Back to Blocking: 5 Favorite Tools

A few weeks ago, I shared a post about blocking handmade gifts; I thought I'd revisit the topic by sharing a few of my favorite time-saving tools to block finished projects with stellar results every time! This is by no means an exhaustive list of every useful item to have on hand - rather, it's a collection of my favorite blocking tools at the moment.

Sock Blockers: Every now and again, I'm asked if it's necessary to invest in a pair of sock blockers. While they aren't exactly essential, it's undeniable that they make finished socks look extra-amazing (more about that here). Not only do I use sock blockers on all of my hand knit socks for gifting, I also use them on my own every time I wash them!
Blocking Mats: It was years (as in, at least 10) before I got a set of blocking mats. I always figured that using towels and/or clean cardboard was every bit as good as a blocking mat, and couldn't justify the expense. Then, as I started to do more and more loads of laundry, many of which just consisted of towels, I realized that blocking mats were a way to reduce the amount of towels needed for the blocking process. AHA! Now I'm totally in love with my blocking mats and use them constantly!
Plastic Bags: You read that right! Plastic shopping bags are really great for blocking shapely items. Not too long ago, I knit a pair of baby booties and a matching hat and used some plastic bags to stuff them and hold their shape while they were blocking, and it worked beautifully. Best of all, this tool is essentially free, since most places still insist on giving out plastic bags. While I'm a fan of reusable bags when I do my shopping, I do try to keep a stash of plastic bags on hand for blocking purposes.
Knitter's Pride Knit Blockers: Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows that I am completely obsessed with this relatively new product from Knitter's Pride. I cannot even impart how amazing they are, but I'll try: picture pinning out a long scarf with T pins. It takes a while, doesn't it? Maybe your back starts to hurt a but from leaning over so much - I know mine does, especially when it takes over 20 minutes to pin out one project. Ok, now picture pinning out that same scarf in 5 minutes. Seriously, that is how long it will take with the Knit Blockers, I've timed myself!
Wool Wash: I am totally on board with a using wool wash for my handmade projects. I find that they are worth the investment for a variety of reasons: first, most of them are no-rinse, which means that they save water AND you don't have to worry about accidentally felting your project while you rinse out the excess suds. Second, they are quite versatile - I've used them to remove stains on my clothes, wash undergarments, and even spot-clean my carpet. Third, they smell nice, and I like using a dedicated product to put the perfect finishing touch on my finished project. My new favorite wool wash is Allure, which I wrote about in greater detail on this blog post.

What are your must-have blocking tools?

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n

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