To Block or Not to Block

Many knitters ask that question. Here's a prime example of why you should.


This is a sleeve from the Elizabeth (from A Season's Tale) sweater I've been working on. See how the knitting on the upper portion of the picture looks kinda shriveled with the stitches looking all misshapen. And, on the bottom portion the "V's" of the sts stand in nice little rows. That's because the upper portion, the sleeve cap, hasn't been blocked yet. I wanted to make sure the sleeve would be long enough so I blocked it out before knitting the cap. It's a prime example of how a good blocking sets the sts and makes everything appear more evenly knit.