The magic of blocking lace
Ah, lace.
Occasionally I crave a knitting challenge, so lace patterns (preferably with a chart) grab my attention and I just need to finish that thing and see it in all its glory.
Unlike a run-of-the-mill stocking stitch jumper/sweater however, lace looks absolutely dreadful and underwhelming before it’s blocked. If I were to show my finished lace project to a non-knitter and ask for their opinion, I’m sure they’d wonder why I wasted so much time hand making something so wrinkly and ungainly.
Give it a warm bath, a gentle squeeze and some vigorous stretching with wires however, and the thing blooms into beauty.
I recently decided to use some of my stashed lovely Mongolian cashmere yarn. As it happens, I saw a pattern in my LYS that I really enjoyed and cast on. A Hap for Harriet is a simple enough knit, with a lace border to keep you entertained.
Looks quite underwhelming, doesn’t it? The stitches have no particular definition or structure. There’s something missing. No wonder, it’s not blocked yet! Out come the foam mats, the pins and the blocking wires. Mine have memory, so they move as I want them and go back to their original structure, giving me more control than the wires I usually see for sale.
After a warm soak in wool wash, this hap was quite vigorously stretched. I showed it no mercy! It showed no mercy to me either, I was doing this on the floor on my knees. There’s other things I’d rather be doing in my mid-40s… my poor back. The sacrifices one makes for one’s craft.
This was a big one. Kenya in the background for extra cuteness and (maybe) size reference. I wonder what was going on in my cat’s mind as she saw me on the floor practicing human shenanigans…
After a couple of days of drying under tension, my lovely hap is now looking amazing and cosy! I do have to say though, a while after I’d finished blocking it a friend told me cashmere should be rubbed when being washed, so the fibre can bloom and make it extra fuzzy. Lovely to know, thank you, but I’m definitely not soaking this thing again for a long time… blocking is magical but also a lot of hard work!
Do you love or hate blocking? Any tips to share? Tell me in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
4 thoughts on “The magic of blocking lace”
That hap (what’s a hap?) looks really beautiful. I’m surprised that Kenya didn’t try to help you lay it out, s/he must be very well trained – or very lazy. 😏
Those wires really look useful. Can you recall where you got them? Is something similar still available? I once made a circular lace table cloth in fine crochet cotton and blocking it is a nightmare, 🤬. I could do with a nice long piece of wire which would do some the of the work for me.
Ann
Your hap is absolutely gorgeous! A lot of work to be sure but well worth it 🙂
Can’t believe Kenya didn’t fancy taking a roll around on it while it was being blocked.
Your hap(??) is beautiful! Love the color and thought your work was amazing even before being stretched!
Oh my gosh… so much work but so beautiful! I have to admire anyone who can knit and read the patterns. I was wooed by a vendor that said it was easy and I bought a shawl pattern and the wool. When I finished, it was the shape of a zig zag.