Blocking knitting is the finishing touch on a project – like the icing on a cake. It smooths out the knitted fabric, evens out your gauge, helps the project assume its final shape, and blooms the yarn.
Wet blocking knitting projects doesn’t need to be a mysterious or confusing process. There are many different wet blocking methods out there, and the basics of each method are the same: soak your finished item, squeeze out the water, and lay out the item to dry in the intended shape.
This guide will walk you through each step and maximize the efficiency of squeezing out the water with your washing machine!
What is the Point of Blocking?
Blocking knitting smooths out the knitted fabric, evens out your gauge, helps the project assume its final shape, and blooms the yarn.
Do you need to Block After Every Wash?
The first block is the most important. If you need to wash your item in the future, you can simply “reshape and lay flat to dry” just like the clothing labels state on your commercial sweaters.
Can Blocking Help an Item Grow or Shrink?
When you pin out your piece to the desired measurements, you can stretch it or squish it into place as needed. However, the yarn and the size of the project will have a lot to do with whether those dimensions hold.
For instance, superwash wool yarn tends to grow with gravity, so projects that hang (think sweaters, shawls, etc.) will stretch in that direction.
The heavier the project, the more growth there will be. In my experience, I have seen projects both growth and shrink with blocking.
What Happens if You Don’t Block Your Knitting?
Unblocked items tend to remain looking less professional than items that have been blocked. It’s as if the item is still in progress, or like it’s just a random craft. For some items, blocking isn’t 100% necessary (hats and socks come to mind), but blocking can still smooth the fabric, even out gauge, and bloom the yarn.
How to Wash and Block Knitting
Over the years, I’ve refined my method to be easier and more efficient. We are going to use the washing machine! If your washing machine is able to run ONLY the spin cycle, you are in for a treat! Keep reading to learn how to use this function to transform your blocking process. I think you will like it a lot better than the traditional method.
The photos in this article demonstrate blocking knit hats, but the methods apply to other projects, too.
This blocking method has worked for me with knitting, crochet, and weaving projects. I will primarily refer to knitting, but this method works equally well for crochet and weaving. Just sub in your craft of choice when I refer to knitting.
Regarding material, I have used this method for blocking super wash wool, non-super wash wool, cashmere, cotton, and everything in between.
Step 1: Soak Your Project
The first step of blocking your knitting is to soak the finished knitted piece in water and a little wool wash.
Select Your Vessel: Bucket or Bowl
To get the full benefits of the washing machine method, I recommend using a dedicated vessel, like a bucket or bowl. My bucket is ONLY used for blocking, and it’s great! If I’m blocking something really small, like a gauge swatch or baby hat, I’ll use a smaller bowl instead.
By using a separate container, I’m keeping my knits out of the sink or bathtub (ew!). And I can use the container to transfer the wet knitting to the washing machine without picking it up and risking the weight of the water stretching out the item.
Add a Little Wool Wash
There are many different wool washes out there; the key is to use one that doesn’t need to be rinsed out. Soak is my favorite wool wash for blocking.
Add Water in the Temperature of Your Choice
The temperature of the water is up to you based on what you’re trying to accomplish. Warm or even hot water is acceptable, but if you’re worried about color bleeding, cool water is best. When in doubt, refer to your yarn label.
Soak for At Least 15 Minutes
Add your item to the water and gently submerge it. You’ll want to soak your project for at least 15 minutes. This ensures that the wool is fully saturated with water and has a chance to rest, which helps to even out stitches. Soaking for longer is fine, too, it won’t hurt anything.
Step 2: Squeeze Out Water
After soaking your project, you’ll need to remove the excess water before laying it out to dry. This is where you can significantly improve the blocking process by using your washing machine!
Pour Out the Water
If your item is soaking in a container like a bucket or bowl, simply tilt the container to pour out the water while keeping the knitted item in the bowl/bucket. There’s no need to squeeze more water out of the item. The washing machine is going to do it for you!
Transfer to the Washing Machine
Gently pour the wet knitted item from the bucket into the empty washing machine drum.
Run the Spin Cycle
Set your washing machine to run the spin cycle ONLY.
This is the part of the washing machine cycle that uses centrifugal force to squeeze laundry around the side of the drum (like a salad spinner), forcing out remaining water before being moved to the dryer. It does not agitate the item, which is why it’s totally safe for your knitted items. We are going to use this function to squeeze excess water out of our wool.
This has three main benefits: excess water isn’t stretching out your knitted item when you pick it up, it’s easier to shape for blocking, and it will dry faster.
It is extremely important that ONLY the spin cycle runs. You do not want the machine to add water or agitate at all.
My washing machine lets me opt to run only the spin cycle, and I get to choose the spin level. I always go with low, and I’ve never felt that higher was necessary, but I don’t think it would hurt if you don’t have a choice. Your knitted item will be plastered to the side of the washer either way.
Please note that if your washer doesn’t give you the option of spin ONLY, you’ll need to use the standard method of squeezing out excess water with a towel.
Remove Your Item from the Washing Machine
When this spin cycle is finished, take out the barely damp project. The spin cycle is able to extract so much more water than rolling your project in a towel, and this is key for the next step.
Step 3: Shape Project to Dry
The final step is to lay out your project in the desired shape to dry. Because you used the spin cycle to extract as much water as possible, it will be easier to pin into the desired shape, and it will dry much faster.
Choose a Blocking Surface
Lay out the item on a surface where it can stay until it’s dry, like a blocking mat, also known as blocking boards, or a towel.
Pin out the item
At a minimum, you will want to use pins and a measuring tape to get your item to the right dimensions. To make the shaping even easier, I recommend using knit blocking mats with printed measurements and knit blockers. I have this set of knit blocking mats, and I absolutely love them.
Knit blockers are like several t-pins held together in a straight line. They help to get crisp, straight edges when blocking hems or straight borders. My set of blocking mats included knit blockers, too. You can also use a combination of t-pins and blocking wires. If you’re blocking socks, use sock blockers instead.
Refer to your knitting pattern’s schematic or measurements section to find the important measurements of your finished project. Garments tend to have several dimensions you need to match, accessories may only have one or two important dimentions. Be sure to follow the measurements for the size you made, and adjust accordingly if your gauge is different from the pattern. Pin your finished item to match these dimensions.
Allow the item to Dry Completely
Then leave your project out to dry completely. If you’d like, you can turn on a fan to speed up the process even more. Once dry, remove the pins.
Congratulations! Your item is officially blocked!
Final Thoughts
Block your knitting! I promise you’ll feel better about all of the work you put into your knitting when the stitches are all evened out.
For more knitting advice, see my Purls of Wisdom post.
