Monica Knits

Close UpI had wanted a set of lace blocking wires for a while, but they hadn't been a high priority since the laces I made were in strips, bands or doily form, shapes easily blocked with my existing tools. However, I fell in love with the lily-of-the-valley shawl in Nancy Bush's book, "Knitted Lace of Estonia" and wanted a better method of blocking these larger pieces. The lace blocking wires I purchased from Knit Picks fit the bill. Read more...

I hadn't yet started knitting the shawl, but the blocking mats and lace blocking wires arrived just as I was pinning a lace bodice. It was taking longer than I wanted and using more pins than I had, so I was excited when the package arrived in the mail in under a week. I immediately wiped the wires clean and put them to use on the lace top. If you read the related article, you can see them in use. I also reblocked the rocking horse pony bib--it was much quicker and neater looking with the lace wires than with pins alone.

As soon as my husband saw the set of 15 (32-1/2" long) lace blocking wires, he requested one for an electronics project of his--serendipity.

Product Description
Fifteen (15), 32-1/2" long, stainless steel wires and 20 nickel plated T-pins, and blocking instructions. Click on the "links" tab in the masthead for the url/link for Knit Picks.

Summary
More uses than lace. Good value. Convenient and easy to use. Versatile. Highly recommended. The wires arrived by mail in a cardboard tube (good), but it would have been nice had they been in a plastic bag within the tube. I would have liked to re-use the tube but didn't want to put the clean wires back in the tube because of potential mill oil residue. Since the wires are flexible they need to be stored in a tube to protect them. I'll sew a liner bag for the wires. The T pins that came with the package are ideal for holding the wires in place.

Related Article
Click on link: Product Review - Blocking Mats.