craftgrrl | Knitting question... (Reply)

So, I finished my first scarf - I made it using some cheap rainbow polyester yarn (Red Heart in "Crayon") and a stockinette stitch. It's pretty long and thin (only twenty stitches)... and I was dismayed to find that it was all rolled up in a long tube (horizontally, I guess, or along its length, like a snake sweater!). My friend told me not to worry, that all I have to do is "block" it: throw it in the washing machine, and it ought to be flatter, then roll it up in a towel to dry.

Well, I tried that, and it was still rolled up when I took it out of the washer. I tried flattening it as best I could & rolling it up in a towel, and I also tried laying it flat to dry and putting books and stuff on top of it to prevent it from curling. Alas, both times, as soon as I stretched it out, it just curled back up again.

Can anyone tell me what I may be doing wrong? Am I not "blocking" it right? Or, maybe my stitches were wrong (my friend was watching me purl, and said, "You go in strangely... it doesn't look right, but the finished product appears to be right." ???) Or, maybe the quality of the yarn has something to do with the curliness?

Any help would be appreciated! I'm starting a new scarf (Caron Simply Soft yarn) and it looks like it might be doing the same thing! I want it to be FLAT!