blocking help please!

[laureg]

i'm new to making garments, and i'm about to block my first piece. what i'm wondering is what happens when you wash the item after wearing it? is all the blocking ruined, or is shaping the garment as it dries enough? any advice would be much appreciated! tia

[ariane]

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/FEATdiyknitter.html

Hope this is helpful!

[dancingbarefoot]

i'm new to making garments, and i'm about to block my first piece. what i'm wondering is what happens when you wash the item after wearing it? is all the blocking ruined, or is shaping the garment as it dries enough?

That would depend on the fiber it's made from. Most sweaters will keep their shape after being sewn all together. For wool, it's usually enough to loosely pull it into shape while it's drying. You'd only need to block it again if it got pulled out of shape or something.

[melidomi]

you should generally dry your hand knits flat - ie lay them out to dry rather than throwing them in the dryer or hanging them up.  Think of this as casual blocking.  you don't need to measure and pin, just lay it out in the right shape. 

[laureg]

thanks everyone! your responses were very helpful