Wet Blocking

1. Weave in all ends invisibly on the wrong side of the shawl before blocking.
2. Animal fibers felt when at least two of these three factors are present: moisture, heat, and agitation. Since we are forced to use one felting factor during wet blocking - moisture, we are avoiding heat and agitation.
3. Fill a sink or basin with cool water, adding a capful of your favorite wool wash. The cool water removes one felting factor: heat. Look for soaps that are rinseless, which don’t require you to give your fabric a second soak in plain water.
4. Fully submerge your shawl and gently press out as many air bubbles as possible. Here we are removing a second felting factor: agitation. Pressing is gentler than squeezing, twisting, or wringing. The idea is to have all of the fiber fully saturated with moisture. Continue pressing out air from the fabric until it remains underwater.
5. Let the shawl soak for at least 10 minutes, allowing the water to fully infiltrate the fibers.
6. Drain sink and press (again: no agitation, do not squeeze, wring, or twist) as much water out of your shawl as possible.
7. Place your shawl on a bath towel on the floor. Cover it with another bath towel. Roll up your shawl and the towels like a burrito. Step on the towel burrito, using your body weight to remove excess moisture from the shawl.
8. Remove your shawl from the towels and check that the fabric now feels damp instead of dripping wet. If it is still very wet, repeat the towel burrito process with dry towels.
9. Lay shawl flat on a moisture-proof surface. Use rust-proof blocking wires in the edges and rust-proof pins to pin the shawl into the shape of the schematic. The long edge of the cabled stitches is the straight edge and the long edge of the lace stitches is the curved edge. Allow to dry completely before removing pins and wires.