Crochet Doily: To Block or Not to Block

A lot of times, knitters and crocheters don't realize their finished project needs to be blocked. I know once you are done with your project you want to say, "I am so done! I don't want to look at it again,"  but it is such an important process and really shouldn't be skipped. Especially if you want your piece to look polished and professional.

So... What is blocking? When you block you are shaping your project to the pattern dimensions or simply to be able to show the stitch pattern. Why is blocking important? When your project has to have certain dimensions such as sweater pieces so they can easily be sewn together and fit properly. Surely, you don't want one sleeve shorter than the other. Also, if you have worked intricate stitches such as in a lace pattern, blocking helps set the  pattern and the stitches are more visible. So show off those beautiful stitches you worked so hard on! How do you block? The process is simple, but does take some time. You can either wet block or steam block. I personally prefer steam block but that's because I'm usually working with cotton or acrylic. If you are working with animal fibers then you will want to wet block. I would suggest you google that process if that's the route you need to go. Either way you have to add moisture to your project.

In this post I'm going to explain how I steam blocked my crochet doily (this is the same doily that I had to frog a few posts back: Link to post). First you'll need to find a place where you can attach your piece(s) and not have it disturbed. I've used the ironing board or even my bed. I'm thinking about getting some foam floor tiles because those work well too. Next you measure out your dimensions and place some tape (painter's tape works well). You can skip this part if you don't really need to adhere to any dimensions such as with a scarf. Place your piece down and get to pinning! This part is time-consuming but oh so important. I like using quilting pins.

With this doily I made sure to place a pin in each picot. I was using the ironing board and, unfortunately, the board was just barely wide enough so I didn't get to pin some of the picots but it still turned out good. Here is what it looked like with the picots pinned:

Next, grab your iron and steam away! I had the setting on cotton since the thread is made of cotton. If you are working with acrylics, then place the setting to acrylic. Place the iron about an inch from the piece and blast the steam around for just a bit. It doesn't take much. You can gently press the iron onto the doily but not too much. You don't want to completely flatten it. Once you are satisfied, let it sit and dry. This may take just a few minutes. If you want your doily to be stiff, then you may need to add starch. I personally do not like adding starch unless I'm making little doily coasters.

Here is the finished piece: 

 Here is the blocked doily next to one that has not been blocked: 

See the difference? In the blocked piece you can really see those picots and the pineapples!

I hope this post helps you understand how important is it to block. Remember, not all projects need to be blocked but if you have a finished piece and you want to be able to see those stitches, then take the time and care needed to block.

NOTE: This post was moved from the B. Art Journey blog. Originally posted on Dec 18, 2017.