If you’ve read any of my posts on gauge, you will know that I am a fan of always making a swatch for any crochet item which needs to fit. First you will add 1 wire on each side of your project. Then either pin the wires out flat to shape or hang the piece from one of the wires, depending on the shape you’re working with.

Steam is an alternative way to get a small amount of moisture into your fabric. The added element of heat can be used to create shape and additional drape on your fabric. Please take all the necessary safety precautions when working with steam appliances and follow manufacturer guidelines. It is also used to evenly shape pieces; whether they are panels for a sweater or simple granny squares, finished items look a whole lot better if their parts are neatly shaped.When pinning out, place the pins around a cm or more in from the edge to minimise this dipping, particularly if you are bringing quite a lot of stretch to the project .

An easy way to start is to place your first pin at the top of the garment in the center. Stretch the work to your desired length, then place your second pin in the bottom center. Next, add two more pins on each side and pin to your chosen width. Set your iron to the lowest temperature that allows steam. Once it has heated, hover it slightly above the surface of the protective cloth and steam the entire garment in an “up and down” motion. You can also use a steamer for this process if you have one. Lay your knitting down on the surface with the right-side facing up. Begin carefully stretching the fabric to fit the size and shape you need.I aim to reassure you too, that it’s not as intimidating as it can seem. And in addition to my normal disclaimer, as I so often find in crochet, there is rarely only one correct approach. The same goes if you are working with any other delicate fibre. Keep the heat / steam at a safe distance.

Repeat the process until you have hidden any obvious mistakes and made your stitchwork as uniform as you’d like it. It’s a fine line between using heat to ‘break’ and manipulate acrylic fibres and irreversibly flattening it. Never apply direct heat to any yarn. It can melt the acrylic fibres or flatten the stitches, irreversibly damaging it. Never place a hot iron onto your fabric, you may end up with quite the mess.

The next pin(s) should go half way across the gaps between pins and so on until you have your straight edges. If you have any particularly large holes, uneven stitches, or mistakes, pull on the surrounding stitches to distribute the yarn more evenly.