The Final Step of Your Knitting Project: Blocking

Blocking your finished knitting project makes a big difference in the appearance of your project!

If you have not blocked a finished knitting piece before, it's not hard...it just takes a little extra time but it's worth the effort.  I have written about blocking several times here on my blog but I thought it would be helpful to put all my tips in one place.

January 28, 2020 UPDATE:  CLICK HERE to read the updated version of this post on my new website.

Here's a step by step guide....

How to block a blanket or other knitting project:

1. After finishing your knitting, weave in all the ends on the back of your knitting.

First, weave in all the ends on the back of your knitting.

2. Soak the knitting in cold water for 20+ minutes in the kitchen sink, a large bowl or a large pot.

Place knitting in the sink and add cold water.

Soak the knitting in cold water for several minutes.

3. Pull the plug to allow the water to drain out.  Let the blanket sit for a few minutes to allow excess water to drain off a bit. Gently press out water but do not wring or twist the knitting.

Allow water to drain out of sink.  Let blanket sit for a few minutes to drain excess water.

4. Carefully transfer knitting out of sink and set on an old towel for a few minutes to soak up a bit of excess water.

Place knitting on an old towel to soak up a bit of the excess water.

5. Set up blocking mats on a carpeted or water resistant floor (don't set up on hardwood floors!).  Or, if you have space, set them up on a craft table or counter top with a water resistant surface.

There are lots of choices for blocking mats. I have two sets of POCO-DIVO "child play mats".  Each set includes nine 12" mats that fit together like puzzle pieces.  I have two sets so I have enough pieces to make a mat large enough to block large blankets. These were the most inexpensive option I could find when I purchased them.

There are other blocking mat products available...including this set of 9 grid style mats and T-pins or this set with grid lines and included T-pins looks very nice.

Another idea I learned from one of my customers is to use yoga mats or exercise foam mats for blocking...what a great 'multipurpose' idea!

If you do not have blocking mats...it is definitely possible to have good results without them.  You can set your blanket up on old towels or a sheet...just make sure the surface underneath is water resistant.  I blocked my Belleview Blanket without mats or pins...

Blocking without mats or pins can work out great too!

6. Carefully unfold the wet knitting and spread it out on the blocking mat.  At first your knitting will likely look a bit messy and uneven...

Place knitting on blocking mats...but don't leave it like this!

7. Next, carefully adjust the knitting so that the stitches on the edges and center of knitting are straight and even (or the desired shape).  Use the edges of the mat and a ruler as a guide to make the edges very straight.

If your finished knitting is supposed to be blocked to a specific size...use those dimensions as a guide to adjust your knitting to the desired size.  This might require "nudging" the stitches closer together if the knitting stretched out a bit when wet.

Check the stitches in the center of the blanket and adjust as necessary to make the rows straight and even.

Adjust knitting so edges & center of knitting are straight and even.

The blanket shown in the two photos above is my Over the Rooftops knitting pattern.  See more photos here on my blog of how much better this project looked after blocking.

8. Use rust resistant T-pins or other blocking pins to pin the edges in place.

Edges of my Third Street Blanket pinned in place.

9. Allow knitting to dry.  If desired, set up a small fan to expedite the drying process.  A worsted weight knitting project may dry within about a day.  However, a large blanket knit with super bulky yarn may take 2 to 4 days to dry depending on the yarn, air temperature, etc.  It's worth the wait!

10. Enjoy your finished knitting project!

In case you are wondering....why should I block my knitting project...here's a few thoughts...

Some projects will look just fine without blocking.  But, many projects look so much better after blocking.  Here's one of my favorite before and after blocking comparisons...

Before & after blocking my 'On the Map' blanket knitting pattern.

Before I blocked my 'On the Map' blanket the stockinette stitch section was sort of puckering and the entire middle section of the blanket looked 'lumpy' and unattractive.  The purl stitches that make up the 'dots' in the pattern were sinking...the blanket didn't look that great.

