Knitted Lace Blocking Magic

Do you believe in magic?
by Jackie E-S

Wasn't there a fairy tale about a toad and a prince? Do you believe in magic? Well, just compare the before and after of knitted lace!

You can see an unblocked work-in-progress (messy heap of knitting in the upper portion of this photo!) vs. the blocked swatch (lower). Look at the comparison here — You talk about a toad turned into prince(ss) - right?

By the way, I did that swatch first so I can plan measurements, yardage amounts, etc. appropriately, as well as make sure early on that the end product will be as expected.

As much as you are probably going to say you don't like to swatch, I really do recommend for lace knitting that you not only swatch, but also wash and block that sample swatch in whatever way you are planning to do with the lace article you are are going to knit. This actually can save time so you know early on if you need to change course. It can make the difference between calamity and a pleasurable knitting experience. If you still remain one of the "I hate to swatch" bunch, you can consider doing a Blocking in Progress.

By blocking a smaller sample (or in-progress piece) as you will the finished article, you will have the confidence to move ahead (or take another course if not satisfied with the sample). And if moving ahead, you will have stress-free pleasure throughout the knitting of the project in anticipation of that magical moment of the final blocking to turn the toad into a princess.

Oh, and in case you are wondering what that is I am knitting, it is the narrow scarf version contained in the pattern for Elemental Changes.