Is it really necessary to wash and stretch knitted projects after binding off? Or let them dry lying flat? What does that actually mean, this stretching? And do you have to do this after every wash?


Photo: from my basic book "Knitting - stitch by stitch",

Stretch knitted pieces - how and why?

The topic of "stretching" was already on everyone's lips in 2019 with our first Mother's Day shawl Knit-Along for the Zora shawl. This year's shawl Lotti, which is to be created for Mother's Day, also needs to be stretched at the end, firstly to develop the full effect of the pattern and secondly to grow to its full size.

When I started knitting (again) a few years ago, I kept coming across this term "tensioning" or "blocking" and I didn't know what to do with it. One also found little about it on the internet at the time, I simply didn't know what exactly to do. I found a few articles about tensioning lace shawls, but since I don't knit lace at all, I didn't really know if that was THE tensioning I should be doing.

Tension cloths - before/after

Today I am a lot smarter and know that

1) stretching is not witchcraft at all, but just that: stretching. And

2) that not only lace projects should be washed and stretched (even though the effect is very obvious with these patterns), but just stockinette stitch knitted projects.


Photo: Sandra Groll, model knit of the Djuna shawl for our book "Noch mehr Tücher stricken" (Knitting even more shawls)

Using the example in the pictures above, you can see very clearly the effect of stretching on a cloth even without a hole pattern. The two left pictures show the model cloth "Djuna" from my second cloth book simply hung over the doll directly after casting off.

After stretching you can see the same cloth on the two right pictures. And you can certainly see the difference: how wonderfully smooth, clean and neat it now looks and how beautifully it has grown.

Usually, washing and tensioning the stitch definition evens out nicely, often the yarn "fluffs up" nicely (depending on the fiber material), unfolds, becomes soft. Depending on the nature of the yarn.

How do I stretch knitted pieces correctly?

And how exactly does it work? So what exactly do you have to do? Sandra has photographed it for you step by step as she was finishing her patchwork shawl.

(1) to (3): Soak the knitted piece in a suitable detergent of your choice (or just in lukewarm water) in the sink. I will introduce you to suitable detergents below. About 10 minutes is enough. The piece should be soaked with water, you can also leave it longer in the basin, but be careful:

Colors may bleed in the first wash cycle

If you have knitted with strongly contrasting colors, be sure to stand next to it and observe whether the colors "bleed". If the water dyes strongly, you should drain it and continue to soak the knitted piece under the running faucet, preventing the dye from rubbing off onto sections of a different color.

Gently squeeze water

(4) to (5): Then drain the water and gently wring out the piece, take it out of the basin and spread it (6) on a large, nice dry towel. Roll it (7) into the towel and press or walk (8) neatly on it to soak up the moisture.

If you don't want to stretch your knitted piece very much (for example, cardigans, without patterns, etc.), you can now simply pull it into shape lying flat (on another, completely dry towel or even simply on the carpet) and let it dry for one to two days.

However, if you want to create tension (for example, because a cloth should increase in size, or a pattern should unfold properly), you will need a few accessories:

Stretching knitwear - stretching mats, needles & co.

In picture (1) you can see the stretch mats from Cocoknits, comb needles, two different types of stretch wire (one from Knools and one from Knit Pro) and T-pins. (2) Tension mats simply serve as a base. They can usually be "puzzled" together and offer the possibility of pinning the knitted pieces firmly.

There are tension mats in all price ranges. The simplest are letter puzzle mats for children, which you can find in toy stores or even have at home if you have children. There are reports on the Internet about the rubbing off of these puzzle mats, but I myself had them for years to stretch in use and the only thing that really annoyed me very much is that I had to permanently puzzle these darn letters and numbers again.

So if you don't have these mats at home and anyway no children who enjoy letter puzzles, I would recommend you directly the purchase of real stretch mats. We have in the store both the tension mats from Cocoknits and those from Knit Pro. The set from Cocoknits is altogether more expensive, but it also contains much more and is much prettier, if I may simply write that in an unbiased way. But it is an investment that is only worth it if you want to continue knitting projects in the future.

comb needles and T-needles to fix the knitted pieces

In pictures (3) and (4), Sandra is pinning the scarf to the mats with the so-called "comb pins". We have the beautiful turquoise, the colorful and the plain white version of the comb pins in the store. It's purely a matter of taste, I have all three, because one pack was simply not enough for me at some point. Compared to the simple T-pins, the comb pins have the advantage that you can pin a whole piece at once and tension can be created more evenly, resulting in fewer/no bumps.

The use of tension wires

Figures (5) to (7) demonstrate the use of the tension wires. They are carefully "stranded" into the edge of the knitted piece so as to then exert tension quite evenly over an entire side. The wires are then pinned to the mats using the T-pins.

Tensioning wires are also available in many variants, we have been using the wires from Knit Pro for years, they are great! We recommend these to "tensioning" beginners. The wires from Knools are even more flexible and therefore more helpful for stretching a wide variety of shapes. In addition to the basic set, Knools also offers an extra set of tension wires if you need more.

