STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

wetbandit42 · Marc Jacobs

Has anyone tried knit blocking?

jettie · Kate Spade

RE: Is there any way to stretch cashmere?

atlgirl · Gucci

I'm with jettie. I would be afraid to stretch it out of shape. Take it back or eBay it...sorry!

wetbandit42 · Marc Jacobs

Thanks ladies. If I can't return it, I've got someone in mind I could give it to as a gift.

ETA: I found the magazine. It says, "Your dry cleaner, bless his heart, may be able to strect wool (including cashmere) and acrylic at least one and a half sizes through a process called knit blocking. ... For the cost of a dry cleaning, he'll steam, stretch and cool the top until it fits you to a T."

You can read more about knit blocking here: http://www.margarets.com/faq/18.2.html

Has anyone had this done? I'm afraid it would ruin the sweater.

-- Edited by wetbandit42 at 11:33, 2007-07-25

HeatherLynn · Gucci

Has anyone tried knit blocking?

luckylily · Gucci

Well, when I'm knitting a sweater, I always have to block the finished project. It is super easy. You can do it yourself just as well as your dry cleaner.

You should determine what you would like the size of the sweater to be (I'm hoping it is just a little too small). Get some rust proof pins (you can find them at a fabric store) and lay the sweater out on something you can pin it to - a mattress works really well. Pin the sweater out to the size you'd like. Use A LOT of pins to avoid getting little points where the pins are. Then use a water spray bottle to spritz the sweater until it is pretty wet. Voila! It'll dry to the size you've pinned it too.

Here's more info on blocking:
http://www.knitty.com/issuewinter02/FEATdiyknitter.html

ViViDogWear · Kate Spade

Luckylily's instructions are great for at home.

At my current company (knits) and when I worked at Nordstrom's - knit blocking is a very common and relatively easy process to have someone do. You can do the pin method (as Luckylily detailed) Or a store (like Nordstroms) or the drycleaners have a special ironing board which has suction on one end - then the sweater can be kind of stretched out to the meaurements you want at whichever point you want and a super hot iron w/steam or the top of pressing board applied to set the size. Uusually only 1 size up/down.

HTH

wetbandit42 · Marc Jacobs

Thanks ladies! I will definitely try the dry cleaners first (only because I'm scared I'll mess it up!) and if they won't do it, then I'll probably attempt luckylily's pin method.

It's such a cute sweater that I don't want to give it up - I only wish J.Crew's sizing wasn't all over the map.

Thanks again! smile