Grrrr...

So, I promised last time that I would tell you all about the blocking process. Blocking, in case you don't know, is something done to knitted objects to make sure they're all the right size (you can stretch things a bit with blocking) and to flatten them by getting them wet and pinning them mercilessly down and leaving them to dry. Due to limited numbers of pins and space limitations I am only able to block one piece at a time, and the sweater is composed of five pieces. I am now on piece number three (I've blocked the back and one front piece, the second front piece is drying currently, and the sleeves remain). The entire thing is knitted in stockinette stitch, which is what you most commonly see on plain knitted sweaters with no embellishment. What you may not know, is that stockinette stitch curls. Like you would not believe. The two sleeves that have yet to be subjected to soaking and an arsenal of pins, look like two rather silly tubes of knitted fabric. The other pieces once looked like this, and still faintly resemble said tubes. Thus the source of my frustration. The edges still curl. Not quite as badly as before, granted, but still. Isn't the point of blocking (as mentioned above) to flatten the knitting so that it no longer curls? Why then is my knitting still curling?! Yesterday, after having blocked one of the front pieces and it still looking mostly like it had before I did anything to it, I wanted to take it outside and burn it. Instead, I got it really wet and reblocked it. I think it's a bit better, but still not uncurled. Grrr... On most of the sides I don't care that much because they'll be sewn together, but the outsides are still curling up! I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I still have two more days of blocking before I can put it all together.