Blocking

[jessicathegranny]

Are there different ways to "block" an afghan?

[MaryPat]

Yes, I used to have links to the techniques because it was time consuming to write up. This is a couple of links on a page but they seem to be directed to doilies, but you can use the same technique.

http://marthac.info/blocking.html

 

I used to always do the "kill" technique to get a really flat smooth and squared off look. Basically pin the afghan into shape, wet a steam cloth. Get your iron without water on cotton.

Put down the iron on the steam cloth until the sizzling stops. Lift the iron (down move it back and forth) and put it down on a new wet spot. Continue for entire afghan. Let it pinned in place until it dries. The hot steaming kills the ability of the yarn to spring out of shape and flattens it. Not suitable for raised patterns but great for something with a lot of simple stitches.

[RoseRed]

Can you do that with acrylic or just natural fibers?

[MaryPat]

Can you do that with acrylic or just natural fibers?

 

It works with all types of fiber. With acryllic, you may have to be a tad careful of not melting the acryllic, but I've sometimes just kind of melted it a tiny bit on purpose.

[RoseRed]

I bet the tiny bit of melting really kept it in place lol

[purlwise]

What I've read about blocking says you can't heat block due to the acrylic, but you can dampen, block with pins and let it dry. I don't know what happens when the acrylic "melts". I have something I've made out of Homespun that is need to some blocking, but I don't know what to do with it.

[bjc1050]

Are you talking about blocking an afghan done in one piece or made up of squares? I've read somewhere that with squares, you just block each square. Don't know that I would bother to block a one piece afghan if I use acrylic yarn.

 

Beverly

[MaryPat]

I bet the tiny bit of melting really kept it in place lol

 

Yes, it does. Helps even out uneven stitching wonderfully.

[MaryPat]

What I've read about blocking says you can't heat block due to the acrylic, but you can dampen, block with pins and let it dry. I don't know what happens when the acrylic "melts". I have something I've made out of Homespun that is need to some blocking, but I don't know what to do with it.

 

I've used the pin and dampen method for things with raised patterns that heat will permanently flatten. When the acrylic melts, it adheres to the yarn next to it. I only melt it a little bit. The flattening effect still occurs.

 

The dampen and block with pins works but I've had situations where I have to re-block each time the item is washed because the yarn isn't killed.

 

Another method is to pin into place and then take a hot steam iron (with water in it) and go over the object without touching it. Seems like kind of an inbetween method. It won't flatten raised designs, it should do some killing, and is much easier than touching down an iron until it sizzles dry.