A Long Dog Wool Video Tutorial

Blocking is the process we put our finished crochet and knit items through to even out the stitches and give it a professional ‘finished’ appearance. If you’ve ever looked at your wavy, puckered creation and wondered how others get theirs so nice and even, it could be that blocking is the missing process you are looking for. There are primarily two types of blocking – wet blocking and steam blocking. Wet blocking works best for natural fibres like wool and cotton while steam blocking is useful for acrylic and other synthetic fibres.

Wet blocking involves soaking the items in warm water, then shaping and pinning them in place – either using a blocking board, or using a foam mat and pins. Once the fabric is pinned in place, it is left alone until it is completely dry. This process sets the “memory” of the fibres resulting in straight, even edges and a lovely finish.

The video below demonstrates how to wet block using both methods – a blocking board and a foam mat with pins.

While blocking will not correct mistakes you may have made, it does help take your work from amateur to professional! So the next time you finish hooking or knitting an item, trying wet blocking it and see the difference it makes! Happy hooking!