blocking the back and fronts
Finishing embraces all the steps you must go through after you complete the major pieces of a project. This includes blocking, sewing up, picking up stitches, adding borders, and adding buttonholes and buttons. Perfect finishing requires practice and attention to detail but makes a garment look handcrafted rather than homemade.
Q: What is blocking?
A: The knitted fabric is wetted, stretched, and smoothed to shape, and then allowed to dry — but not necessarily in that order.
Q: Why should I block my knitting?
A: You can accomplish many things by blocking:
Q: What equipment do I need to block my knitting?
A: You’ll need just a few things:
Q: When should I block?
A: Block your swatch before beginning on a project, measuring before and after blocking to see whether it shrinks or expands. Block individual pieces to the desired measurements. This will help to uncurl the edges, make them even, and square the corners, all of which will make seaming and picking up borders easier. When finishing is completed, block key spots to improve its appearance, squaring the corners, flattening the seams, and smoothing the transitions to borders. Block after each washing to reshape your garments and to open out lacy or ribbed fabrics.
A: There are several different ways to block knitting:
blocking the back and fronts
See also: Wash and Wear
Q: Does it matter what fiber the yarn is made of when you’re deciding which blocking method to choose?
A: Yes. Acrylic, polyester, and other synthetic fibers do not block well and will hold the blocked shape only for a short time. Animal fibers such as wool and mohair block well and require only a little moisture; for example, from steaming or misting. Slippery, nonstretchy fibers such as linen, cotton, and silk respond better to more moisture, making them good candidates for wet blocking.
Q: I’ve been told that I should never block ribbing. Is this true?
A: This warning is against stretching the ribbed borders on a garment when you block it. For ribbed borders to remain elastic, they should dry in a relaxed position during blocking. On the other hand, there are times when blocked ribbing is appropriate. For example, if you have a scarf made in ribbing and you prefer it flat rather than scrunched up by the natural elasticity of the rib, then it’s perfectly all right to stretch it while blocking. If you have a clingy sweater that’s ribbed all over or a wide band of ribbing at the bottom of a sweater and you prefer a looser fit, blocking to stretch the ribbing slightly will do the trick.
If you’re unsure how to approach it, sewing the pieces of your sweater together can be daunting. Joining the shoulders, joining the side seams, and attaching the sleeves to the body all require different techniques. Once you learn these, you’ll be able to seam flawlessly.
Q: How do I sew together the shoulders of a sweater?
A: Weave the two edges together. If you’ve ever done Kitchener Stitch, this will seem familiar, except that it is done along two bound-off edges. Using a yarn needle, weave the yarn between the two pieces of knitting to form a new row of knit stitches.
Get ready: Lay the pieces on a flat surface, right side up, with the edges to be joined next to each other.
weaving shoulders together
Q: Is there a way to join shoulders without sewing?
A: Yes. The Three-Needle Bind Off is a great way to join shoulders, if you have not yet bound them off.
See also: Three-Needle Bind Off and Short-Row Shaping
Q: How do I sew together the sides of a sweater?
A: To join the sides of two Stockinette Stitch pieces, use Mattress Stitch in one of the following ways:
One strand. Lay the two pieces side by side on a flat surface. Always work with the right side of the fabric facing you. Work a full stitch in from the edge. To make a firm, strong seam, sew under just one strand on each side with every stitch, working from bottom to top.
working mattress stitch under one strand for side seam
Two strand. To make a less bulky seam, sew under two strands on each side with every stitch. Work alternately on one side of the seam and then the other.
As you sew, pull the yarn tight enough to draw the two edges together, but loose enough that the seam still stretches a little.
mattress stitch under two strands
Q How do I sew together Garter Stitch?
A: It’s actually easier to sew up Garter Stitch pieces than Stockinette ones. Simply sew through the bumps at the edge, alternating from side to side. This produces a reversible seam with no bulk. For a slightly neater and more substantial seam, but one with definite right and wrong sides, sew through the top of a stitch just in from the edge. The tops of the stitches are curved, like little frowns. In both cases, pull the yarn tight enough that the sewn lengths look about the same as the knit stitches on either side.
sewing garter stitch pieces together through the bumps at the edge
sewing garter stitch pieces together through the top of a stitch
Q: The seams in my ribbed borders never look neat. How can I fix them?
