Excellent demo on blocking a pullover sweater: much needed in the community. Your secrets to fold the sweater and mark the pins on the board are extremely helpful.
Thank you for this video. Blocking is not my strong suit. I am working on a sweater in the round right now and so this video is perfect. I really appreciate it.
Just finished my Zweig and was looking for a video on how to block lace in the round... How convenient to see how you block the same sweater! Thanks a lot for the perfect video!
I can’t thank you enough for this most timely video! I just finished knitting the Love Note for my daughter and I want to make sure that I block it properly as I am a relatively new knitter. I often refer to your videos for knitting information. I am certainly one of your subscribers.
I am just finishing up this sweater. I too absolutely love this pattern. Took me 3 tries to get the lacework right but I persevered and so glad that I did. I cannot wait to block it!
Thank you for this very informative video. What a great idea to measure out your sweater first with pins before you block. Your sweater is beautiful, and I love how you continued the color work in the cuffs. This video was perfect, because I was going to cast on my Zweig today!
How fun! You will love the pattern. I am almost tempted to knit another one! Thank you! Be sure to share my videos and subscribe if you haven't already. Happy knitting.
Thank you for the video. It gives me encouragement to use superwash yarn. I just soaked a superwash ribbed hat (I used hot water and let the hat soak until water was cool) and then lay it to block. Didn't stretch it or anything--but it relaxed and it's too big! I swore off superwash then and there! Now I see you successfully block a SW sweater, so perhaps I won't ban SW after all!🙂
The trick is controlling the fabric while it is wet. If it accidentally is allowed to stretch while it is wet, it takes quite a bit of effort to get it back to the size you want. Not impossible, but tedious.
Oh my, I wish I’d seen this before I blocked my latest sweater today 🤦♀️. I hate blocking and trying to get the dimensions correct but it now makes perfect sense to pin out on the boards first. Will definitely be using this technique next time. Thank you so much 🙏🤗👍
Your zweig is beautiful. Its on my list to do along with so many otbers. Blocking video so helpful. I used your tips to block my heart of glass sweater which i wore today to VKL in SF. I got so many complaints which really felt good. I'll be posting pictures soon to my ralvery projects. I joined your KAL for the cardigan and purchased my yarn today at VKL. I can't wait to show you. Have a great day!
Thanks again for a great video! Measuring out the pins to the sweaters dimensions is brilliant and very helpful. I never knew about this. These simple techniques make a huge difference in the blocking process. Many thanks!
just what I needed My foist top down all in one . Was a bit worried how ito block it I think I have made a mistake in the past and let the sweater stretch before blocking. Will start folding in future Thanks
Love this video. Those colors are perfect for you; not by accident, I know. I'd like to see a photo of you wearing it, just to see how perfect your color choices are. Congrats!🙂
Some day I will get a photo of it on me. I am usually the one behind the camera and have a hard time finding someone to get photos of my sweaters on me. Thank you so much Joan. Happy Knitting!
@@SuzanneBryan Oh, thank you. In the intervening time I found & looked at your Rav project page. Those photos are just fine. I will imagine you wearing it. That's a beautiful image.😁🥢🧶
Another great video. Thanks so much for making these. I wanted my next project to be a sweater knitted in one piece and this is perfect. Question: Do you not pin the sweater once it's laid out the way you like?
Thank you! Great question. Because of my method of folding the sweater and being very careful to not stretch it in any way, there is no need for pins. Now, if I were trying to change the shape, yes I would need to pin it. I do make a gauge swatch and my work usually turns out as intended. This took years to perfect. I knit many sweaters that did not turn out as intended. It takes practice. Thank you again. Be sure to share my videos and subscribe to my channel, that helps me a lot. Happy Knitting.
Thank you Suzanne! This video was very good and definitely one I needed to watch. What about if the yarn releases a lot of dye when you put it in the water? Do you keep changing the water until it is clear?
Thank you so very much I needed this lesson so badly. Now I have to learn one more thing and that's how to pick up and do the underarm section on the sleeves. Do you have a video or know of any tutorials? Thanks once again.
Great questions. Yes, but as you can see, it is not difficult. Be sure to share my videos and subscribe to my channel, that helps me a lot. Happy Knitting.
