Blocking Large Shawls

Dear designers of these fantastic large shawls

My problem: how do you block the finished work of art so that its beauty really comes into its own? My blocking mat is definitely too small for it.

I’d be grateful for any tips

ChristinaE

Hello Christina,

I use my old yoga mat for that. ;-)
But I also have a puzzle mat so I can add on more space if the mat isn’t enough.
Then I use the great T-pins and blocking combs from Knitpro (check Amazon or google it), and if I have lots of points that I want to shape, I use welding rods. There are blocking wires too, but they are many times more expensive.

Best regards
Michaela

Hi :)

Yeah, that’s always a challenge for me, too. Unfortunately, I don’t have room in my tiny apartment for a huge yoga mat or anything like that, so I always improvise and basically “wrap” it around a clothes drying rack. I then secure half of the shawl from the top and the other half from the bottom. So far, it’s always worked out somehow :)

Something else I’ve seen people do a lot is block their shawls on the bed. It works wonderfully on a 2-by-2-meter bed, too—just make sure it’s not too wet :)

Hi Christina,
I like to use a steam iron for blocking—because a shawl blocked on puzzle mats wouldn’t “survive” long in my house; I have two very active boys... 
With plenty of steam and a light touch, blocking with a steam iron works very well—the only important thing is that the wool is “iron-safe,” meaning it can withstand the hot iron and steam.
Best regards,
Sylvia

I always do it on the guest bed.

Either you block large pieces on a carpet—preferably in a room you don’t use often—or in the living room if the situation allows it. Neither option works for me because my cats open all the doors, and in the living room they might eat the pins (which would be really bad). So I block it in sections on the ironing board. You just have to be a little careful, and then it works out just fine.