How To Block Your Blanket

Blocking Your Blanket

 Tutorial courtesy of Chris Bailey

Blocking is a process that is used often when making items that need to be a specific size or shape .  When making separate items that will need to be sewn together, often the pieces will be blocked to ensure that the edges line up correctly.  It is a simple process that really just requires space, pins, and a place to lay the item out and be able to pin the item to it.
I have found with many portrait blankets I have made that the area of the most detail can cause the piece to be tighter in stitches and in turn draw the sides in slightly.  Because of this, I highly suggest that you block your blanket.   This is the best way to get the most accurate measurements of your blanket and to be able to attach the fabric with evenly.

So I know what you are thinking….How can I block a blanket?  I don’t have a blocking board that big??  My house is too small.   Well I have a small house too and no blocking board….so I put my thinking cap on.  In my garage I had these large ½ inch Styrofoam pieces that were used to insulate my house when they put the siding on.  I had some extra in the garage….. (funny side note..  I got my siding done about 4 years ago and my girls told me to throw these pieces away.  I said “no, I’ll hold on to it, ya never know if it could be useful” and tucked it in the corner. They laughed at me and called me a hoarder.  I had a good laugh when they saw me put it to very good use!)   Anyway, I took three of those sheets and placed them on top of a card table that I had and the dog’s crate.  I imagine if you can get large pieces of Styrofoam sheets somewhere you could tape them together and it could serve the same purpose.

And with that, I had an instant blocking station that is 6ftx4ft.  Another funny side note, I liked the silver shiny side and did not even notice that the other side had lines and measurements on it that probably would have been quite helpful.  But hey, I was just happy I found a use for the sheets and believe me this set up was VERY useful!!  It was nice to be able to sit up to the table to sew the backing on.  It allowed room for the blanket to lay flat while I sewed guarding it from bunching.  One drawback is that I have a small house and it just took up ¾ of my living room. But it was temporary and worth it for the cause.  If you have a
spare room or a large area in the basement or attic, then you could set something temporary up for yourself.    
Now yes, I do realize that they don’t sell these sheets at your local discount store.  Actually I am not sure where you could find them, perhaps Home Depot or Lowes??  So what can you use instead for an item as large as a blanket?  Well, there are other options.  If you have carpet with padding underneath, and an area large enough to spread your piece out, or a spare bed that you can afford to tie up with your project for a bit of time.  I would take the blankets and sheets off the bed and spread the piece out onto the bare mattress.  Basically you need an area that you can stick pins in that is large enough to affix the crocheted piece to.   

Once this space is identified, will wash your blanket and leave it damp.  By washing you are giving the knots a test while you can still easily address any issues.   Do not dry the blanket…while still damp, you need to lay your piece out.   Starting at one end, smooth the end of the blanket out and be sure to not pull it at all.  The ends will probably be the widest part of the blanket as it generally holds the least amount of detail.  Using your thumb as a guide, you will then pin the end of the blanket down.   Then you will move to the other end of your piece and pull it so that it is taut, even, and then pin down that end.   Moving up one side of the piece, you will pin continually making sure that the side is at a 90ᴼ to each end and the pins are evenly spaced, and that the fabric is smooth and even.   When you start to pin the last side, you may need to pull the fabric in order to get the shape in place to pin.  You want to do your best to pull the fabric and affix it so it is the proper shape. 
Then you will take a spray bottle of water and evenly dampen the blanket again.  Once you have moistened the blanket while it is pinned down, you need to allow it to dry completely.  This is why you need to have an area that you can take up for at least 24 -36 hours depending on how long it takes to dry.   This is a reason why having my blanket pinned to this Styrofoam board was very helpful because it allowed me to move it easily even after the piece was pinned to it.   I moved my piece out to my porch so the nature’s breeze helped it to dry.  It must dry completely to set the block and have the piece hold its shape once it’s unpinned.
The purpose of blocking the piece first is two-fold.   If the blanket size is distorted at all due to the tighter stitches within the image area, this process will establish the shape/size and once dried, the shape established should hold when unpinned.   Once dried, I kept the blanket pinned until the fabric was completely pinned to it just so that the fabric can be easily be affixed evenly with the crocheted blanket secure otherwise, I think it would be tricky to get the fabric smooth.  As I pinned the fabric to the crocheted piece, I un-pinned the blanket from the board.


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