A: When you are working in K1, P1 ribbing, there are two possible solutions:
sewing one-half stitch from the edge in K1, P1 ribbing
sewing a whole stitch from the edge in K1, P1 ribbing
In K2, P2 ribbing, work the ribbing on a multiple of four stitches plus two more, and make sure that you have two knit stitches at each edge when looking at the right side of the fabric. Work Mattress Stitch a full stitch in from the edge. After the seam is complete, there will be two knit stitches, with two purl stitches on either side, making the ribbing look continuous across the seam.
sewing a seam in K2, P2 ribbing seam
Another alternative is to work the borders circularly to eliminate seams altogether. You may start with a circular border, then set half the stitches aside on a spare circular needle or a piece of yarn while you work the first half of the garment. Return to these stitches when you are ready to complete the second half of the garment. Or you could start each garment piece with a provisional cast on, then add the border circularly after seaming is completed.
Q: How do I sew the sleeve seam?
A: Join it with Mattress Stitch (see Side Seams) just as you would the two sides of the sweater.
Q: How do I sew in the sleeves of a sweater?
A: The approach you take will depend upon the shape of your sleeve cap and armhole:
attaching a drop-shoulder sleeve to the body
pinning a shaped sleeve cap to the armhole
See also: Is there a way to weave in the ends as I knit? and Mattress Stitch
Q: Is there a way to join the sleeve to the body without sewing?
A: Yes. Use the Three-Needle Bind Off. You must have live stitches across the sleeve cap and along the armhole edge. If your sleeve cap isn’t shaped, don’t bind it off before joining it to the body. If the sleeve cap has been shaped, pick up stitches all along the edge. If it’s a drop-shoulder sweater with no defined armhole, mark the beginning and end of the armhole area with safety pins. Pick up exactly the same number of stitches along the armhole edge as there are along the sleeve cap. Now use the Three-Needle Bind Off to join the two pieces. This is a very noticeable join, so you may want to make it a decorative element by binding off on the right side of the fabric or by using contrasting yarn.
See also: Three-Needle Bind Off
Q: I knit a sweater sideways, in one piece from cuff-to-cuff. How do I sew together the sleeve and side seams?
A: The sleeves were knit in the same direction they normally are. Sew as usual using Mattress Stitch. The body was knit sideways, so the side seams are actually the top or bottom of the pieces. Join these by weaving, just as described for shoulder seams (Sewing Up).
Q: How do I get rid of the gap at the bottom of a seam?
A: When you start the seam, sew a figure eight across the beginning of a sleeve or body seam to make the edge even. Tension the yarn so that the final strand you sew is the same length and angle as the cast on at either side.
closing gap at bottom of sleeve
Q: I sewed up the seam, but the ends didn’t come out even. Why did this happen, and how do I fix it?
A: No matter how hard you try to make pieces identical, sometimes you end up with a few more rows in one piece than in the other. Even when pieces are identical, it can be very difficult to sew consistently up both sides of the seam. Control this problem before you begin to sew by fastening together the top and bottom edges, using safety pins placed horizontally between the two pieces. Also place safety pins at the center and every few inches along the seam. As you approach each safety pin, check to make sure that it’s still horizontal. If not, then every so often work under two strands on the side that’s too long and under only one strand on the side that’s too short to gradually ease in the extra fabric.
Sew from the cast-on edge up toward the underarm on both the sleeve seam and the side seam. Any unevenness is then hidden at the underarm.
Q: I can’t sew with the yarn I used for the knitting. What do I do?
A: It can be very difficult to sew with heavily textured yarns (bouclé, eyelash, chenille, and other novelty yarns), yarns that are loosely spun, or yarns with plies that stretch at different rates. Luckily, you have lots of options:
crocheting two pieces together
Q: What is Kitchener Stitch, and how do I do it?
A: Kitchener Stitch (or grafting) is a method of sewing two pieces of knitting together seamlessly. It is always done on live stitches.
Get ready: Hold the two pieces of knitting with wrong-sides together and the needles at the top. If you are right-handed, point the needles to the right; if you are left-handed, reverse them. Use a yarn needle threaded with matching yarn. If the working yarn is hanging at the edge, use a length of it for this purpose.
Now that you know how to do it, here’s the short version. Memorize this and repeat it as you work, so you won’t get mixed up:
Front: Knit off, purl on.
Back: Purl off, knit on.
Get ready: Hold the two pieces of knitting together with the needles at the top. If you are right-handed, point the needles to the right; if you are left-handed, reverse them. To be sure that you are joining the pieces correctly (so that there aren’t two purl rows or two knit rows together), the tail of yarn from the last row should be hanging down from the same edge of both pieces. Use a yarn needle threaded with matching yarn. If possible, use the yarn attached to one of the pieces.
kitchener stitch in garter stitch
Borders around the neckline and armholes support the garment and prevent the edges from curling. They’re also a great opportunity to embellish, either by using a knock-out yarn or a decorative pattern stitch.
