SHANNON & JASON
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Tips
    • tutorials
  • Our Books
    • Scrappy Wonky Quilt Block Extravaganza
    • Contemporary Kogin-zashi
    • Boro & Sashiko, Harmonious Imperfection: The Art of Japanese Mending & Stitching
    • Sashiko Stitching
    • Complete Crochet Course
    • Designer Crochet
    • Crochet Geometry
  • All Shopping
    • Books and Digital Patterns
    • Streaming Classes
    • Sashiko Shop
    • Thread
    • Fabric
  • Classes
  • Sashiko
  • About
    • Portfolio
  • Contact and Subscribe
  • Sponsors
  • Portfolio

 Shannon & Jason's Blog 

Technique Tuesday Tutorial – Wet Blocking Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking

1/13/2015

2 Comments

 
Technique Tuesday - Step-by-step crochet and knitting photo tutorials by Shibaguyz Designz

Technique
How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking


What is it?
Generally, blocking is the method for shaping and setting the stitches of crochet and knit fabrics. During blocking, the fibers of the fabric are relaxed and allowed to bloom through the introduction of water in the form of steam, spritzing, washing, or soaking.

How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
By that definition ALL blocking is wet blocking since all blocking involves the introduction of water into the fibers used to create the crochet or knit fabric. Attempting to block your fabrics without any type of moisture is only going to pull and stretch your stitches out of shape and will not result in an evenly blocked finished piece. Introducing water into your fabrics is the all-important first step of blocking.

Specifically, for today's tutorial, we are going to be covering the steps for soaking your fabrics for blocking.


How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
Why Use It?
Blocking allows crochet and knit fabrics to be shaped into perfect form for construction and wearing. Blocking also sets stitches into shape and brings out stitch patterns more clearly and correctly.

Without blocking, some fabrics simply look like a wadded up dish towel that's been dragged around the house by a Shiba Inu then hidden under the bed for a week or so… not that we've ever encountered that situation before…



To Work Today's Tutorial
Here's a list of materials we used to make today's tutorial.

Water
Container to hold the water
Absorbent towel

Yup… this is an easy one!


Break It Down
There are two keys to Soaking crochet and knit fabrics for blocking:
1. Knowing When
2. Knowing How


1. Knowing When

Knowing when to use what method of blocking is really the key to pain-free and successful blocking. For our purposes today, we are looking at when you should really use soaking as a first step in blocking your crochet and knitting fabrics.

Soaking is the most intense way to introduce water into your fabrics since you are completely immersing the piece into water and allowing the fibers time to absorb the water and bloom.

We have used this term "bloom" before in our blocking post about how to use fingers, pins, wires, and string to actually shape crochet and knit pieces during blocking. We consulted with fiber expert Beth Smith, author of The Spinner's Book of Fleece about what bloom means and how it applies to wool fibers.

If you haven't caught that post yet, be sure to go back and read through it by clicking on the link below. Go ahead… we'll wait…

Four Techniques For How To Block Your Crochet and Knit Fabrics

Oh good… you're back!

By the way, Beth's book, The Spinner's Book of Fleece is our go-to reference book for understanding wool fibers. I can't tell you how valuable this book has been in helping us pick fibers for our projects. Click on the photo of the book cover to be whisked away to pick up your own copy. (No, we don't receive anything for referring y'all to this book… it's just REALLY good!)

The Spinner's Book of Fleece by Beth Smith
So WHEN is it best to soak your fibers? Whenever you have a fabric made from fibers that respond well to being completely and thoroughly wet before being shaped. Also, whenever the stitches you use in combination with those fibers respond well to being completely and thoroughly wet before being set into place.

Ah… so there's the key… the type of fibers used along with the stitches used to create the finished fabric really dictates when soaking is appropriate. To put into print a list of "Always Soak This" and "Never Soak That" would be a HUGE disservice so we won't. There are simply too many fiber and stitch combinations to put together a comprehensive list of which fabrics to soak.

That said, here are some general guidelines to keep in mind when deciding whether to use soaking as the method for introducing water to start the blocking process.

Wool loves to be soaked. That said, wool might love it but YOU might not love what happens to wool when it is soaked. Saturating wool fibers with water is a sure way to produce the bloom in wool. This way, you know exactly what you are getting into ahead of time. In some cases, a full bloom on your wool yarn might partially or completely obliterate an intricate lace pattern. In this case, we would recommend stepping away from the wool entirely and choosing a yarn with a blend more appropriate to showing off that intense lace pattern.


