Blocking Afghan Squares

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Welcome back to the Solar System CAL! Before we go too deep into the Crochet Along, (I have heard talk that I may need to give some time to you to catch up) I wanted to write a post about blocking afghan squares. Do you block your squares? It’s not absolutely necessary, but I encourage it because it makes the finished blanket look so much nicer. There are lots of ways to block finished crochet items, but I wanted to share with you how I blocked my afghan squares and you can decide if you want to do it the same way. 

What is blocking?
Blocking is a way to process your finished squares so they are all the same size and shape. This is very useful for an afghan made up of squares that are sewn together. Depending on stress, sitting position and other factors, your squares could end up being slightly different sizes, even though you used the same hook and yarn. Blocking fixes the problem.

For my blocking,  I am using a Chetanigans BlocksAll Board. There are other methods, of course, but this board was designed by a crocheter for crocheters, so it works really well. Since these squares are approx. 10″, the 12″ board worked perfectly. 

There are a few methods of doing this, but I prefer wet blocking. This method simply means I spritz the afghan square with water on the front and back, then pin it to the blocking board to dry.  You want to stretch it just a tad so you get beautiful straight sides and perfect corners.  If there is slack in the afghan while pinning, pull it over to the next marker. My squares were about 10″, so I blocked them along the 11″ markers. 

Keep in mind you can also block a few squares at a time. You can even buy longer pins and block almost all your squares as the same time! Be sure they can breathe, though, so they can dry properly.
 

 

Chetnanigans has generously provided a BlocksAll to one lucky winner, yay!  Be sure to pop over to their Facebook Page and say Thank You! You can also see their other fabulous crochet tools (drooling over this awesome broomstick lace tool) in their Etsy Shop, and follow along with them on Pinterest and Instagram! 

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. If you are on mobile, you will need to click the small icon. 
(because of the high cost of shipping, the giveaway is open to US residents only, I am sorry!)

Eager to get your own BlocksAll? Chetnanigans has offered a code for 15% off! Use code WHISTLE15 to get your discount! The code expires July 30th. 

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 See you tomorrow!