Woolly people - does wet blocking or steam blocking work best on acrylic yarn?

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[please say steam! please say steam! please say steam! please say steam![

I have just cast off a circular baby's lace shawl and need to block it to bring the intricacy out...

I assume wet blocking isn't going to work so well on acrylic?

and steam would be rather more convenient, time-wise!

will steam blocking work?

I steam block acrylic, but you have to be VERY CAREFUL because if you touch the iron to the yarn it will melt.

For a lace shawl I would pin it out using blocking pins and then hold a steam iron several inches above the shawl, moving continuously. It's better to start high and move a bit lower if necessary.

I steam acrylic, just don't get too close.

Steam blocking definitely. Pin it out, grab your steamer and go!

Oh god don't use steam.. It makes acrylic all flat and lifeless.. Just pin it out, then spray with a plant mister and leave to dry

yes I was planning on staying very far away!

the plant mister sounds like a genius idea! I had visions of having a dripping wet lump of yarn to deal with!

Steam it. Wet blocking is pretty much pointless on Acrylic. Hover the steam iron just above the pinned out item.

Ironing it doesn't melt it though. I've "killed" a couple of wraps recently because the original blocking didn't work and they are wonderfully soft and drapey. It has flattened the strands though - not a problem for these particular items but I would stick to steam for your baby one.

I've never found that steam alone makes acrylic flat and lifeless.

Wet blocking simply doesn't work with acrylic. You either steam block or leave it. My preference of the latter b

I steam mine, by holding the iron a cm or two about the piece. Never had anything go flat and lifeless. I have seen it happen though when people have actually ironed the item.

I'm a big fan of the misting option - I have a spray function on the iron which I use ( doesn't even need to be plugged in ) I pin onto to a towel onto the wool carpet ( the wool carpet is s good anchor ) leave over night and ban everybody from the room as they will walk over it/ through it / give themselves an injection