How to Wet Block Your Hand Knit Lace Shawl
Wet blocking is one of those techniques that, while simple & easy to do, has a dramatic impact on the look & feel of your finished projects. The best way to showcase the benefits of wet blocking is through a lace shawl.
Let's talk about the process for blocking your shawls and get a few extra tips along the way.
How to Block Your Lace Shawls
1: Soak your completed shawl in lukewarm water and a wool wash for several minutes until the fabric is saturated. You can use a large bowl or let it sit in a sink. Avoid using hot water as that may inadvertently felt natural fibers.
2: Remove your shawl from the water and gently press the water out. Never wring the fabric, as you don't want to stretch it out. Then, lay it in a bath towel and roll out any excess water. The more water you can get out of the shawl in this step, the faster it will dry when it's all laid out.
3: Lay your shawl on top of your blocking mats and slowly slide your flexible blocking wires along the top edge of the shawl through the selvage stitches. DM to find out which blocking wire set I recommend the most!
4: Using another set of flexible blocking wires, slide them through the points of your lace edging. In the Wild Dunes shawl, you'll want to slide the wires through the first bound-off stitch on the last row of the edging repeat.
5: Starting from the bottom center and working your way out, use rust-proof pins to keep the blocking wires in place and shape your shawl according to the schematic.
6: Pin the shawl out until it's completely dry. Waiting is always the hardest part, but trust me, it's worth it! Depending on your yarn weight and stitch pattern, this could take more than a day, so think about where you're going to leave it before you start this process.
7: Once it's fully dry, carefully unpin your shawl and remove the blocking wires. Weave in all your ends, and you're ready to wear your new shawl!
Ready to give lace blocking a try?
The Wild Dunes Crescent Lace Shawl is a great shawl to practice on. The easy stockinette stitch beginning transitions to a delightful lace pattern that is easy to memorize so you can work on it on the go! The lace edging is an intriguing challenge that you can master within a few inches. Pick up a copy of the pattern today!