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!
24 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
It’s Leonor here! I’m using my phone and it might not show my name.
I too had no idea what a hap was before this, but apparently it’s a common-ish thing here in Scotland… I still call it a shawl on occasion 🫢
The wires are called Lacaza, they come in a set with the pins. Not cheap, but worth it! I hope you find them ☺️
Well I did ask Mr Google what Lacaza wire was and got some Amazon links to “Lacasa 12V 2A Power Supply for LED Strips, Transformer AC 200-240V to DC 12V Driver Converter Adapter 24W with 5ft/1.5m Long Cable”
🤔Somehow I don’t think that’s what you were using.
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.
Thanks! It was more the question of how long it took me than how complicated it was ☺️
As for Kenya, I really do have abnormal cats – neither her nor Marshmallow jump on counters, care for boxes or mess with wool. It’s like winning the lottery twice 😱😅
Your hap(??) is beautiful! Love the color and thought your work was amazing even before being stretched!
Thanks! That red really is lovely and the cashmere makes it sooo soft 🥹
I’m finding it fun that I wasn’t the only one who had no idea what a hap was before making this one!
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.
I promise it’s not too complicated! Did you start with a shawl as your first project? That might’ve been the issue… maybe a scarf? However, I’d love to see the zigzag shawl, it sounds like fun! ☺️
That is gorgeous and the blocking really makes such a difference. I have blocked some felt pieces to make them square/rectangular but I have never blocked lace before. Well done!
Thanks, Ruth! Lace really doesn’t come to its own until it is blocked 🙂
Your hap is beautiful Leonor. Hap is a word used in Shetland for a shawl.
I am just getting back into knitting and I am hoping to graduate to a shawl next year!!!!!! lol I may be sending out an sos.
Thanks for the clarification, Marie! I’d forgotten why the name Hap existed.
I’m more than happy to help! Looking forward to seeing your shawl 😀
Hi Leonor,
First of all, LOVE your colour choice. Today I learned a new term, namely Hap (I think I might use this in a pub quiz and only tell a few what it is!)
What a good little kitty you have in Kenya. I thought she might be tempted to run to you but no, she is so well behaved.
Beautiful piece, I wish you years of joy wearing it Leonor.
Helene x
Thanks, Hélène! That colour really is marvellous, isn’t it? Love me a good deep red.
I’m glad Marie (in the comment above) reminded me what a hap was, I’d completely forgotten…
Kenya moves for two things: food, and food. I didn’t have either, so she remained still 😀 x
Kenya sounds like our pup pup, Archie – his one motivation is food. My poor little pet is now considered by our vet to be blind and sometimes he can’t find food if it is on the floor. I think he may have peripheral vision if I come in with the food from his left side – that way he is less likely to chomp my hand off!
Oh poor Archie! And poor you (or your hand, at least…) I’m surprised he can’t smell the food. Maybe pair the feeding with a bell, like an amateur Pavlov? Gentle pats to the pup 🙂
Thanks Leonor. There’s actually not a bother on him. He is treated royally. After months of telling his stupid humans that he was sick and tired of his kibble (to be fair, he’s been on it for years!), his female slave here cooks his meals and he’s back excited about meal time.
There will be no weight loss on my watch!
Beautiful is all I can say. I wonder what hap is short for, if anything. Like Ruth I have block a few felt pieces but never anything so big. Is it for yourself or will you sell it and make your fortune? how lucky you are to have well behaved cats.
A hap is the word used for shawl in Shetland! (Thank you, Marie, for reminding me.)
This was a long block indeed, but it might have not been the longest I’ve ever done 🙂 I like knitting shawls/haps!
To sell this would mean I’d have to charge an absurd amount of money to justify the cashmere yarn and the hours it took me to make the thing! Better to keep it and warm my neck 😉
Like I told Hélène, Kenya only moves for food – I’m generally safe if I don’t have any on me! Hehe.
Such a beautiful hap, Leonor (no, I’d not heard of it before either): gorgeous colour and the lace is just lovely. I’ve never blocked anything so I’ve nothing to bring to that party but to admire your exquisite work and the dedication you’ve put into blocking it.
Thanks, Lindsay! We need to use the word Hap more often, it sounds… exotic (well, does it count if it’s coming from our Shetlands?)
You know that saying about a knitting garment not being finished until the ends are woven in? A shawl/hap isn’t either without having been blocked 🙂 It’s the only thing giving me strength to do it, haha!
L, your Hap (I’ve not heard that word before & was married to a Scot for 14 yrs!) is beautiful, both in colour and it’s delicate execution. I hope it will be something you enjoy for many years to come.
What will your next challenge be?
Blocking. Yes, I’ve blocked old lace including Victorian lace. My technique, which like you involved a lot of scrabbling around on the floor, was to place a cotton tea towel on top of the carpet, then to stab dress makers pins at an angle into the carpet.
Heath Robinson but it worked a treat. Sadly I didn’t have the benefit of being observed by a Kenya 😜
Gasp, how did the Scot not elevate your puny non-Scottish knowledge? (Funnily enough, I learned the word from an Englishwoman!)
My next – or rather, current – challenge is writing this with a cat blocking the path to the keyboard 🙂 If Kenya tends to not approach unless there is food, Marshmallow follows her name to the letter and likes to cling to me at every opportunity.
Victorian lace, how exciting! I too have done the pin-it-to-the-carpet technique, it worked very well until certain felines decided the thing on the floor was clearly designed for their rest and they proceeded to lay on it and fill it with cat hair. Sigh.
Have I put you off cats? 😀