KnitPro KP10872 Lace Blocking Wires, Pack of 15, Silver

Product Information

The shawl is washed and then placed wet on the surface. Starting from the centre, the knitting is smoothed out and pinned in place. It is then left to dry for 24 hours longer than when it feels dry. Once you have the pins in the centre of the sides, continue to evenly shape the fabric, then you can add the pins in the corners. Gently spread the damp item out into a rough approximation of the desired shape — square, rectangle, or triangle — by hand.

Throughout the instructions, I have given some guidance about the best method for different fibres but I wanted to take a moment to clarify this.Step 2: Place the blanket on the board. Ensure that you place the blanket according to the desired appearance, then place pins on the edges to hold it in place. Then pull out each scallop individually. If you need to use pins, make sure they are quilter’s pins – long, with a prominent head – so that you are less likely to spear your next guest.

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….Carefully lift the soaked item from the water and gently squeeze out the extra water. Gently does it! Wash the shawl. Mine is oiled cashmere, so I wash it in water as hot as my gloved hands can stand, using a good quality washing up liquid (dish soap). (This is milder than most products for clothes.)

Step 4: Remove the scarf from the water and gently squeeze it. Place the scarf on a towel and press to remove the remaining water. An alternative for straight edges is the String Method. A long length of smooth scrap yarn threaded through a darning needle and the yarn is threaded along the edges. TIP: The first time you use them, wipe them to remove manufacturing residue. Knitting a scarf provides an effective way to learn how to count rows in knitting . This is because a scarf is large and contains sufficient vertical and horizontal stitches. Now depending on the knitting pattern you choose for your project, you could further learn how to change colors in knitting .

Use

Meanwhile, prepare the surface. Here I am using foam play mats from Lidl. Note that I am using them ‘upside down’ – the flat side up – as I don’t want the ‘print’ of the right side to transfer to my shawl. You may wish to cover the mat with a sheet, especially if your shawl is white. 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. 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: If you are working with a larger or more complex shape, this process can take a while as you may need to adjust pins as you shape your work. Especially if you’re working with lace patterns.