After blocking...the stockinette stitch area is completely flat and smooth...almost like it was ironed! The purl stitches that make up the 'dots' in the center pattern really pop.  And...the puckering situation is gone!  Here's another photo of this blanket after it was blocked...

On the Map blanket after blocking....I love how it looks!

I admit that I had never blocked any knitting projects until about two years ago.  I have been knitting since I was about 8 years old and worked in a yarn shop in college...and in all my years of knitting (including the many sweaters I made years ago!) I never learned to block my knitting.  Now I block almost every project and I continue to be amazed at how much better my project looks after taking the time to block the knitting.

I hope this tutorial is helpful to you! Happy knitting!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

Knitter's Questions: Clean Edges, Right & Wrong Side of Garter Stitch, and Knitting a Blanket with Circular Needles

Today I thought it would be fun to share some tips based on a couple questions that I received from knitters in the last few weeks.  I especially enjoy being able to help beginning knitters gain more confidence in their knitting.  Some of these questions might seem 'basic' to experienced knitters but I suspect other beginners might find these notes helpful.

Here's the three topics covered below...

1. How do you get such 'clean' edges in your patterns?
2. How do you identify the right and wrong side of garter stitch?
3. How do you use long circular knitting needles to knit a blanket?

How do you get such 'clean' edges in your patterns?

I tend to obsess about the edges! Here's the three things I focus on for the edges:

1. Pull the first stitch of each row a bit tighter: When I am knitting I pull the yarn a bit tighter when I work the first stitch of each row.  Some knitters like to slip the first stitch or the last stitch of a row...but I don't...especially on blankets or scarves that do not have seams.

Pull the first stitch of each row a bit tighter for a clean edge.

2. Change skeins of yarn mid-row: When I am knitting a blanket or other project where clean edges are important...I make mid-row transitions from one skein of yarn to the next. When a project doesn't have seams I would rather hide woven in ends in the middle of the row.

Weaving in ends on back of project...in the middle of rows.

3. Careful blocking: Taking the time to carefully block a finished blanket or other knitted object is essential. It's really important to carefully pin the knitting in exactly the shape desired with very straight edges so that the knitting will look the best when dry. I have written about blocking several times here on my blog including on this post and this post. (Scroll down a bit in both posts to find the step-by-step tips about blocking.)

Careful blocking includes pinning the edges in place.

In case you are wondering...the pattern shown in the photo above is my Third Street Blanket. Read more about the pattern here on my blog post.

How do you identify the right and wrong side of garter stitch? 

A couple of my blanket patterns have garter stitch edges.  For me, deciding on the right and wrong side when working with garter stitch is determined by my cast on row.  I use a basic long-tail cast on method and one side always looks better than the other.  I pick to have the "nice looking" side of the cast on edge be the right side (or front) of my knitting...and the side that doesn't look as nice is the wrong side.  Here's a couple close up photos:

Once you decide which side is the right and wrong side of your knitting, it can help to pin a marker on the knitting to help remember.  For example, in my Where the Sidewalk Ends and Westport Blanket knitting patterns, it is important to keep track of which side is the wrong side because that is where the main stitch changes are made. Pinning a marker or tying a loop of contrasting color yarn to the wrong side of your knitting will make it easy to remember which side is the wrong side.  (I need to use this tip because several times I have had to rip back several inches of knitting when I realized I had mixed up the right and wrong side!)

How do you use long circular knitting needles to knit a blanket? 

A few weeks ago I received a nice email from a knitter who was confused about the concept of using long circular knitting needles to knit a blanket. She had only used straight needles for knitting...and I think she realized that she would not be able to fit enough stitches on the straight needles to knit a large blanket. She said that she had a hard time visualizing how to use circular knitting needles to knit a blanket.  I'm so glad she emailed me...she said the info below helped her understand the concept!

Here's what I shared with her about knitting a flat piece with circular knitting needles...

