How To: Washing & Blocking wool hat

Gannon Hat designed by Kris Carson
Photo is digitally modified to highlight cable pattern, color not completely true

I am a huge proponent of washing your projects following finishing them. I know that I take my knitting projects places such as the lake and the park for playdates. After being in and out of my bag, they are not in the most pristine condition. Now this really isn’t a problem with the types of yarns that I usually use ie 100% wools and cottons or natural and manufactured fiber blends. I figure that when the fibers which where once on sheep out in the rainy pasture or cotton is in a dusty field, they can handle the playground. But my projects do need a bath by the end of the project even if I am going to put the item on my four year old son.

In the Knit ‘n Needle Yarn shoppe, the home of Polkadotsheep.com, staff are often asked how to washing finished projects. I thought perhaps readers of this blog have that same question.  So I put together a little tutorial for you.