I've got a block on blocking

[chocolatetrudi]

I dyed the Thneed today. After getting out the camping stove, I found that I couldn't get the dial on the gas bottle to turn on. By then I had already put the dye and fabric in the pot, so it got hauled inside to the kitchen stove

Comments

[ph8]

oooh! the stripey summer top looks lovely! what great colours :)

Hope the thneed blocking works out! And, um, what's blocking? :) Is it painfully obvious I'm not a knitter or what?

[chocolatetrudi]

It's... er... hmm, maybe it's too early in the morning for explanations.

Correct me if I'm wrong, you knitting experts out there!

Blocking helps sets the shape of the garment. Natural fibres sometimes change when they're wet for the first time. Sometimes they fluff up, sometimes they 'relax' (as in the case of the jumper that gains a foot in length when it's washed). If the garment is set in the shape it should be at the time, the chances of it staying that way are better.

You get the garment wet, either by handwashing or by gently steaming, then you leave it to dry on a flat surface in the shape it's supposed to take. With jumpers, I generally lay them on a towel and just pat into a good shape. Some people measure it up to make sure it matches the garment measurements in the pattern. Some people even block the pieces before sewing them up.

[ph8]

Ah, that makes sense... Thank you :D