I’ll be the first to admit I’m not terribly good at blocking my knitting. Even though I’ve been doing it for a while I’m never sure if I’m doing it quite right. I’ve read all the Reddit threads, I’ve looked at videos, I’ve read other blog posts. Most everything I’ve ever blocked has come out flat like their supposed to. And yet the lingering worry remains that I am somehow blocking my knitting wrong.
For the baby blanket I am currently blocking I used the following items : Clover Fork Blocking Pins, Jalan steel T pins and interlocking blocking boards
I use Knitter’sPride knit blockers for blocking occasionally but they are better for straight edges so I’m not using them for this circular blanket.
I first ran the baby blanket through the washer with a little bit of gentle detergent in order to make sure the blanket is clean and to makes the blanket just a little damp. Once the blanket finished washing I laid out the blocking mats in the size for the blanket. Because it’s acrylic yarn I’m less interested in trying to shape the blanket and more interested in making sure the blanket dries flat and evenly. When I was knitting it the blanket got bunched up often and the edges ended up curling a lot, something that I’ve seen when making other circular blankets. Blocking should help the edges lay flat.
I like to use the steel T pins for corners and the smaller picots in the border as it allows me to use the the fork blocking pins in the larger points in the shell edge of the blanket.
Now comes the hardest part: waiting. Usually I try to keep the blocking mats on either a small card table or in an out of the way corner since I don’t really have a specific crafting room where I can put them out for long periods. This sometimes means things can get a little crowded but I’ve gotten pretty good at maneuvering around self-made obstacles.
Once it’s finally dried I’ll pull up the pins to make sure it is as flat as I want it to be and then fold the blanket and put it into storage with the rest of the other baby blankets I’ve made. A little anti-climactic but the goal is to have baby blankets on hand for when I get news of a friend expecting, so here’s to all those future children.
