Blocking makes a huge difference to your finished knitting for several reasons but it is even more important with machine knitting as coned yarns will have been oiled to help them run more smoothly through your machine. Therefore you need to wash the finished piece anyway to remove the oil and reveal the true nature of the yarn!

The benefits to blocking your knitwear cover

• it removes any oil that has been added to coned yarns designed to run through knitting machines
• it removes any other waste products (such as oil, dust and dirt from your machine) from the yarn
• if you are using a natural yarn, the process of washing will help to remove any "sheep" odour and leave it smelling lovely and fresh
• it helps the stitches to "bloom" and open up - with certain natural yarn fibres this makes a huge difference from something looking light and airy to a more dense and solid knit
• if your garment has any patterns such as lace, fairisle or stripes, it will ensure that they are fully opened and running in straight, even lines
• most importantly it will "set" the final shape of your knitted piece so you can ensure that it meets the measurements of the pattern exactly - the sleeve will be the correct length, the chest will be the correct width etc.
• it makes the garment much easier to put together

The photo below shows one of my Raindrop cowls being blocked. At the top, the first section has been blocked. The bottom section is only pinned between each pattern section and you can see the difference immediately. If I left this to dry, as it was, I would end up with a very wonky, shrivelled cowl!

Do not underestimate the power of blocking your knitwear. It will take your knitting from looking nice but average to high end and professional. It always amazes me that blocking and finishing your work is often relegated to a single sentence at the end of a pattern - and hence often overlooked in the excitement of finishing your work!