Alexandra Scarf from Gauge Knits - Done!

Brilliant!

Before blocking: brilliant but bumpy

You would think, after so many years as a knitter, that the effects of blocking would cease to be so wondrous for me.  Not so.  Just like the thrill of opening a brand new box of my latest book never gets old, so does that moment when I pull a project off the blocking wires to hold it in my hand.

On the wires

Some projects don’t change dramatically with blocking, but lacework—even simple lacework like this—comes alive when you block it.  The ripples disappear and you hold a light, airy piece of fabric in your hands.  Fabric you made out of sticks and string.  That’s art in itself, but the fact that you can now wear it?  All the more marvelous!

A finished beauty!

On a dreary Chicago day when it feels like winter has lasted forever, this is just the colorful promise of spring I needed.  Thanks, Gauge Knits, for a project that taught me a lot about what I love and learn from knitting!

Delightful details

Next up?  DestiKNITions spends the day in the charming state capitol of Frankfort, KY.

Mapes Shawl from Lovin' Knit - Day 5

Call me a blockhead…

The more complex you get in knitting, the more important blocking becomes.  I’ve reached the point in my knitting career where I am not satisfied with unblocked finished products--especially when we’re talking about shawls.  I’m aware of how blocking can dramatically improve the drape and lay of a shawl, and now that I have spiffy blocking wires, I don’t consider a piece finished unless it is blocked.

True to my convictions (and the designer’s instructions as well), this piece isn’t much before blocking.  It doesn’t lay flat, and the nice arc we’ve all been waiting for is nowhere to be seen.  There’s no panache, no wow factor.

Now look at it laid out on the blocking mat (in my case a very large bulletin board that used to hang in my kitchen).  See how nicely the curves catch your eye?  See how the holes open up and look lacey?  Even the plain stockinette takes on a new texture.

I’ll admit, I’m known for skipping gauge swatches (mostly because what I prefer to knit rarely makes them essential), but I’ll NEVER skip blocking.

Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Done!

It’s lovely.  I want another one!  And another.

The blocking wires make for really clean edges and a nice, tight stretch.  I’m truly pleased with the results!  At first I thought it wouldn’t be long enough--I tend to like my shawls big and long--but with the addition of a spiffy pin I like the scale of this one just fine.

Thanks, Yarn Shop and More for a truly satisfying--and skill-expanding--knitting experience.

Next up, I tackle something completely new for me:  knitting with wire.

PS:  If you live near Indianapolis, mark your calendars for Saturday evening, September 14 and stay tuned next week for details on the first-ever DestiKNITions event!

Arroyo Shawl from Yarn Shop and More - Day 5

I’m in love...

...With a bind off!  Who’d have thunk it?

Truly, if this project never does anything else for me (which is unlikely since I’ve already had to resist casting it on in another yarn), it will forever be near and dear to me as The Project That Introduced Me to Jenny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off. Enchantment!

Pre-blocking

It’s awesomeness cannot be overstated.  Bind offs have long been my nemesis, tanking otherwise lovely projects or requiring blocking interventions that might qualify as “heroic measures.”  Now, all of that fades as a distant memory while I stare at the lovely, springy final edge (which in this case is the top) of my Arroyo shawl.  Bliss!

There are multiple videos online documenting this nifty two-step technique, but I finally just printed off some written directions and sat down with a cup of coffee.  Like many knitting techniques, its complications dissolve once you get it into your fingers.  My future toe-up socks are shouting with joy.  Genius!

Blocked--what a difference!

For once blocking was not the hair-raising festival of “will it curl funny?” that blocking shawls can sometimes be.  Not only was I sure of my edges, but I welcomed the chance to try out the new BlokWrx blocking wires I’d purchased at Stitches Midwest.  Thrilling!

Now, all I need is the magic of evaporation to give this shawl its welcome into the world.  Stay tuned--it’s going to be wonderful.