Q: I’m never sure where to insert my needle when picking up stitches for a neckline or armhole border. What’s the right method?
A: Work one full stitch in from the edge. If you are working in anything but Stockinette Stitch, this will be easier if you prepared by keeping one or two edge stitches in Stockinette and working any increases, decreases, and pattern stitches farther in, so they don’t interfere with picking up. Insert the tip of your needle through the fabric to the back, one stitch in from the edge.
Remember that a stitch is two strands wide, so you’ll always be working two strands in from the edge. Wrap the yarn around the needle, and knit the stitch out to the front. Sock heels are an exception. To prevent an uncomfortable ridge along the edge of the heel flap, pick up just half a stitch from the edge.
picking up stitches along the side
If you are picking up along a bound-off edge, be sure to insert the needle into a stitch, not immediately below the bind off.
Q: My borders always seem to be too loose or too tight. How can I pick up the right number of stitches on the first try?
A: Generally, in Stockinette you should pick up three stitches for every four rows, or five stitches for every seven rows, along the side of the knitting. To be sure of this ratio, compare your rows per inch to your stitches per inch. Three stitches are likely to measure about the same as four rows. Across the top of the knitting, you can usually pick up one stitch for each stitch, as shown in the illustration above. Bottom bands and wrist bands are normally worked on 10 percent fewer stitches and on needles 2 sizes smaller than the body or sleeve they are attached to, to prevent them from stretching out of shape. In inelastic fibers, such as cotton, linen, silk, or mohair, the bands may be worked on 15 percent or 20 percent fewer stitches, as long as this doesn’t make them so tight they are uncomfortable or won’t fit over your head.
If you have trouble picking up the right number of stitches, or if you see noticeable holes or unevenness along the picked-up edge, you can do the following: Pick up a stitch in every row along a side edge and in every stitch along a top edge, then decrease on the first row (evenly spaced across the length of the border) to the number of stitches you really need. Here are a few more tips:
See also: Making a Shaped Swatch
Q: When I pick up stitches around a neckline, sometimes there are gaps. How do I avoid these?
A: Working neatly around corners and curves always pre-sents a challenge in knitting. Here are some suggestions that may help:
picking up along edge of neck
See also: Adjusting Width
Q: How do I space buttonholes evenly?
A: Work the matching button band first, so you know how many stitches or rows there will be, and then chart it out. You can also mark the spots for buttonholes on the button band using safety pins, and then count the stitches in between. To place the same number of stitches between buttonholes, divide any extra stitches between the ends, preferably at the bottom. Even if the buttonholes are not spaced perfectly, sew the buttons in exactly the right places; when the garment is buttoned, any slight variations will be unnoticeable. It’s better to have more buttons, rather than fewer, to prevent gaps.
Use a piece of elastic 1⁄2" or 5⁄8" wide as a tool. A 15" piece should be long enough for most sweater fronts. Mark the elastic with a pen at regular intervals, once for each button. When it’s time to measure the sweater front, pin the top mark of the elastic where you want the top buttonhole and the bottom mark where you want the bottom buttonhole. Stretch the elastic so that the front lies flat. The marks in between will stretch in perfect proportion. Place safety pins at the points along the front where the marks fall when the elastic is stretched.
Q: How can I calculate buttonhole placement exactly?
A: You must know the number of stitches in your band, the stitches per buttonhole, and the number of buttons. Follow the instructions below:
|
Instructions |
Example |
|
Calculate the number of stitches used for all the buttonholes. |
3 stitches × 6 buttons = 18 stitches |
|
Deduct this from the total stitches for the button band. |
90 stitches – 18 buttonhole stitches = 72 stitches |
|
Deduct some space above the top buttonhole and below the bottom one. Let’s say 4 stitches at each end, for a total of 8 stitches. |
72 stitches – 8 = 64 stitches |
|
Divide the remaining stitches to fill the spaces between buttonholes. Remember that when there are 6 buttonholes there are only 5 spaces between them. |
64 stitches/5 spaces = 12.8 stitches |
The resulting 12.8 stitches is impossible to work, so make adjustments to come up with a workable plan. If you round up to 13 stitches, then the 5 spaces will take up a total of 5 × 13 = 65 stitches, which is only 1 more than you wanted. Steal this extra stitch from either the top or the bottom of the button band. Thus, your calculation is:
|
Section of band |
# of Stitches |
|
Above top buttonhole Buttonholes: 6 @ 3 stitches each Spaces between: 5 @ 13 stitches each Below bottom buttonhole |
3 18 65 4 |
|
Total |
90 |
|
Check for errors in your buttonhole plan this way to avoid unpleasant surprises during knitting. |
|
Q: How do I calculate buttonhole placement when I’m working the button band from top to bottom?
