Blocking can sometimes be a… contentious subject when you get into knitting groups. Some people hate it, some people love it, some people don’t even know what it is. So let’s chat about whether you need to block all of your knits and some different methods.

What is blocking and why is it important?

Blocking is used as a finishing process to give the knitted piece the finished measurements and to relax the fibers. It will change the look of the item and the feel of the yarn. Blocking keeps your knits at the desired measurements until you wash them again, where you will again lay it out flat.

How do I block my knits?

There are 2 methods that are commonly used and both have application that are ideal for certain situations.

Wet Blocking

Wet blocking is where you essentially wash your sweater (gently) in a lukewarm bowl or sink of water with a little bit of wool wash, roll it into a towel and press to get excess water out, then lay it out on a blocking mat and pin it to desired size until dry.

The pros of this method is that it is very reliable and easy. The cons are that it can take a long time to dry, especially if you live in a humid place. It also does not work very well for synthetic fibers.

Steam Blocking

This is my favorite method. With steam blocking you pin your project dry to the blocking mat and using either the steam function of your iron or a clothing steamer you run the steam over every inch of the project. You can see the fibers relax as the steam touches it, which always amazes my kids.

The pros of this method are that it is super fast. The dry time is maybe 15 minutes as opposed to hours or even days. It also works great for synthetic fibers because it essentially heats up the plastics in them so they reshape permanently. Kind of like when you go to get your eyeglasses fitted at the optometrist. They use a heat gun to mold and shape the plastic and it stays that why pretty much permanently. The cons are STEAM IS HOT! I think I burn myself a couple times a year steaming knits. Not badly, but enough that I feel pretty silly that I was being careless.

Do you have to block everything?

This is a super common question. The short answer is no.

There are some certain things that I will say yes, you should always block though. Some examples of knits that really require blocking to get the finished project to look as it is intended: anything with lace, sweaters, shawls, dresses, skirts.

Some projects that I personally feel you can skip blocking: socks, tights, mittens, afghans and blankets

Having said that, there are exceptions to every rule.

You may find that a pair of mittens or socks really need blocking to look their best, or maybe you have a shawl that you made with super chunky yarn and like it as is. The beauty of knitting is it’s art and you can break the “rules” when you feel it is best for the desired look of the piece. You’ll just “know” when it needs it and when you can probably forgo the added process as you get more experienced.

What about you? Do you block everything? Somethings? Nothing? And what method do you use?

You can find the links to all my patterns (like the Adult September Cardigan you see in all the images above) by heading over to the Knitting Pattern page.