Blocking Cotton

I recently knit a a market bag from 100% cotton.  The bag features an attached pocket that the bag folds into when it is not in use and acts as a hidden pocket inside the bag when the bag is open.  A very clever design, if I do say so myself ;)

Normally I would not block a market bag, I would consider it self-blocking, but I wanted to make it fit nicely into its attached pouch and train the flap on the pouch to sit flat.

I chose to steam block as opposed to wet blocking because cotton is a stretchy fibre (especially when wet) and I did not want to change the shape or dimensions of the bag.  I do not own a steamer, I used my trusty steam iron

The fibre relaxed beautifully!  The before and after pics speak for themselves:

before blocking and weaving

after blocking and weaving

before weaving and blocking

after weaving and blocking

Blocking makes a huge difference.  I will have to re-block it each time I wash it, but it took me about 2 minutes so it really isn't a huge commitment.  I am working on another cotton project right now and will definitely block that one too.