Wet Blocking a Knit

In the comments yesterday, Pat B. asked: 

Melody, would you share your blocking method?

1. I fill the bathroom sink with lukewarm water and a little Suave hair conditioner in Coconut. Not essential but I have it and I like the aroma. Wool is hair so a little creme rinse or any detangler helps with the softness factor. I gently squeeze the water through the knit, making sure the saturation is complete and then drain the sink. I may or may not put it throught a clear rinse, depending on if I overdid the amount of conditioner first time around. I squeeze out but I do not wring out the remaining water and then lay the item on a thick bath towel, wrap it up and squeeze on it with my whole upper torso body weight. The towel absorbs much of the remaining water.

2. Then I gently arrange the knit on the rubber tiles pictured above. I don't stretch, but just gently pat into place, straightening from the center out. Then I pin the edges so they more or less look even. With these cowls I have been knitting, I have used various weights of yarn so some parts are narrower than others, which I then try to make equal. 

3. Let dry completely, usually I do this overnight. It is a very simple process and really makes a huge difference in the finished product, especially one with textured stitches or multiple yarns.

My tiles are that awful gray, and cost about $20 for 4 and are 24" each. If I had thought ahead I could have ordered these prettier ones from Lowe's for $24

Or these for $15. 

But I was in the store looking for fencing so my mind wasn't considering beauty at the moment. 

Speaking of beauty, look what I got in the mail yesterday:

I now have Happy Feet!