How to block your knitted jumper

The final step in finishing a knitted piece is to block it. This step is optional and not all beginner knitters will block their work but it can improve the overall shape and finish of your piece. 

Blocking your knitting is a process where you wet your piece to set the finished size and even out the stitches.

You can choose to block your work before you seam it together, or after. If you block before seaming together you might get a better result with your seaming because the stitches will be more lined up.

Okay, so let's dive into it.

Step 1

You're going to soak your jumper in cool water. You only need to let your piece sit in the water for a few minutes and make sure the full piece is completely wet. 

Step 2

Remove your jumper from the water and dry it off by rolling it in a towel. You want to get us much of the moisture out of the knit as possible at this point but be gentle! You don't want to stretch the jumper.

Step 3

Transfer your damp jumper to a flat surface to block it on. This can be anywhere but you'll need to be able to stick pins in it and it needs to be somewhere where your jumper can lie flat and can stay there until it fully dries so that the shape sets properly.

💭 Make sure it's not a surface that can be easily damaged by having something wet sitting on it! 

Step 4

Arrange your piece so the right side is facing up and the shape is as you'd like it. If you've got a measuring tape you can measure and adjust the piece so it's the correct size. 

Then pin the piece around the edges, placing the pins at an angle pointing away from the garment. You'll want to start with a pin at the top of the knit and work your way around - checking the shape as you go. 

Step 5

Allow the knit to air dry.

DONE!