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Blocking

Blocking can temporarily solve a lot of problems. For most lace knitting and knitted lace blocking is a must; patterns open out, stockinette or garter field areas smooth, and the item reaches its intended (or maximum) size. Fair Isle and even one-color projects also benefit from blocking. Stitch size evens out, fabric smooths, and you can pick off lint and cat hairs while you're pinning out.

So yes, Suzee, scour out your scarf and pin it out on a flat surface to dry. You'll be glad you did, once its done.

And no, pretty much nothing behaves like acrylic. Working with wool and other natural fibers requires a different approach to finishing and to maintenance. The extra effort is certainly worth the extra effort, though.

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Reply to
Wooly
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Though this one isn't lace (double rib pattern) I'll try it out and hope for the best.

Thanks again.

sue

Reply to
suzee

On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:52:18 GMT, Wooly spewed forth :

Maybe I meant to say "the result is certainly worth the extra effort".

Har! That'll learn me to try to make sense before I've had coffee!

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Reply to the list as I do not publish an email address to USENET. This practice has cut my spam by more than 95%. Of course, I did have to abandon a perfectly good email account...

Reply to
Wooly

I kinda figured out what you meant anyway... heeee

sue

Reply to
suzee

As Wooly said, blocking helps anything made of wool (or silk, and even cotton, I've heard). It's weird, but even when the item stays the same shape and size, blocking makes it better.

The acrylic I've used has proven unblockable. Acrylic is okay for certain things but never use it for lace.

=Tamar

Reply to
Richard Eney

Oh no. That's why I've never blocked anything before. I've always used acrylic, nylon, orlon, poylester....

sue

Reply to
suzee

Oops. Well, maybe acrylics have improved since I tried it back in the 1960s. It may still be worth a try.

=Tamar

Reply to
Richard Eney

I love Lion's Jiffy (for some projects). It's a brushed acrylic that looks like mohair. I guess, having never seen real mohair. I still don't block things made with acrylic yarn either, there's no need for it.

sue

Reply to
suzee

Hi Sue,

Oh, I've just finished two granny square afghans with the jiffy and I love that yarn. I didn't use the thick just the regular. I've got enough of the Kitty Hawk left to make a one piece afghan with my N hook and a soft beige. I've put pictures of the two in my album this morning. That's a much better yarn then Homespun.

Hugs,

Nora

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Reply to
norabalcer

I don't normally block acrylics, as they are usually grandbaby sweaters which I simply sew up and send off. However, the other day I had some acrylic squares which I needed to be a precise size. Earlier, I had tried blocking some using the old pressing cloth method, and it flattened out the yarn too much for my taste.

This time, I pinned out the squares on my cardboard cutting board (which is marked in inches), then held the steam iron over them, not touching but about a quarter inch above them, and gave several spurts from the "burst of steam" button, then left them to dry thoroughly before I unpinned them.

It worked. The squares have stayed in position and size but have not flattened out.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Reply to
Olwyn Mary

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