I've Got Knits :: Wet Blocking

In the short amount of time that I have been knitting again, I think I can say that I have moved from beginner to advanced beginner!  I didn't even know about blocking until I knitted this top and even then I didn't really block it or the red and the blue ones I knitted.   But I can't avoid it any longer! 

This hooded vest is also a Harumidori design.  See the beautiful little 'star tweed' on the hood and front?  Just adorable (and easy) but it is a smaller gauge/tighter tension than the rest of the garment and would benefit from wet-blocking.

I googled wet blocking and found that this is pretty much the process:

First step is to soak the vest in mildly soapy water (look at yarn label for water temperature) over night or at least a few hours.  Then roll vest up in a towel to remove excess water.

Lay vest out on towel and preferably over something firm that you can stick pins in (I'm using some foam)

Gently pull vest into shape and pin to the measurements given in the knitting instructions.

Allow to dry and there you have it!  The 'star tweed' is now not so tight and the vest is ready for buttons.

I wasn't so sure about whether there was a correct way to sew on buttons to a knitted garment.  Google, being my new library index, helped me out again by showing me this tutorial.

Sorry about the dodgy photos!

I would also like to mention that all the sales of this knitting pattern are going to raising funds for the designer's family in Japan who were affected by the devasting tsunami.  If you are a knitter please purchase or if you know a knitter who can knit this for you, purchase it.  I bought it before the tsunami because I really like the pattern.  It is so good to know that proceeds are going to a worthy cause as well.

And now it is all finished. I was hoping to give it to the young man I made it for over the weekend but alas that did not happen. It is amazing what one little text message on a Thursday can do to ruin one's weekend. I've been dealing with the fall-out from that message since then and was unable to attend the little man's party!

Gosh, been really feeling like I am letting everyone down lately.  Well, it is times like this that I recall Miss Stacy telling Anne Shirley of her own saying "Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it".  I wish I had Anne of Green Gables on DVD! 

xxx