KnitPro KP10872 Lace Blocking Wires, Pack of 15, Silver

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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…. First, fill a clean sink or basin with water. For water temperature and soaking time, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the yarn used. For knits in any Brooklyn Tweed yarn, use cold water and soak for 15 minutes. Starting in the centre of your work, use your fingers to manipulate out the fabric to the tension you are looking for and work out towards the edges.

Set aside at least a couple of hours. Weather is a factor. If you live in a place with dry sunny days, these are perfect for a large blanket outside on a big sheet. If outside drying isn’t possible, you’ll need a big space and a fan to help it dry. 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, fill your basin with warm - never hot! - water and a bit of wool wash. Do not run the tap directly onto your knitwear, as it can weaken and break the fibres. Add your knitted piece to the warm water and leave it to soak. Make sure it is completely wet, but do not agitate it too much. This can cause felting.Only once the shawl is TOTALLY dry, cut off the ends. You have spent a long time on this, so store it carefully. Fold it gently and place in a cotton bag (an old pillow case is fine) along with deterrents for your local pests. Alternatively, roll the shawl round postal tubes taped together. For a white shawl, you may wish to put a layer of acid-free tissue paper round the tubes first, and between the layers of the shawl.

I do this by submerging my knitting and pressing out the bubbles. You don’t want to agitate your knitting too much. Leave it for about 15 minutes to get it good and soaked. That’s a simplistic example which gives you an idea of the variation. It’s hard to be definitive about which projects will retain the best stitch memory, but it’s the kind of thing that becomes more intuitive with experience. So give it a try! Lay the item flat onto a towel and carefully roll it up. Press down on the towel to squeeze out the excess water.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. 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

Steam is an alternative way to get a small amount of moisture into your fabric. The added element of heat can be used to create shape and additional drape on your fabric. Please take all the necessary safety precautions when working with steam appliances and follow manufacturer guidelines. 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. 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! Some purists might say absolutely, but honestly I don’t think it’s necessary in every project. It really depends on what it is and what it’s going to be used for.Once the wires are in it is time to start pinning and stretching. The tiles tell me the centre of the mat, and I place the centre of the shawl so that its centre is the mat’s centre. Make sure all distances have the same measurement and the corners are 90 degrees. Keep smoothing and stretching out gently, pinning the edges until everything looks and measures out correctly. Step 8: Pin it out. You should measure the garment or use the pattern’s instructions and pin it out as you lay down the piece to ensure it is lying according to the desired shape. A ruler helps to keep the edges of the knitted garment neat . You should use a ruler to pin the garment to the board to ensure straight edges and seams appear as planned. Wires need to be wiped with a soft cloth prior to first use to remove the minimal manufacturing residue.

Wires come in a variety of weights. Some are thin and flexible — perfect along shorter curved edges — while others are a bit more sturdy and work well along the straightaways of a scarf or stole. 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 . Clare Devine is a writer and designer. Originally from South Africa she has nomadic tendencies and is currently knitting her way around the UK. She is passionate about all things fibre related (especially if it’s grey), knitting, travel and sunshine in equal measures.Step 1: Lay your newly finished knitted piece onto a soft towel. Put the towel on a surface suggested above. Roll your sweater in a towel and stomp on it, this remove excess water. You may need to use two or three towels in a row if you’re drying out a larger or bulkier sweater, as the knit will have soaked up a lot of water. 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