Finally blocking!

[hlmauera]

Mom's travelling roses scarf. It's been done for over a week but I didn't have the blocking wires until tonight. It looks very cool even if it's upside down.

Comments

[hrothgar1.livejournal.com]

Beautiful!

[mr-nice-gaius.livejournal.com]

wow, that looks *really* lovely.

*complete nub question* So what's the blocking for? I assume there's more to it than just making things lie flat for a picture?

[alyxyn626.livejournal.com]

yaaaaaaaaaaaay.. another work of art! :)

[lady-anyanka.livejournal.com]

Lovely. Lucky recipient!

[hlmauera.livejournal.com]

Blocking can be as simple as laying things flat in the correct shape. However, lace usually looks like a bowl of spaghetti before it's blocked. Blocking evens out the stitches and brings definition to the work. You can see the rods in the picture above. To block lace, you soak the item to be blocked for 30 minutes at least, sometimes overnight. The water, especially with natural fibers, makes it soft and stretchy. Then you squeeze the water out with a towel (I wrap it in a towel and walk on it). The article is then stretched out to an appropriate shape. With a scarf or shawl, you don't have to worry about the dimension so you can "block it hard" pulling the yarn as tight as you can without causing it to break- this opens up the pattern. Then it is pinned in place, either solely with pins or with blocking wires (as above) that have been threaded through the outside edge and left until it is completely dry. With articles of clothing, blocking may not involve stretching but simply patting into the right dimensions.

And now you have WAY more information than you needed. ;>) I'll try to post a before and after so you have a better idea of the actual results.

[snortinsnorrie.livejournal.com]

That is really beautiful.

[mr-nice-gaius.livejournal.com]

Ah. That makes a lot of sense, thanks for the explanation.

The results certainly look good.