How to wet block Echo Flower Shawl

Or any triangular shawl really.

What you need:
Sink or washing up bowl
A towel
Blocking wires
Pins (many)
Tape Measure
Large floor space or spare bed
30-45 minutes blocking time plus soaking time plus drying time

1) Soak the finished shawl.  I use only just warm to the touch water, swish some Eucalan wool wash in first then place the shawl in the sink. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes, or all day if you're easily distracted.

2) Collect the wet shawl from the sink and squeeze out as much water as you can. Wrap shawl in a towel and stand on it to squeeze some more water out. Best done in barefoot or crocs, otherwise you end up with damp socks.

3) Transfer to where you're going to end up pinning out the shawl.  I use my living room floor. Thread blocking wires along the longest edge (usually the top edge).  I use two wires, one for each half either side of the centre.

 Echo Flower Shawl doesn't have a yarnover edging so I used the central hole in each flower along the top edge, formed by the 2 into 9 or 3 into 9.

5) Spread the shawl out on the floor, evenly along the blocking wires. Pin the blocking wires at either end without pinning the shawl, to secure the blocking wire in place.

6) Measure the top edge either side of the centre and pin in place.  Don't be afraid to stretch a little.

7) Pin the centre spine in place, again stretching the fabric so the lace pattern opens up. Wool based yarns will have a bit more stretch than the pure silk I used. If the centre has a has a yarn over spine, you could thread it onto more blocking wires. Check the measurements and compare them to the pattern and to what you'd like.

8)  Ease one side of the triangle out and pin along the outermost flowers. Don't pin the edging for now.  Check weather you can stretch the pattern out even more.

9) Repeat for the other side.

10) Check the shawl looks reasonably symmetrical.

11) Pin out each point.  Start at the left edge and ease the points out until you reach the centre.  Repeat for the right edge.

12) Leave to dry.  Feel smug.

Patience

A little while ago, we bought materials to make a blocking board. Yesterday, we made it.
Wadding, a cork board, gingham fabric, upholstery pins and the essential radio, hammer and chocolates.

Laying the board over the wadding.


After two pins to semi secure the wadding, we decided to secure both layers at once. Liz had to hammer in all the pins. And do most of the rest of the work too but I was there to supervise. We trimmed the excess wadding and now have lots of little rectangles.



The back before so more trimming.

Look how pretty!


I chose the most fun coloured stripey material I could fins. The lines are approximately straight to help with straight lines when blocking.

Broadband and a desire for a blocking board

Knitting and chaos all over a dirty carpet? That must mean blocking.  I'm knitting a jumper in Fyberspates dyed DK yarn. It is crunchy and lovely and I think it is BFL.  I should probably know these things but right now it doesn't feel important as I am so close to making myself a lovely light weight jumper in happy inducing green.

 

Do you like the blocking process? I find that now I have some extra tools (blocking wires, plant spritzer, 1 billion pins) that it is easier but I've decided a proper blocking board with a marked grid for lining up all the bits that should be aligned is very important.  I bought a  notice board (pin board) that is 60cm by 90cm and showed it to my sister.  She has a recipe in a crochet book for making a blocking board which requires quilters' wadding and fabric to cover it so watch this space.