KnitPro KP10872 Lace Blocking Wires, Pack of 15, Silver

Product Information

First, make sure you have at least two hours, and preferably three, free. Remove pets, children, partners and all other distractions; take the phone off the hook. This is hard work. Get together the things you will need – pins with large heads, wires if you have them, a tape measure. Place the vice of your choice out of reach but in sight to spur you on. This is ONLY for when you have finished – wine or a malt will make your straight lines wiggly and chocolate stains….

Gently spread the damp item out into a rough approximation of the desired shape — square, rectangle, or triangle — by hand. This technique is a gentle method that doesn’t require you to soak your knit. You only need a steam iron, T-Pins, and mats. You will see here that there are dips in the fabric between the pins. Carry on using your fingers to manipulate that fabric and place the next pins half way between the previous pins.

Not everyone has a large enough empty space on which a mat can be placed for two days and nights. But once you know what the ideal is, you can work out how to do it to suit your circumstances. My mat is flexible, and I can fold it in half – not perfect, but much better than nothing. Once the corners are pinned, assess whether the shawl is stretched enough. If not, pull it a bit further in each direction for a better look. A table, open space of floor or bed works well. If you are going to use your bed remember you will need to sleep and knitting can take a while to dry, especially in the colder northern climes. To use them, you weave the sides of your fabric onto the wire (think of the tip of the wire as a yarn needle) at regular intervals, spreading one side out evenly over the wire

It is a very effective way to even out tension and, especially for open work, to really show off the pattern. For really good results, use your own head! Put a thin towel over your head, and wear the slightly-damp hat over that for a few minutes. Remove it carefully, so it holds its shape, and leave it to dry. It might feel strange, but it'll help you get a hat that fits like a glove. Summary Leave the item to dry in situ. Try not to move it too much, and definitely do not hang it to dry as this will result in a misshapen piece of knitting.

How to weave in ends

First you will add 1 wire on each side of your project. Then either pin the wires out flat to shape or hang the piece from one of the wires, depending on the shape you’re working with. The rust-proof part is important, as the pins will be exposed to moisture during the drying process and rust stains would be permanently visible on your finished item.

Wires need to be wiped with a soft cloth prior to first use to remove the minimal manufacturing residue.When pinning out finished garments (rather than flat pattern pieces), you may just want to focus on specific areas which may need more shaping. Step 2: Use the hottest setting for the steam function on your iron, go over the knitted piece WITHOUT pressing down. That’s really important! When pinning out, place the pins around a cm or more in from the edge to minimise this dipping, particularly if you are bringing quite a lot of stretch to the project .

This is the process of finishing your knitted garment to achieve the desired size and shape and to even stitches. If you need to speed up the drying process, use a hair drier! Don’t hold it too close, and keep the stream of air moving, much as you would when drying your hair. Remember to continue for a while after the shawl feels dry, then leave it in the open for 24 hours afterwards for the moisture inside the fibre to evaporate.

Overseas orders

I’m just beginning to recover from ‘flu – hence the long silence – and my friend Jan Clarke asked me to reprint an article I did about dressing shawls for Yarn Forward many moons ago. It was the final part of the Mystery Shawl, but all the following applies to all shawls. (If you have a curved shawl, flexible wires are invaluable…) So here it is: