I finished the Gwen Slouchy Beret last night and I'd like to get your opinion on blocking it. (Please excuse the bad photo. I went to three different rooms, trying to get more light.)
I want to block out the ridge that has somehow formed around the hat. (Look near the arrow then travel counter clockwise toward 6:00.) I'm not sure if I've done something wrong or if it's just the nature of the stitch pattern. Ravelry shows other hats with the same issue.
Last night I tried putting the hat around a salad plate, dinner plate, pasta bowl...nothing looked like it would stretch out that ridge. And I'm afraid that if I find something large enough to pull out the hat by the ridge, the ribbing will be pulled too much. Does anyone have experience blocking berets or have a creative solution? Should I try blocking it around something big like an inflated balloon?
On a happier note, I tried on this hat and it looks okay on me. That rarely happens! Since this is my daughter's, I may just have to make one for me, too.
Have you tried a balloon? You could blow it up to the right size... Other than that I'm drawing a blank. I knitted a beret once but never bothered with blocking it (it had quite a simple stitch pattern and didn't really need it).
On the plus side - I think it looks great!! :)
Posted by: Thegreenonion.blogspot.com | January 19, 2011 at 02:18 PM
i like the balloon idea-or a hat "dummy"? wonder if using dental floss as a blocking "wire" or maybe even a heavy gauge wire. good luck-it's very cute.
Posted by: lydia | January 19, 2011 at 02:42 PM
I can't really see it but I believe you that it's there. Could you use crumpled plastic bags?
Posted by: Carole | January 19, 2011 at 02:53 PM
i know nothing about blocking-sorry! i think it looks awesome even with the ridge, which i never would have noticed if you didn't point it out with an arrow! good luck!
Posted by: vanessa | January 19, 2011 at 04:58 PM
it looks great - love the yarn and the pattern!
from the photo on lauren nell's blog, I think she heavily blocked the beret (and I think you can see a little bit of the ridge in the bottom photo - so yes, I think it's a feature of the pattern, nothing you did wrong :-). I'd try a long soak and then drying over something like a dinner plate. if you put it over the plate while it's really wet, you should be able to pull in the ribbing so it will dry without being stretched too much. and then once it's completely dry and you take it off the plate, it shouldn't stretch anymore.
Posted by: Mary | January 20, 2011 at 08:56 AM
Happy New Year Bth!
I tried blocking a ribby beret before, but didn't have much success, it just sprung right back after that :)
Posted by: erin | January 22, 2011 at 05:29 AM