Acrylic or artificially produced fibers aren't so hot on being soaked. Artificially produced fibers are made up of processed materials that don't have a natural resting state like wool to produce a bloom. What they do have are these microscopic pores that are akin to little plastic bowls all over them. Pour water into a plastic bowl then turn that bowl over… what happens? The water runs out and the plastic bowl doesn't stay wet for very long afterward because the water doesn't penetrate beyond the surface of the bowl or all of our plastic storage containers would melt into mush when we put away last night's stew. We get about the same result when it comes to artificially produced fibers. While these yarns are sturdy (perfect for outerwear, active wear, and kid's clothes and toys), last FOR-EH-VAR (they make great family heirlooms), and are SO easy to clean (again, active wear and kid's clothes) they can be a challenge to block. SSSSSTEAM HEAT is how we conquer that challenge. More on steam in another post later…


Plant fibers LOVE water! Think about it for a minute… plants… water… Those little cells that make up plant fibers are just waiting for the opportunity to do the one thing they are specifically made for: to soak up water! Again, this might be what plant fibers love but YOU might not love the results. Generally, we have found that completely soaking plant fibers results in heavy, dense fabric that is difficult to pull into place evenly. To the extreme point, untreated plant fibers will even begin to disintegrate if left in water too long. Without a preserving process the materials that make up the cell walls of plant fibers are made to naturally break down in water. Again… extreme but… the more you know!

There was a particular nightmare where a FAB linen/cotton blend yarn we were working with was not so FAB at all when we immersed the swatch into water. The fibers reacted like they were soaked in glue and the fabric was extremely difficult to block evenly and the end result was not a pretty sight. FYI, we found steaming this same linen/cotton blend yarn produced heavenly results because we could control the amount of water more easily and the heat… well… that's for another post… come back later for SSSSTEAM HEAT.


Exotic fibers and blends… well… they can be a real mystery because you can have blends of wool and plant or plant and acrylic or wool and acrylic or there could be fibers that you've never heard of before made from the remains of a meteor that fell to earth sometime right after the Neanderthal started using pointy rocks for hunting. The best thing to do in this case is check the manufacturer's label to see what they recommend for care and, as always, swatch and test the swatch.


So, to be sure about when it is best to block by completely soaking your fabrics, go through this easy checklist:

1. Consider the content of the fibers that make up the yarn and how the make up of those fibers might make them react to full on saturation in water.

2. Swatch and test the swatch to see what works best. This might involve a few test swatches but it is better to test swatch than to ruin a finished garment that took you months and a few hundred dollars worth of yarn to complete.

3. What does the manufacturer's label say about care of the yarn? While a lot of yarn labels are sorely lacking in care instructions, some might give you an indication as to handling of the finished project in regards to heat tolerance, water friendliness, or washing directions. If you are lucky enough to have a thoroughly considered care label on your yarn, use that as an indicator for your decision.


2. Knowing How
The best thing about soaking to block your crochet and knit fabrics is that it is the most readily accessible form of introducing water. Basically, all you need is a water supply, a sink or tub or other clean container large enough to hold your project, and a towel or two. Nothing else to buy and no specialized tools… easy peasy!

So let's gather our tools and get down to it!

For our demo we are using a swatch of two crochet motifs. 

1. Again, this couldn't be a more simple method of blocking. Here we have a bowl large enough to hold the piece we are blocking and enough water to completely immerse the piece.

In this case, we are using a swatch for demonstration so the bowl doesn’t need to be very big at all. Once we blocked the finished garment made from this swatch, we used a clean tub large enough to hold the garment AND enough water to cover the garment.

How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
Two keys here: 1. Clean; 2. Large Enough
1. Clean – please do yourself a favor and use a container that is completely and thoroughly clean. Any soap residue, like in a bathtub or sink, could mean bad things for your more delicate fibers. Likewise, you don't want to use a container that once held Aunt Mabel's leftover spaghetti because we all know THAT never truly leaves.

2. Large Enough – Use your best judgment to eyeball how big of a container you are going to need for the piece you are blocking… then give yourself a little more room. Keep in mind that some fibers will really grow when they are saturated with water so you might end up with something what looks more like a soufflé than a sweater.


How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
2. Here you can see we have set the swatch on top of the water and allowed the water to start to soak in. Normally, we would have just GENTLY pushed the piece under the water but we wanted you to see the darker sections where the fabric has already started to become saturated. Depending on the fiber content of your yarn, you might need to stay with your piece to ensure the water does soak in completely or that your piece stays submerged.

The important thing here is to make sure the fabric is completely soaked through. We recommend checking back on your project every once in a while and GENTLY getting your hands on it to see how saturated it is. This might only take a half an hour or less or it could take a couple of hours. Give a section of the fabric a GENTLE squeeze between your fingers to see if the water has soaked in completely.

When maximum saturation has occurred, remove the piece from the water and DO NOT WRING OR SQUEEZE TO REMOVE WATER from the piece. As always, it is important to use the right tools for the right job and that means…


3. It's time for the towels!

In the case of a swatch like ours, one towel is probably sufficient for total coverage… and that's what you want: total coverage on both sides of your piece. Here, a towel folded over the top of the swatch is enough but, when we block larger garments, we use two thick beach towels.

How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
For a garment or large piece, first, lay the first towel down; next, lay your piece to be blocked flat on the first towel; finally, lay the second towel on top of the piece. Yup… a little sandwich or lasagna… mmmm… lasagna… ahem… sorry about that. Must be lunch time…


How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz
4. After you've made your sandwich/lasagna, start at one end and GENTLY roll the towels up like shown in the photo. Now… this is the important part. GENTLY squeeze the roll to encourage the towels to wick the moisture away from your fabric. No twisting, no violent squeezing or pounding… GENTLY sqeeze the roll.

