Keep Calm And Block On

We finished!  And with time to spare :-).

I finished the collar late in the afternoon yesterday and stopped for evening chores and after dinner wove in my ends, nitpicked a few things and...well, it was finished.  I'd done it.  I held it up, this part of me that I'd basically lived with for 12 days.  This part of me that I will always hold in my heart and still miss so much.  

I held it up, set it down, held it up, decided to try it on, looked in the mirror, tugged at the sleeves, smoothed the front, tried to straighten the bottom, told myself to not worry, that it hadn't been blocked, that the patterning would settle down, the lines would straighten out, that it would be lovely...and well loved.

And no matter what, I would love this sweater.  It was made from two of my favorite sheep.  It was a herculean effort that, to be perfectly honest, I really wasn't sure I could do.  There was a little voice though in the back of my head or maybe deep in my heart that said to go for it.  That all would be well and this was going to be a great adventure.  And it was. 

That's not to say I wasn't just a teeny bit worried as I gathered it off the table this morning and plunged it into a sink full of hot water.  What if I didn't love it?  

Wool in water is a wonderful thing.  Within minutes I could see the cables relax, the lace settle in, Woolliam's Cotswold curls start to halo.  I rolled it in several towels to sop up as much water as I could and headed out to the skirting table.  Stella came down and we pinned and measured and pinned and double checked our measurements and pinned some more.

I love to block.  There is nothing like seeing your lumpy, bumpy, misshapened, wonky wool sweater transformed into exactly what you hoped it would be.

With your cables and lace patterning looking not half bad.

Made with pretty yarn you'll treasure forever.

And all was well.