(8) Now let the knitted piece dry really well under tension for one to two days (or depending on the material it can take even longer).

We also often receive questions about whether knits need to be re-stretched after each wash. Our "luck" is that woolen items usually need little washing, since wool has a self-cleaning function and an airing out, for example, is sufficient.

Nevertheless, sometimes you can not do without another wash. Depending on the knitted piece, it will be necessary to stretch them again. For example, scarves with patterns that have contracted too much due to washing. On the other hand, you can usually just leave sweaters knitted with a stockinette stitch hand side to dry lying flat.

Accessories for washing and tensioning

You can find an overview of all the accessories you can buy for washing and stretching here in the store under "Accessories" in the "Care" sub-category.

Which detergent to use?

We have several different care soaps on offer for you. And these in turn each have several fragrances to choose from, so you can always try out what you like best.

Whether Eucalan, Kaell or the detergents from Pascuali. All variants clean the knitwear in a particularly gentle and environmentally friendly way. They are biodegradable and completely free of phosphates. Try them out and find out your preference.

Washing and stretching Maschenfein

By the way, you can find sock stretchers in all sizes for stretching socks in the store.

For larger knitting pieces you need sooner or later a suitable base, about which I have already written in detail above. In addition to conventional play mats, there are proper tension mats from Knit Pro or Cocoknits.

Stainless steel tension wires are available to ensure that the knitted items are properly tensioned. They are incredibly practical, especially for shawls, and are well worth buying. We recommend Knit Pro wires for beginners, as they are somewhat easier to use. Knools wires are even more suitable for lace shawls or knitted items of other shapes, as they are even more flexible.

Must Have: T-pins! You will need these to secure the piece that is then on the wires to the mats. Knit Pro's tension needle set includes some T-pins, but buy a small pack anyway for convenience. T-pins are not to be replaced with pins, because pins can rust quickly. Since your knitting is drying on the mats, i.e. still damp, you want to avoid rust at all costs!

Washing and stretching Maschenfein

In addition to the simple T-needles, Knit Pro also offers these comb needles:

Washing and stretching Maschenfein

You don't necessarily need them, but once you have them, you won't want to be without them. The comb needles can be used to apply more even tension to straight edges. We have all three versions in the store:

Marisa

About Marisa

I am Marisa, the founder behind Maschenfein. I made the first stitches with my grandma Lotti when I was about five years old. In 2014 I founded "Maschenfein". What started as a blog has now become exactly the online store for wool & knitting accessories that I always wanted. Together with my team I want to enrich the knitting world with inspiration, pattern, beautiful yarns and the best accessories.

Show all posts by Marisa

Here are
the products in the

Store

7 comments

I have been knitting small items, clothing and hats for many years. However, this is the first time I have heard of this arrangement. But I think it has its proper application. I will be doing the same soon.

Martina

So far I have only stretched a scarf, which has thus clearly won. Now the first sweater is ready, or so far only the individual parts. The question arises whether I should first stretch the sewn-together sleeves before I sew them into the sewn-together front and back (then of course also stretched) ? They would gain width.

Sophia

Dear Martina, we would recommend that you first sew the pieces together and then wash and stretch the entire sweater into shape. However, please check the pattern again to see how the sweater should be stretched. Often, after washing (please choose hand wash here), you only stretch the finished pieces into shape and then fix the finished piece e.g. with worsted pins. If the pieces do not fit together properly when sewing, it would also be a possibility to wash and stretch them individually and then sew them together. However, you really have to tighten them so that everything fits together properly afterwards. It also depends a bit on the pattern you choose and the yarn you use. In short: If possible, I would say that you first sew and then wash and stretch. 🙂 Many greetings and good luck! Sophia

Daniela

Dear Maschenfein team,

I have done the stretching 1x....and it was enough for me. After that I went to the dry cleaner of my confidence - no chain, owner-operated - and have given my stole there. No problem, came back "specially treated" in perfect condition (cost: 20 €) but you do that -as described above, not constantly.
Then one gave me in the cleaning still the tip, one can also take a baby shampoo, because what is wool other than hair....What I let to my face and the hair, I can also do to the wool. Obviously.
Since the tensioning is rather a science in itself and I'm not a permanent knitter, as probably many others, this is the royal road, if tensioning is a horror 😉

LG from Wuppertal,
Daniela Hofmann

Daniela

" And do you have to do that after every wash?"
It's a pity if the question from the headline is not answered or even addressed in the whole article...

Sophia

Dear Daniela, thank you for your comment. That's right - the point has actually gone under. I'll add it 🙂 Basically, you don't need to wash knitwear as often as normal laundry. Often airing out the knitted piece is enough, as wool has a self-cleaning function. Of course, you still can't avoid another wash every now and then. Depending on the knitted piece and pattern, you may have to stretch again if your garment has shrunk too much again. Personally, I stretch scarves again (for example, our Elara scarf, which is supposed to dry under tension), but classic basic sweaters in stockinette stitch hand are not. It is, as so often, a case-by-case decision. Best regards and keep up the fun with your knitting! Sophia

Write a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked with *