For The Love of Blocking
I was chatting to my sister-in-friend on Ravelry the other day when I discovered that she is more your ‘knit and go type’, that is, she’s not a blocker, and I suddenly realised I could go on for hours about the merits of blocking!
Whether it is because I am a PhD student trying to avoid writing; or the Virgoan perfectionist in me; the domestic goddess (domestic goddess-wannabe at least) that loves cleaning and homemaking; whether its because Debbie Stoller told me to do it; or because I know its best to know (especially when it’s a gift) how that yarn will react to water; or if its just because I think its nice (again especially when it’s a gift) to clean something that has been in my mitts for days, weeks or months, I just love blocking!
I actually look forward to that final stitch when I start thinking about the running water, the smell of the washing liquid and (my favourite) Comfort conditioner (Lilly and Riceflower to be precise). I love having the knitted item in the sink and sloshing it around so the water and soap get into every nook and cranny. There I am in my post-knitting ritual. I baptise thee: ‘scarf’! Then I love squeezing all the water out and the setting the item on a bed of freshly washed towels and teasing it into the perfect shape. I love how neat and (near) perfect it looks. I love how satisfied I feel that its all done….
So, in conclusion, I am a blocking bore AND PROUD OF IT!
5 Comments:
Wow - you almost make it sound fun...
Bah, Humbug!
Unless it's lace, you don't need to block it.
Don't you have a PHD to finish?
I agree...You're making me want to go block something! =)
I think i would enjoy blocking as much as you if, for instance, I lived in my mom's house: very big, clean rooms, lots of clean towels, and a perfectly clean sink and/or tub in the guest bathroom to use.
At my apartment, not so much fun: very small, grimy rooms that need cleaning, towels that have been in use for a couple weeks, a teeny, dirty sink that will never look clean because it's probably older than me, ditto the tub.
Ha! I did buy a blocking board, but it's a little small sometimes for sweaters or afghans.
Sounding surprisingly like Frost Ms McCaffrey! I wasn't telling you off, just inviting you over to the otherside - the bubblicious side - of knitting!!! :-)
But I agree with mootea, you sure do need a nice sink to do it in!
Ahhh, the joys of blocking! I'm with you on this one, especially if its lace because then its even more magical.
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