new blocking wires
(BTW: Yes, I got a haircut. It was at least a month ago and it still looks pretty good. For me, anyway. I don't own a hair dryer and I spend about 6 seconds combing my hair in the morning. That's it. You could call it "low-maintenance" or you could call it "lazy." I'll go with either.)
The Cocoon stole was finished for a little while before it got re-blocked. I never considered myself a real gung-ho lace knitter until I tried it with this shetland wool and the new Addi lace needles. I guess I just needed the right supplies to get motivated. Anyway, when I finished the stole, I blocked it my usual way: soaking for about 20 minutes in no-rinse woolwash, squeezing out the water, then laying it out on a towel to dry with some T-pins to stretch it out. The problem, of course, is that pinning the sides of a stole every few inches means you get a wavy edge. I considered re-blocking by threading cotton yarn through the long edges, and I think that would have been acceptable if this were my last lace project. But it's not. I've discovered that I really like knitting lace (when I'm in the mood) and I want to do more, and I want all my lace knitting to be properly blocked, so I ordered a kit from KnitPicks (this one, only mine was $29.99 - did they just up the price?) to give it a try.
I don't have pictures to share because I did the blocking in the messy office/guest room AFTER BEDTIME (would you pull out a bunch of thin wires and T-pins with a curious toddler and his grabby baby sister present?). I was happy with the result (as you can tell from the FO post), though I have to admit I didn't entirely relish getting those blocking wires through the long straight edges of the stole. I suppose blocking is one of those tasks that is quite necessary, if not always fun.
I'm ready for a new lace challenge now. My aunts' birthday presents have been mailed off (I hope they get there tomorrow), and my mom's birthday is coming up next (Nov. 1). I didn't really intend for these projects to be a surprise, or I wouldn't have been blogging about them. It's entirely possible one or both of my aunts checks this blog out from time to time, so if they're expecting these gifts, it's okay. My mom certainly knows about them. In fact, last time we talked on the phone I asked her what color she wants hers to be: creamy white or dark heathery brown? She chose the former. I am choosing the pattern, though, and I won't reveal it just yet, but it's going to be in the shape of a triangle! Something I've never tried before! And I think that blocking kit will definitely come in handy this time.
The Cocoon stole was finished for a little while before it got re-blocked. I never considered myself a real gung-ho lace knitter until I tried it with this shetland wool and the new Addi lace needles. I guess I just needed the right supplies to get motivated. Anyway, when I finished the stole, I blocked it my usual way: soaking for about 20 minutes in no-rinse woolwash, squeezing out the water, then laying it out on a towel to dry with some T-pins to stretch it out. The problem, of course, is that pinning the sides of a stole every few inches means you get a wavy edge. I considered re-blocking by threading cotton yarn through the long edges, and I think that would have been acceptable if this were my last lace project. But it's not. I've discovered that I really like knitting lace (when I'm in the mood) and I want to do more, and I want all my lace knitting to be properly blocked, so I ordered a kit from KnitPicks (this one, only mine was $29.99 - did they just up the price?) to give it a try.
I don't have pictures to share because I did the blocking in the messy office/guest room AFTER BEDTIME (would you pull out a bunch of thin wires and T-pins with a curious toddler and his grabby baby sister present?). I was happy with the result (as you can tell from the FO post), though I have to admit I didn't entirely relish getting those blocking wires through the long straight edges of the stole. I suppose blocking is one of those tasks that is quite necessary, if not always fun.
I'm ready for a new lace challenge now. My aunts' birthday presents have been mailed off (I hope they get there tomorrow), and my mom's birthday is coming up next (Nov. 1). I didn't really intend for these projects to be a surprise, or I wouldn't have been blogging about them. It's entirely possible one or both of my aunts checks this blog out from time to time, so if they're expecting these gifts, it's okay. My mom certainly knows about them. In fact, last time we talked on the phone I asked her what color she wants hers to be: creamy white or dark heathery brown? She chose the former. I am choosing the pattern, though, and I won't reveal it just yet, but it's going to be in the shape of a triangle! Something I've never tried before! And I think that blocking kit will definitely come in handy this time.
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