Blocking - Hats

As with socks, some people choose not to block their finished knitted hats. There are a few exceptions, however. For instance, you may need to block your hat after laundering it. If you’d like to block your hat, try one of the following suggestions:

• Block your hat as you would a sweater by soaking it, rolling it in a towel to squeeze out excess water, and then pinning it out flat on a towel to dry.
• Pull your damp hat over an upturned, appropriately sized bowl to create the proper shape. Allow to dry on your makeshift hat form. (Works well for felted hats.)
• Inflate a large balloon to roughly the size of your head. Pull the damp hat carefully over the balloon and allow to dry.
• Lay a thin towel over your head and pull on your damp hat so that it conforms to your head. Let it set for a few minutes and then carefully remove. Set on a dry towel to finish drying.
• You can always purchase a hat form or a styrofoam mannequin head (used to display wigs) for blocking purposes.