How to block #2: steam

You might have read about my very first attempt at blocking my knitting, where I bravely plunged my finished pieces into warm water and pinned them out to shape.

It was pretty much an act of blind faith in the internet and, luckily, it paid off – but I did find it to be a pretty brutal process, and my pieces took absolutely ages to dry off.

With that in mind, I decided to try a different technique when my latest project, a corn cob patterned cushion from the book Knitted Cushions by Alison Howard, asked for light blocking. Having had a little Google around, I went for steam blocking.

Steam blocking is scary sounding, but actually really simple.

First, you pin out your knitting to the right shape and size; I found this so much easier than pinning out floopy wet knitting and far less panic inducing. Also, after taking this photo I realised that these pins work much better if you slide them in horizontally rather than just sticking them in vertically like an idiot. The more you know, eh?

Then, you soak a thin towel in water, wring it out, and lay it over the top of your knitting.

Next is the fun part! Grab your iron, set it to the top setting, and iron over the top. This creates steam that gently pushes through onto your knitting. Keep going until the towel is dry.

Once you’ve done that, leave your knitting to properly dry out (this Craftsy article says about half an hour, but I gave it a couple just to be safe), and you’re finished.

I was really impressed by the effect of this blocking technique (previously, the front of my cushion wouldn’t hold shape and was about four inches short of the right width) and I found it far less scary than wet blocking.

It’ll definitely be my go-to approach on my next project! 🙂

The perfect excuse

Buying your first home is a cocktail of stress, confusion and pure elation. Although, at times, you feel like you’re blindlessly stumbling over hurdle after hurdle getting more confused and disheartened with each step, once the keys are in your hand it’s so exciting you feel like you might just pop.

James and I got to the ‘popping’ stage in November, when we became the proud owners of a small two bed terrace house (!) and, aside from plaster falling off the walls, rotting skirting boards and an electrical system that basically means having a shower is dangerous, it’s perfect.

We’ve wanted our own place for a while now so as soon as we got in, we began giving our little new home the attention it deserved! We’ve been super busy sanding, demolishing, plastering and painting so much so that, although I am now officially a DIY goddess in the making (please, no need for applause), I’ve had hardly any time to do anything else (hence my radio silence!)!

However, now that the plaster dust is beginning to settle and each room is becoming more usable my attention is beginning to turn back to all things craft. How do I make a pair of curtains? Should I make my own rug? How many handmade cushions can I fit on our new sofa?! Our new home is the perfect excuse for so many crafting projects, it’s so exciting it’s almost unbearable!

Posts about room transformations and attempted home craft projects here I come!