How to Block - Crochet Blocking Basics (2024)

Getting Started

You’ll need a blocking board, rustproof pins,a steamer or steam iron, a spray bottle,and your yarn or thread labels. A blocking“board” needs to be a flat surface that’s largeenough to hold the piece or pieces you wantto block. Pieces should not hang over theedges of the blocking board.

If you don’t have, or can’t find, a commerciallymade blocking board, it’s easy to create yourown. The free blocking video includes a detailed tutorial on how to make your own inexpensive blocking board. Purchase a piece of plastic foam insulationboard at your local home-improvementcenter or foam board from an office-supplystore. In choosing the size, keep in mindthat while a larger board can block morepieces, it may be difficult to store. It might bebetter to purchase several smaller boards.

Cover the board with a thick towel and thenwith a clean cotton cloth, both of which havebeen washed so that they will not bleed ontoyour work. While solids usually work best,you can use a fabric with a large check printor stripes in order to have a blocking guide.

Your blocking board will need to be in alocation where it can remain undisturbeduntil the blocking is finished, which canrange from just a few minutes to more thana day, depending on the circ*mstances.The board needs to be able to handle pins,moisture and heat. To block large items suchas afghans or shawls, for example, a guestroombed or a large, well-padded table—evena sheet-covered carpeted floor—work great.

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Choose Your Method

Blocking methods may be described as wet,dry or cold. The actual method you choosewill vary depending on yarn content, finaluse and your own preferences.

Consult the yarn label. If different fibers havebeen combined in the same item, the mostdelicate fiber takes precedence. Most naturalfibers such as wool, cotton, linen and mohairmay be either wet- or dry-blocked. Somesynthetic fibers do not benefit from blockingand may, in fact, be ruined by carelessblocking. Novelty and metallic fibers mayneed special care and may not be suitablefor blocking.

While it’s always advisable to make a test swatchfor any pattern to check gauge, an added benefitto making a swatch is that you will also havea piece to practice blocking to make sure youare using the proper method. For example, didyou know that too much heat can “kill” acrylicyarn, making it shiny and limp? It’s better towreck a swatch than a whole afghan.

Wet blocking is suitable only for those fiberswhich tolerate submersion. Wash thepiece first, if desired, or thoroughly wet itand gently squeeze out excess water. Donot wring or twist! For two-diminsionalpieces, lay the piece out flat, and gentlypat and shape it into the desired finishedmeasurements. Pin the piece securely inplace using rustproof pins or blocking wires.For 3-D pieces, stuff the piece with rolled upplastic grocery bags or other waterproofstuffing. For round pieces, blowing up aballoon to the desired size inside the itemworks well. Leave the piece undisturbeduntil it is completely dry. You can hasten thedrying process by setting up a fan to blowover the area.

Dry blocking is suitable for fibers which cantolerate moisture and heat (steam). Pin thepiece into the desired shape and size on theblocking board. Pins should be close togetherand evenly spaced so as not to distort thefabric. Blocking wires also work well.

Smooth all seams and areas that are puckered orrippled as much as possible with your fingers.Holding a steamer or steam iron an inch ormore above the item, steam the fabric well.Move the iron slowly over the surface, neverallowing it to touch the fabric; do not press.After steaming, leave the piece undisturbeduntil it is completely cool and dry.

Cold blocking can be used for fibers which cantolerate moisture but not heat. Pin the pieceinto shape on the blocking board as you didfor dry blocking. Mist with a spray bottleof clean water until the piece is completelywet. If stubborn areas resist lying flat, useadditional pins as needed or press with yourhand for a few seconds (it’s amazing how thegentle warmth from your skin can help!). Leavethe item undisturbed until it is completelydry. Again, a fan can help speed things up.

Tips for Blocking Afghans & Other Large Pieces

Afghans and other large crochet pieces, suchas tablecloths, bedspreads and shawls, caneasily be blocked on a bed with a firm orextra-firm mattress, on a large, well-paddedtable, or on a clean, carpeted floor.

Arrange the piece into a nice, even shape to therequired or desired measurements, takingcare not to overstretch or distort the shapeof the piece. Using rustproof pins, pin alledges down securely around the entire piece.If any stubborn areas don’t want to lie downsmoothly, adding a few extra pins in thesespots usually does the trick.

If desired, the piece can be dry-blocked aspreviously instructed. But, for large piecessuch as these, you can also achieve beautifulresults by blocking without the use of steam.

Using a large spray bottle of chemical-freewater, mist the piece thoroughly until it islightly wet (semi-saturated). Use your handto gently press each area as it is sprayed. It’samazing how just the heat from your skinacts like a low-heat iron of sorts on wet yarnor thread, but without the possible damageto yarn fibers that an iron can cause.

After the piece is thoroughly wet down and“hand-pressed,” have a fan blow on theproject until it’s completely dry. The resultswill be beautiful!

Now that you know the different ways to blockyour projects and which method works bestfor each, you’ll feel more confident to takethat extra step and give your projects a morefinished look with the results you desire. But,don’t forget to practice on a test swatch first!