the mallory cowl pattern

today's guest poster is one of my besties - rebecca of the blog/shop nook.  she's the fastest knitter i know.  her hands literally could start a fire when she gets going.  she knits in the dark people...lol.  seriously...you just can't stop her.  we all love it about her and we also can't help ourselves from teasing her about it too (sorry becca...lol).  she pretty much knits no matter what she's doing. fo'reals. this gal doesn't stop.  she also teaches knitting.  i swear if she could knit in her sleep she could.  she's also my fave model...purdy lady..xoxox.  so who better to ask to chat about finishing all those fancy knits you're all cooking up than rebecca herself. 
ready to start blocking all those gorgeous sweaters you have all been making?  here's rebecca....
 
thanks so much shannon, for having me here! guys i have to say i'm so impressed and so proud of you all in this summer sweater knit along event. some of you made multiple sweaters! and some of you made your very first sweater! hurrah!! there's really something chest-pouffing ( it's a word i checked, so you ...ahem...don't have to *cough*cough*) about that first sweater you make for yourself, hey?
and since you've put in alll of that effort into your sweater. and allll of those hours... don't skimp out at the end! your very last step (unless you like to sew your buttons on as the very last step, like i do) is blocking.

block-wha? yah. blocking. it's really a very simple step to your knitting that essentially does to your knitting what ironing does to your clothes. just makes everything nice and smooth and even. and that's what we want.


last year, i actually had the opportunity to chat about blocking on the summer sweater kal, but this year i thought i'd show you more of what i like to do. there really are lots of ways to block your garment. depending on fibre choice, type of garment (bulky sweater, vs. lacy shawl) and lots of tools out there to help you out. for more tips and specifics on blocking check out my post here. it goes into lots more detail. but i do think that for sweaters, this way is pretty straightforward. :)

so let's get started. i'm a creature of habit, really. even if i've knitted something lacy (which doesn't happen often) i still do the full on soak in the sink block. it's what i do. it's what works for me.
i start off with my new fave blocking tool. eucalan. there are other things out there, like soak, and it works great too. the awesome thing with this is it's a conditioning treatment for your knitted work. so you don't have to rinse it out. yah. i love that! ok. so i just put about a half tsp maybe into the palm of my hand and throw it in the sink with the sweater, and some cool to lukewarm water. just fill'er up and let it become completely submerged. (you kind of need to push your sweater down a bit as wool likes to drink up all of the water.) just give it a good soak in the sink, and then gently squeeze out the liquid. do not wring it out. wool is very delicate when it's wet, be nice to it :)
then i just bring it on over to a towel in a separate room and i lay it out to the shape i want it to be in. not stretching it out too much. your knitting will grow a little when it's wet though. as it gets heavy with water.

there are blocking mats out there, but a towel works fine for me. then for this specific project i didn't think i needed too many pins. so i just pinned it down in a few spots. depending on the garment though, i sometimes use a lot more. the pins i have aren't special blocking pins. (shhh don't tell).
so basically i just block it to dimension and leave it alone. check it here and there with the fan on it, to make sure it's dry...

that's pretty much it! you only need to block once though, as wool has memory.
and now i have a very pretty sweater to wear. i think this has to be my fave cardi that i've knit. but it's really the little things that make me the most proud of it. and blocking is one of them :)
so there you have it! easy peasy, lemon squeezy. hope this helps you out in properly finishing your sweater(s) :) xo

thanks so much becca!  luv ya girlie!!!! you guys can find all things nook here:


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