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Blocking Your Work

lilock uli the pieces acanding to ilu: mciuimiikurs oj the putttrm, unJ alit w them to dr? umler iLtml> clotlu.

This blocking and stornuing fxtJ is atiadaUe 01 most nccJlcuiitk

Stores.

Before you sew the pieces together, you should błock them. This makes the edges lie fiat and the overall look of the siitches lxxomes morę even.

Before you błock your work, you should sew in any yam ends chat are within the piece. Yarn cnvls .it che sides ean be sewn in the seams after you sew the pieces together.

Ali of the pieces are pinncJ to .1 smooth surłace, according ro rhe measmcmcius of the partem. You can use a large ironing table, a piece of carpct, a Styrofoam shcct covered wiih .1 kitchcn towel. or .1 blocking and steanting pad wiih foam (avail-able in needlework Stores). You can use nornial pms to pin the pieces m place, but somewhar longer blocking pins are morc practic.il.

Pm the pms through the sełvedge stitches fiat -is pos>ible and not too lar apart. Check your measurements frcqucntly as you pin. so chat the Irom. back. and $leeves are the same sise Inter. Dun’t stretch the ribbing. Now pm Jamp cloths on top of the piece, press down liglwly with your hands, and allow everything to dry for scveral hours or oecmighr Re-niove the clotlis. Before remoeing the nccdles, allow the parrs to rest tor about an hour morę.

Ho mit put weights, such as books or other heavy iicms. on the pieces. This would llatren rhe pattems. and even pieces worked in stockinette srirch would lose their tcxuire.

Steam Ironing

Before you steam iroti your knitted pieces, carehtłly check the label. It tlicie is a picturc of a crosscd-out iron. you cant iron or steam iron thi> yam. You can carehtłly npply steam only to purc sv«x>l and cotton. Any other yarn mixrurcs—which means most yams—don t take steam vcry well; the pieces hecome limp For upplying steam. place .1 Jamp cloth on the knitted piece. Pm the tron down just brieily and lift It to move ir to rhe ncxt spor. In other woni*. don’t iik)vc ir back and forth as in 110rm.1l ironing. Thfo would enuse rhe stitches to puli om of sliape. It is better to use a steam tron rh.tt you dont pm down on the piece, but rather movc ahovc the piece, not touching ir.

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