On Day Eleven of the Twelve Days of Knitmas MKAL, we are knitting AND preparing our cowl to be blocked and Kitchener stitched together.
Since blocking and Kitchener grafting/stitching may be new to some folks, I’ve created a few short videos to help you visualize the process.
If you’ve been enjoying the video tutorials throughout the MKAL, you can subscribe to the Nomadic Knits YouTube channel, where you’ll be able to revisit them as often as you like.
This first video demonstrates two different ways to insert a lifeline. If you are new to the Provisional Cast-On and the Kitchener Stich, using a lifeline can save you a lot of worry. It’s a simple way to quickly recover your stitches if you happen to drop them.
This video covers the preparation of our project for blocking.
This video covers the basics of blocking. Many experienced knitters, especially those who mainly knit socks or hats, have never blocked a project. This short intro covers the basics to get you started.
The supplies I used in the video are linked below. As always, your local yarn shop is a great resource for supplies and will likely carry the tools you need!
- Blocking Mats: I recently purchased this set and have been happy with it. It comes with the blocking pins that I prefer. I noticed that some of the pins had small barbs, which must be lightly sanded to prevent them from catching on your yarn.
- Blocking Pins: These blocking pins are from the same company, so the same warning on the barbs applies.
- Handheld Steamer: We went through quite a few steamers before finding one that was reliable and powerful enough to work on knit garments that had been crushed in the van as we traveled the country for photoshoots. This one has been going strong for a few years now!
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