A: You can follow the same procedure to place the buttonholes, substituting rows for stitches. You’ll need to know the number of rows for the length of the band, the number of buttonholes, and how many rows to allow for each buttonhole.
Q: How do I decide which buttonhole to make?
A: There are many different kinds of buttonholes to choose from. Make your selection based on how they look and whether they fit your button. Test your buttonholes by adding a button band to your swatch. This gives you the opportunity to try several different buttonholes and to make them different sizes. Make sure the hole is barely big enough for the button to pass through. Simple eyelets work anywhere; horizontal buttonholes fit best into horizontal patterns, such as Garter Stitch; and vertical buttonholes are least noticeable in ribbing.
Q: Just how do I make the buttonhole itself?
A: The most basic buttonhole is a simple eyelet. This is the smallest type you can make, and it is especially good for bulky yarns or for tiny buttons on baby clothes. Make a yarnover where you want the buttonhole, then knit (or purl) the next two stitches together. You may find it looks better in your pattern stitch to reverse the two, decreasing first and then working the yarnover.
eyelet buttonhole
See also: The Yarnover and Decreases
Q: Is there a good buttonhole for Garter Stitch?
A: Horizontal buttonholes are especially good in Garter Stitch, where they can be hidden in the valley between two ridges. The Tight One-Row Buttonhole explained in the next answer is a little more complicated than the Loose Three-Row Buttonhole, because the yarn is woven in and out between the stitches to prevent the buttonhole from stretching. Choose between them based on which fits your button best.
Before you begin to work the buttonholes, decide exactly how many stitches you need for each buttonhole and how far apart they will be. Place markers on your needle or in your knitting before you make the buttonholes, to prevent confusion as you work across.
Q: How do I make a Tight One-Row Buttonhole?
A: These instructions are for a three-stitch buttonhole, but you can use any number of stitches. An odd number works best. Note that “yarn forward” and “yarn back” mean that you move the yarn between the two needle points. These are not yarnovers; they do not add any stitches. All stitches are slipped purlwise. “Bind off 1” means to pass the second stitch on the right needle over the first one. No additional stitches are knit in order to bind off.
Get ready: Work across to the point where you want the hole.
pass last stitch to left needle
last cast-on stitch
bind off
See also: Cable Cast On and The Slipped Stitch
Q: How do I make a Loose Three-Row Buttonhole?
A: This buttonhole can be done on any number of stitches.
Get ready: Work to the point where you want the buttonhole.
tightening the loose strand
Elizabeth Zimmermann gives us tips for making this buttonhole neater. On the second and third rows, if there is a long strand after the last bound-off or cast-on stitch, pick up the strand, twist it, and put it on your left needle. Work it together with the next stitch to tighten it. You can also plan ahead and cast on one fewer stitch. Then, when you pick up the loose strand, there’s no need to decrease — it replaces the missing stitch. (For more information, check Zimmermann’s Knitting Without Tears; see Resources.)
See also: Loop Cast On
Q: Is there a good buttonhole to use in ribbing?
A: Vertical buttonholes are unobtrusive in ribbing. They disappear nicely into a purl rib.
Row 1. On the wrong side, work across in ribbing, but knit into the front and back of each stitch where you want a buttonhole.
Row 2. On the right side, work across in pattern until 1 stitch remains before each increased stitch, ssk, yarnover twice, K2tog.
Row 3. Work across in pattern on the wrong side. When 1 stitch remains before each double yarnover, P2tog, yarnover, ssp.
Row 4. Work across in pattern on the right side, purling into each buttonhole under both strands of yarn from the yarnovers.
buttonhole for K1, P1 ribbing
Row 1. On the right side, work in pattern until 1 knit stitch remains before the 2 purl stitches where each buttonhole will be placed, ssk, yarnover twice, K2tog.
Row 2. On the wrong side, work in pattern until 1 stitch remains before each double yarnover, P2tog, yarnover twice, ssp.
Row 3. On the right side, work across in pattern. K1, P1 into each double yarn over, working under both strands.
To make a smaller buttonhole, skip Row 2 and work Row 3 on the wrong side instead.
buttonhole for K2, P2 ribbing
See also: The Yarnover Decreases
Q: My buttonhole is too loose. Can I tighten it?
A: Yes. Take matching yarn and sew across one or both ends to make the buttonhole shorter, weaving the yarn in and out along both sides to prevent stretching. You can also work buttonhole stitch around the buttonhole, using yarn or sewing thread.
buttonhole stitch
Q: I’m missing a buttonhole. Is there any way to add one after the knitting is done?
A: Yes. Once again, Elizabeth Zimmermann has provided us with a solution. In fact, you can do all your buttonholes this way if you prefer to place them after the bands are completed. Snip one stitch at the center of the buttonhole. Unravel just a stitch or two to each side (three stitches usually make a reasonable width). Use the Sewn Bind Off to bind off the bottom, going one stitch beyond the opening. Then turn and bind off the top the same way, joining to the beginning of your bind off. Weave in all the ends on the back. (For more on “Afterthoughts” check Zimmermann’s Knitting Without Tears; see Resources.)
See also: Sewn Bind Off.
Q: How do I sew on the buttons?
A: Sew on the buttons using either sewing thread or yarn. With yarn, the holes in the button must be large enough for a tapestry needle and the yarn to pass through easily. Line up the button band with the buttonhole band, and sew the buttons opposite the buttonholes. Use one long piece of yarn, weaving it in along the back of the button band between buttons to avoid creating two additional tails for each button. With fragile buttons, or ones that cannot be washed or dry-cleaned, you may want to use safety pins designed for attaching buttons with shanks (available at sewing stores) rather than sew them on. They have a bend at the center to hold the button in position.
Buttons go on the left front of girls’ garments and on the right side of boys’ garments. Why? Because when buttons first came into use, men dressed themselves and women usually had maids help them. The buttons were placed where it was easiest for a right-handed person to manipulate them.
If you don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl, you can make buttonholes on both bands and sew the buttons on the correct side when the baby is born. Buttons can be repositioned later for subsequent siblings of the opposite sex.
Or you can assume that the baby will not be fastening his or her buttons before the sweater is outgrown, and place them on whichever front will be most convenient for the parent: left front for a right-handed caretaker and right front for a left-handed one.
Q: How do I deal with all these ends?
A: The ends should be woven in on the wrong side of the fabric. If the ends are at a seam line or the edge of a border, weave them through the seam stitches on the inside of the garment or along the bound-off edge. If they are in the middle of a row, cross the two ends and use a yarn needle to zigzag loosely through several of the purl bumps on the back of the fabric, in the same direction the yarn was originally traveling along the row. Stretch the knitting a bit, so you can be sure that the ends will stay buried as the fabric stretches, then snip each end close to the knitting. Wool, mohair, and other animal fibers present no problems if handled this way. Slippery fibers like silk or cotton, however, need to be locked in place by reversing direction and splitting the original yarn each time you cross it. You may find it easier to do this with a sharp-pointed darning needle rather than a yarn needle.
locking in a slippery yarn
If you’re working with lots of colors, avoid weaving all the ends in at the same place, which can be bulky. Instead, weave some horizontally and some diagonally at varying angles. When working stripes, consider letting the ends serve as a decorative embellishment, such as braids, on the outside of the garment. You can also incorporate ends into tassels or use them to attach beads, if you like.
Q: What do I do when I don’t want the ends to show on lace or a reversible scarf?
A: Use Duplicate Stitch to weave the ends, following the path of a single strand of yarn. If there will be fringe, incorporate any tails at the edge into the fringe. Avoid creating ends while you knit by splicing them together as you go.
See also: Duplicate Stitch and Splicing
Q: The ends are too short to thread through a needle and sew in. What do I do?
A: It’s always a good idea to leave ends 4"–6" long because they’re much easier to work with. If you didn’t, you can use a crochet hook instead of a needle to draw the tails through the stitches on the back of the knitting. You can also insert the yarn needle through the stitches where you want to weave in first, then thread the short yarn end through the eye and pull the needle through. Or you can thread the end through the needle and use it backwards, leading with the eye rather than the point.
Q: The two halves of my sweater don’t match, and my sleeve and my armhole don’t seem to be the same size. What do I do?
A: If you’re pretty sure you knit the correct number of rows for both sides of your sweater, then the problems may be caused by variations in tension, making one piece tighter than the other, or because one bound-off edge is tighter than another. Try blocking each piece to the correct dimensions, stretching one and minimizing the other. If this doesn’t work, figure out which piece is not the correct size by measuring it and comparing it with the pattern specifications. You may need to unravel and reknit it, or redo the bind off.
