show you just how big a difference blocking can make in a regular ol' knitted sweater. Below is a picture of the two halves of my nearly completed Drambuie:
The piece underneath, the one with cables, is already blocked. And I don't mean I gave it a little misting with a warm iron. I soaked it for a good twenty minutes in Eucalon, spun it out in the washing machine, and laid it out carefully on a towel until it was dry. See how much better it looks than the piece on top? I don't think the gauge changed, but the knitting is smoother, the ribbing relaxed and you can really see the sheen of the yarn. Now all I have to do is block the second piece, sew them together, and do the ribbing around the sleeves. You'll be seeing an FO post for this one soon!
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