If you have a particularly thirsty fabric, you might need to leave this roll to set for a few minutes to make sure all excess water is removed. Really though, it usually only takes a little GENTLE coaxing to rid the crochet or knit fabric of excess water. If your towel becomes too wet to actually wick away more water and your fabric still is soaking wet, you'll need to roll again with a fresh towel but, a good bath towel is usually plenty absorbent enough to do the job.


5. And now remove the damp piece from the towel and you're ready to finish your blocking.


Again, to proceed from here, check out our post on blocking with fingers, pins, wires, and string. Head on over there by clicking on the link below.

Four Techniques For How To Block Your Crochet and Knit Fabrics

How to Wet Block Crochet and Knit Fabrics by Soaking. A free step-by-step photo tutorial by Shibaguyz Designz


TAADAA!!


A Final Word… or two…
So there you have it! While there are many considerations BEFORE blocking begins, the actual process of blocking is simple and easy. As a matter of fact, once we've decided on HOW to actually proceed with blocking, the actual blocking itself is downright enjoyable because we get to see a beautiful piece of finished handmade crochet or knit fabric.

And, when it comes to the part of blocking where you introduce water into the equation, soaking is the simplest because it requires very few tools all of which are readily found in most homes or hotel rooms… long story… another time…



Thanks for dropping by for another Technique Tuesday! Our aim is to build the skillz of our FAB fiber community here on the web and it's always FAB to hear from you all that what we are doing is helping you and your fiber friends.

Check back often or, better yet, click on that RSS Feed button over there in the right-hand column of the page you are on right now. That way you will always be up to date and never miss a thing!

Stitch On!
S&J

Oh hey… before you go… Here are a few more pages we thought you might be interested in. Click on any of the photos below… enjoy!
Add some color to your projects!
Weave in those knitting ends.
Spring Is Coming! Knitting Pattern
Quick & Easy Crochet Shawlette
Come look us up on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest by clicking on one of these icons.
2 Comments
Katya garcia
3/3/2017 09:00:13 am

How a tshirt yarn? What should I use to keep the shape? Thanks

Reply
Sylvia Becker link
1/8/2018 12:12:16 pm

Great guide. Never heard about this blocking method and I will give it a try for sure. Thank you :)

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Shannon and Jason

    RSS Feed

    Sign Up For Our Newsletter

    Leave us a tip to help us do what we do!

    Picture
    BERNINA Ambassador Badge
    Shibaguyz Aurifil Thread Collection

    Archives

    May 2024
    September 2022
    June 2022
    February 2022
    June 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014

    www.dickblick.com
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Afghan
    Aurifil
    Books
    Boro
    Camp STITCHES
    Classes
    Cleaning
    Clip On
    Clover
    Cowl
    Craft
    Craftsy
    CraftU Classes
    Crochet
    Crochet Geometry
    Daylight
    Daylight Company
    Design
    Designer Crochet
    Digital Download
    Donate
    Download
    English Paper Piecing
    Event
    Free
    Giveaway
    Hand Cream
    Hooks
    Inspirations
    International Crochet Month
    Interview
    Interweave
    Knit
    Knitting
    Lamp
    Marcus
    Marcus Fabrics
    Men
    Menswear
    National Craft Month
    National Crochet Month
    Needles
    Online Classes
    Ottlite
    Pattern
    Patterns
    Paypal
    Photography
    Podcast
    Prize
    Product Review
    Project
    Quilt
    Quilting
    Recipe
    Rotary Cutter
    Sashiko
    Season Of Giving Away
    Sew Expo
    Sewing
    Shibaguyz
    Shibaguyz Designz
    Shibaguyz Designz Indie Maker Pattern
    Shibaguyz LIVE
    Shibaguyz Photography
    Shop
    Soak
    STITCHES Events
    Sweater
    Thread
    Tool School
    Tools Of The Trade
    Travel Lamp
    Tutorials
    Vogue Knitting LIVE
    Walkthrough
    Warm Up America
    Wash
    Weaving
    Women
    Yarn
    Zoom Loom

    www.dickblick.com

Stay current on the news and events from Shannon and Jason as well as exclusive offers and tutorials available only for our newsletter subscribers.

* indicates required
Email Format
Colonial Needle Co 100 year logo
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Tips
    • tutorials
  • Our Books
    • Scrappy Wonky Quilt Block Extravaganza
    • Contemporary Kogin-zashi
    • Boro & Sashiko, Harmonious Imperfection: The Art of Japanese Mending & Stitching
    • Sashiko Stitching
    • Complete Crochet Course
    • Designer Crochet
    • Crochet Geometry
  • All Shopping
    • Books and Digital Patterns
    • Streaming Classes
    • Sashiko Shop
    • Thread
    • Fabric
  • Classes
  • Sashiko
  • About
    • Portfolio
  • Contact and Subscribe
  • Sponsors
  • Portfolio