Q: I just finished sewing up my sweater, and I found a dropped stitch in it. Do I have to take it all apart?
A: No. Use a crochet hook to reknit the rows that are loose above the stitch, if there are any. Pull the unsecured stitch through to the inside of the garment. Thread a yarn needle with matching yarn and pull it through the stitch, then weave in and trim off both ends. This will keep the stitch from unraveling again.
See also: Fixing Mistakes
Q: I just finished sewing up my sweater, and I found a hole in it. Do I have to take it all apart?
A: First, determine whether it’s caused by an inadvertent yarnover or if there’s a dropped stitch involved (see previous question). To close a yarnover, use a piece of matching yarn, threaded in a yarn needle, to encircle the hole on the inside of the garment, and gently pull it closed. Weave in and trim both the ends.
See also: At Loose Ends
Q: When I knit mittens, I always have little holes at the base of the thumb after I pick up the thumb stitches. When I knit socks, there are always holes at the corner where the heel flap meets the gusset. Any suggestions for getting rid of these holes?
A: Pick up a few extra stitches at these corners and then decrease to get rid of them. For mittens, work the decreases on the first round or two. For socks, just work the gusset decreases at the normal rate until you are back down to the correct number of stitches. If any small holes remain, close them up when weaving in the ends on the inside. When there are no convenient ends nearby, use a short length of yarn to close up the holes and then weave in both its ends on the wrong side.
Q: Now that my garment is done, how do I care for it?
A: Check the yarn label for washing instructions. If you don’t have the label, test the yarn to see if the color runs. If it does, wash with cold water; otherwise, use warm water. Fill a basin with water, add detergent, and stir with your hands. Avoid creating a lot of suds, which can be difficult to rinse out. Press the garment into the water and gently squeeze a few times. If it’s made of wool or other animal hair, too much handling or agitation may cause it to felt. If the garment is multicolor and any of the colors run, remove it immediately. Otherwise, let the garment soak for a few minutes.
When you lift the garment out of the water, it will be heavy. Support it from underneath to prevent stretching. Squeeze out the excess water, and set the garment aside. Empty out the soapy water, and refill the basin with clean water of the same temperature, to avoid felting. Put the garment back in and squeeze a few times. Repeat with clean water until all soap has been removed. Squeeze the water out of the garment gently. Roll it in a towel to remove more moisture. Lay the garment out flat to dry, pulling or patting it gently into the desired shape and pinning if necessary. Using a sweater drying rack of nylon mesh allows air to circulate, helping your garment dry more quickly. You can also place the rack near a fan or a heating or air-conditioning vent.
See also: How can I tell if the color in my yarn will run? and Blocking
Natural animal hair fibers can felt (shrink in size and become densely matted) very easily. When washing wool, mohair, alpaca, angora, or other animal fibers, follow these rules to avoid felting:
Q: Can I wash hand knits in the washing machine?
A: Some wool yarns are “superwash” and don’t felt. Check the label to see whether machine washing is recommended for your yarn. If you have a very bulky sweater or a lot of hand-knit garments to wash at once, you can use your top-loading washing machine to speed the process. Sort the garments by color first, in case any of the colors run. Fill the washer with cold water if you suspect the hand knits may run, or lukewarm if you know they’re colorfast. Put in enough water to cover the garments. Add some detergent and agitate a little, but avoid creating lots of suds, which are difficult to rinse out. Now press the garments gently down into the water. By hand, squeeze the water through them. Leave them to soak for a few minutes. Use the spin cycle to spin out the water. Be especially careful if your washer sprays rinse water into the tub during the spin cycle, because this may cause felting. Stand by your washer, prepared to stop it immediately if this spray function begins or cut off the water supply to the washer before spinning. Remove the garments, and fill the machine again with the same-temperature water for rinsing. Press the garments into the rinse water and squeeze water through them. Spin out the water. Repeat the rinse process until no detergent remains. Lay the garments flat to dry, shaping them properly.
Q: Can I dry my sweater in the dryer?
A: Probably not. Check the label on your yarn. Most yarns, even those that are “superwash,” are not machine dryable. A few yarns (notably sock yarns) are machine washable and dryable. Running socks knit from these yarns through the dryer will fluff them up nicely, but larger garments, such as sweaters, shawls, and afghans, should be blocked gently and dried flat to prevent them from stretching out of shape.
