It’s time for another episode of “Patty’s obsession with blocking tools”! Previously I reviewed the Sweater Care Kit, next up we looked at the BlokWRX blocking wires, and now it’s time to turn our attention to Knit Blockers.
Product Review – Knit Blockers
The kit includes:
Pack of 20 Knit Blockers
- 12 Knit Blockers having 8 pins
- 8 Knit Blockers having 4 pins
The first thing I noticed (the hard way, don’t ask) is these pins are SHARP. I don’t know how, but they seem sharper than my regular t pins, so be careful.
They come in a box with a foam base, pretty easy to get in and out as long as you are careful to line the bars up with the slots on the side of the box. (You can see where I didn’t quite get one in straight. Be warned if you are a bit on the OCD side. 🙂
Okay, enough with the unboxing: let’s get to the blocking. There’s a pdf of instructions you can take a look at HERE.
I tested them out on a few blocking surfaces. The pins are slightly larger than t pins and did leave a hole in the foam blocking roll I tested them on as well as the plain foam mats, but on the Knitter’s Blocks, they worked great (no hole at all). I think the cloth covering on the Knitter’s Blocks helps avoid the holes.
I loved the feel of the bars–very sturdy and a good size. You can use them to replace blocking wires on smaller pieces (like the picture below). This would be perfect for blocking afghan squares to get a clean edge for seaming and matching sizes.
One thing that will make lace shawl knitters rejoice are the holes in the bars. At first glance you might think they serve no function . . . until I looked at the pictures that came with the kit and saw they were designed by an evil genius. (Okay, not evil, I just like the sound of that.)
In my online blocking class I show how you can use crochet thread to replace blocking wires by running the thread through the lace edge and then looping it around blocking pins. With the Knit Blockers, you can run the thread through the holes to help anchor your piece (see pics below).
This was by far my favorite feature. All in all I found this to be an incredibly useful blocking tool.
For upcoming live blocking classes, check my schedule. (Hope to see you in class soon!)