To use circular needles for a big blanket you are really using them like super long straight needles...that happen to be connected by a long wire.  Cast on stitches the same way you do with straight needles.  Start knitting the same way you do with straight needles.  When you get to the end of the row of knitting...just turn your knitting around the same way you would with straight needles.

Circular needles are often used to make hats and knitters just keep knitting around and around and around so all of the rows are connected.  This is called "knitting in the round". Circular knitting needles can also be used to work "flat" knitting (as described in the last paragraph) and are especially helpful when working with a lot of stitches...such as knitting a blanket.  The other benefit of using circular knitting needles is being able to spread out and view your knitting as it progresses.

Using circular knitting needles to knit "flat" - it's easy!

In case you are wondering...the pattern in the photo above is The Parkway Pillow.  Read more about it here on my blog.

If you have not tried knitting with circular knitting needles, give it a try!  Many knitters, including me, use circular knitting needles almost all the time because you don't have the ends of long straight needles to manage.

Knitting flat...back & forth...on circular knitting needles.

If you have a question when working on one of my patterns please feel free to contact me. The best way to reach me if you have a question is to use the email address provided in the pattern.  I usually check my email multiple times a day and try to respond in a timely manner.

I love hearing from my knitting customers! It's so fun to hear how knitters plan to use my patterns as gifts for others including...knitting blankets to donate to a charity that is meaningful to them, making a blanket for a grown child moving into their first apartment or a grandchild going off to college, or knitting a blanket in anticipation of welcoming a new baby to the family.  It means so much to hear that knitters are using my patterns to commemorate milestone moments in their family's lives!  And...I am often touched to tears when I read about the meaningful charities where my customers are donating their hand knit blankets.

Thank you for sharing your stories with me. I love hearing from you by email (my email address is in all of my patterns and it's the best way to reach me with questions!), comments here on the blog, or through Ravelry or Etsy messaging. Drop me a line anytime!

Happy knitting!

Mary Lee
Fifty Four Ten Studio

p.s. Here's one more tip...I just finished reading "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles.  It's very good!  This author also wrote "Rules of Civility"...also a great book! (Blanket in photo below is my Westport Blanket.)

A good book & a cozy, hand knit blanket go together!

Knitting Tutorial: M1L & M1R Increases

There are several ways to increase stitches when knitting.  

This tutorial focuses on the "make one" technique which can be used to make a left leaning stitch or a right leaning stitch.

This tutorial is for increases made with knit stitches (not purl stitches)...working knitwise.

How to: M1L = make one stitch left leaning (knitwise)

Make one (1) stitch by picking up the ladder stitch from the front and knitting through the back of the stitch. 

Step by step instructions...

1. Separate the needles slightly to locate the ladder between stitches:

Step 1: locate ladder between stitches

2. With the left hand needle, pick up the ladder by inserting needle from the front towards the back.

Step 2: pick up ladder stitch from the FRONT

3. Knit this picked up stitch by inserting the right hand needle through the back of stitch.

Step 3: insert right hand needle through BACK of stitch

4. Wrap the right hand needle and complete as for a knit stitch.  One new left leaning stitch made!

Step 4: wrap right hand needle & complete as for a knit stitch

How to: M1R = make one stitch right leaning (knitwise)

Make one (1) stitch by picking up the ladder stitch from the back and knitting through the front of the stitch.

Step by step...

1. Separate the needles slightly to locate the ladder between stitches:

Step 1: locate the ladder between the stitches

2. With left hand needle, pick up the ladder by inserting the needle from the back towards the front.

Step 2: insert needle from the BACK to pick up ladder

3. Knit this picked up stitch by inserting the right hand needle through front of stitch.

Step 3: knit by inserting right hand need thru FRONT

4. Wrap needle and complete as for a knit stitch.  One new right leaning stitch made!

Step 4: wrap needle & complete as for a knit stitch

Here's an example of completed M1 stitches: