Tuesday, January 23, 2018

How to block a beret or tam with Eucalan Delicate Wash.

Thank you to Eucalan Delicate Wash for sending me the Eucalan Gift Pack for review. You should always block your knitted, crocheted or woven projects. It helps even out the stitches and lets the yarn bloom. Eucalan Delicate Wash is a no-rinse formula that is non-toxic, biodegradable and phosphate-free. It naturally conditions the fibers with a touch of lanolin and it comes in five scents: eucalyptus, lavender, grapefruit, unscented and their new jasmine scent, Wrapture. Eucalyptus and lavender are naturally moth and flea repellent, making them an excellent choice for wool fibers and fabrics.
First check your yarn label and see what water temperature to use. Typically I use cold or tepid water. You do not want to accidentally felt your project. I am going to be blocking my Iced Eucalyptus Beret. The yarn label says "hand wash cold" so I will be using cold water. I filled the sink with cold water. As you run the water, add a teaspoon of Eucalan. Then soak the hat in the water for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, gently squeeze the water out of the hat. Then roll in between a towel to get the excess water out.
Take a 10" diameter plate and and place it inside the hat.
Thread scrap yarn onto a tapestry needle.
Using a running stitch, baste around the brim of the hat.
Gently cinch the brim to the desired size. You want the brim to gather up because you don't want it stretched out. Tie a knot to hold the scrap yarn in place.
The body of the hat is stretched over the plate to block out the lace pattern of the hat.
Balance the opening of the hat over a jar and let it dry.
The beret is all blocked and ready to wear.
Another good reason for soaking your knitwear in Eucalan? It cleans it. Your project would have attracted a lot of dirt or dust by the time you are done working on it. Eucalan Delicate Wash is great for cleaning before you wear it and for after you have worn it for a while. It's an excellent way to keep your knitwear looking new and smelling fresh. Their no-rinse formula makes it so easy to care for your handmade items. You can even use it on specialty fabrics and fibers such as silk, rayon and cotton.

You can find Eucalan Delicate Wash here. And you can find the pattern for the Iced Eucalyptus Beret here.

4 comments:

Gab Fab said...

That's brilliant!

Anonymous said...

Świetny wpis. Jestem pod wrażeniem.

Anonymous said...

Wygląda to super. Pozdrawiam.

Anonymous said...

Super artykuł. Pozdrawiam serdecznie.