I know every sock knitter feels the same way, as I have heard mixed opinions on sock blockers from everyone I've asked. I never had a preference before, because I never had blockers before. But over Christmas break I go to the point where I was washing my socks and just couldn't put them in the dryer. Leaving them set on the counter wasn't the best option either: I've tried that before and it's taken over 2 days to fully dry. So what were my other options?
Commercial sock blockers are something I'd love to someday have, because they are sturdy and smooth and nice. But my budget wasn't in favor of that idea at the time. So I improvised. I started by tracing a store brand sock on a piece of paper for a template, which oddly enough, worked pretty well. Then came time to pick my materials.
My first attempt was with coat hangers, and for as long as it took to make, they sure don't look it. They're sloppy and have bends in random places and overall just not a very successful attempt. Maybe I did something wrong, but I just feel like the way hangers are shaped doesn't make them ideal for forming feet shapes. I still use these, but I don't like them too much.
After that I remembered a huge piece of foam core sitting in my bedroom that I used once for a painting. Me, my box cutter knife and roll of masking tape went to work and 30 minutes later I had 2 sets. It ended up making a mess, but in the end the result was something I was satisfied with and will continue to use to block my socks in the future.
Now comes the time when most sock knitters express their opinions. Should socks even be blocked? Yes it makes them look pretty for presents and photos, but is it really needed? Something I've noticed since I started blocking my socks is that they block a little bit bigger than my foot. Although most of the time they 'shrink' back to fit my foot once they are on, I am still a little frustrated with this fact. Making the blockers smaller would probably do the trick, but what about commercial ones? Everyone's feet are different so sometimes blocking may not be the best idea.
So that raises the question: To block or not to block? What do you think? What do you usually do? Any tricks or tips for sock blocking? I'd love to hear them all!
Now comes the time when most sock knitters express their opinions. Should socks even be blocked? Yes it makes them look pretty for presents and photos, but is it really needed? Something I've noticed since I started blocking my socks is that they block a little bit bigger than my foot. Although most of the time they 'shrink' back to fit my foot once they are on, I am still a little frustrated with this fact. Making the blockers smaller would probably do the trick, but what about commercial ones? Everyone's feet are different so sometimes blocking may not be the best idea.
~Lisa
