Blocking Hack

Sweater pieces pinned on a blocking board and propped up vertically.

My Mum asked me to block her project for her. She’s in town for Hana’s birthday and finished knitting the pieces for an Avery sample. This is my hack for blocking multiple samples that are the same dimensions. Using fabric markers, I drew a life size schematic for all the pattern pieces, in all the sizes on a piece of gingham fabric. All my baby/kids patterns using self-patterning yarn share the same dimensions. This speeds along the blocking considerably since I don’t ever need to measure.

Closeup of corrugated ribbing in blues and gold with pins in it.

Two sleeves for a baby sweater pinned to blocking board and knit using self-patterning yarn.

Closeup of corrugated ribbing in blues, pink and gold with pins in it and sitting on gingham fabric.

I just love the colours in this Avery. The self-patterning yarn is from the Kaffe Fassett collection by Regia.

Blocked pieces for a baby sweater stacked on one another.

This morning I had the perfectly blocked pieces ready to go so I could hand them to my Mum when I took her to the airport. This sample will end up in a local yarn shop somewhere. Let me know if you see it in your LYS!

Patterns that use this technique

Small child at the beach wearing a vest with coloured squares on the back and self-patterning stripes on the front. Aidan
Child's pullover with intarsia blocks of colour on front and self-patterning striped sleeves. Avery
Smiling baby wearing hand knit cardigan made with self-patterning sock yarn. Candace
Baby lying on back wearing textured hand knit cardigan. Chloë
Toddler wearing a v-neck cardigan in a colourwork style that's made with just self-patterning sock yarn. Devan
Child's v-neck pullover worked in modular strips with self-patterning yarn. Jamie
Colourful cardigan with collar and pockets, knit in self-patterning sock yarn. JoJo
Kieran
Toddler in a colour block cardigan with self-patterning yarn on lower sleeves and lower body. Lucy
Baby and child lace cardigan with scalloped stripes in self-patterning sock yarn. Peacock
Baby and children's knitting pattern for hoodie with kangaroo pocket. Ruby
Girl in pigtails wearing orange vest with colourful shapes. Taylor

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