Thank you! I’ve always knitted my sweaters in pieces and blocked each piece as I went. But recently I’ve knit some top down sweaters and tried to block them without folding them. Folding is the key!
Did you knit the sweater smaller than the finished piece measurements? I've heard that superwash wool stretches a lot during blocking. How do you account for that?
Thanks for another great instructional video, Suzanne. A few questions: 1. In your video on blocking swatches, you used a felt backdrop....why a rubber mat here? 2. How does the yarn dry against a rubber background? Intuitively, I'd think it would keep the moisture laying on its surface. 3. I'm considering purchasing mats for blocking and have looked at those that have a grid with 1" measurements printed on them. Is there a reason why you've chosen a mat that requires you to have a separate tape measure/yard stick?
The rubber mats are actually gym mats that click together like puzzle pieces. I use them for larger items like sweaters and they are easy to transport. The yarn actually drys faster when it is on a non porous surface like the mats. There is nothing under the garment to absorb water, so it evaporates faster. I used to put towels underneath, but have found that the towels hold the water longer, prolonging the drying period. The mats with the grids are fine, but many times you will find that you need to measure at an angle, like for the sleeves, so a yardstick comes in handy. I use that versus a measuring tape, because the yardstick holds its shape as it is rigid. I use smaller blocking surfaces, like smooth styrofoam for smaller items like socks. When I am videoing or photographing my blocking, sometimes I use a black or white background to show the work better, thus the felt backdrop for color. Happy blocking.
I don't know what I am doing wrong. I dried my jumper with two towels, put a dry towel on the floor and let the jumper dry there. But it took two days to dry completely! I don't know why, but it kept being wet inside even though it felt dry from outside. So I was changing the towel for a dry one and turning the jumper inside our the whole time.
If possible, it is best to put it on a non-porous surface. The towels hold the water in longer. I lay mine on the rubber mats that you see in the video. If you have a large surface, even your bathtub or something like that - a glass table top, anything that will not hold onto the water, the sweater will dry faster. Also, use a fan or something to circulate the air.
Hi , Suzannne, your sweater is very pretty. I am currently knitting this sweater myself and I have a question for you about the short short rows. I understand how to do the short rows and even how to pick up the wraps but when I got to the part to resume working in the round I had a problem picking up the last set of wraps as they were wrapped from the opposite direction. I tried several ways to pick up the wraps but they all left large holes. Is there a way to pick them up without hole. I could not find anything on the internet to help with my problem. Your help would be appreciated. Thanks
I did not get holes in mine. If you do get holes, you can use a tapestry needle to shift some of the yarn from the loose area to the neighboring stitches and that should make the hole disappear or at least get smaller. This is a great idea for a video. I am adding it to my video list. Happy knitting.
There are many advantages to blocking. But basically blocking a sweater can make it look and feel better. It can also relax natural fibers and help with the drape of the fabric. Personally, I block everything. 😊
Hello, I see that you took the time to straighten your ribbing on the front side so they layed vertical, but how do you make sure they are all straight on the backside? I believe the hem and sleeves would be easy to work on, but the yoke ribbing, not easy. Thank you for your response. Tamara
Once the sweater is nearly dry, you can flip it over very carefully and check the other side. Most of the time, I can feel the lower fabric from the front and don't have to do that.
HI Suzanne, thanks for this video, I am not at the blocking stages but the sweater I have knit appears to be "stretching" as I continue to work on it. I tested my gauge when I started and it seemed alright. I'm finishing off the neck and thinking it is so much larger than what it should be. I don't have a lot of experience with blocking, so forgive my ignorance. When I block can I actually "shrink" the sweater to the desired size as well?
As you knit, keep checking your gauge. It is not uncommon for your gauge to change as you get more relaxed in the project. Sometimes people are tense during the beginning and then relax over time and the gauge gets bigger and bigger. I often check my gauge every few inches. If it turns out too big, you can't really block it smaller. If it is non-superwash wool, you can try "fulling" or "felting" it, but this is very risky. You never know what you are going to get. It may be best to bite the bullet and frog the whole thing and start over.
hello! I'm curious as to why you didn't use the blocking pins to "stretch" the sweater to fit the dimensions you set with the pins -- won't the sweater be too small now once you try it on?
