I wanted to have a fun knitting project to work on while I helped Liddy get used to living in the barn last week. I always like to try a pattern with something new to me and this time picked a ruffle. The yarn is some beautiful Cotswold yarn from Nistock Farms and the pattern is Jadyn Shire by Lynn di Christina.
Liddy and I worked on the shawl together or I should probably say I knit and Liddy tried to steal and chew on the needles and rip everything back out. We worked in the B A R N and out in the paddock. After a day or so I added Blossom to the mix and then several days later added Lila in, too. And by the end of the week Liddy was pretty well set and I had a new shawl and a couple of new skills :-).
I started the shawl a few days before we moved to the barn. I did get a little faster knitting with this project, but not a 'shawl in a week' faster ;-).
Here's where things got a bit disappointing. The shawl started at the top center and built down, back and forth, longer and longer. Doing this left a big hump at the top - actually way taller than it looks here. I should have taken the picture looking down on it instead of at an angle that minimized it... I was sure it would never block out straight. Still, you know I loves to block me some knitting ;-).
Even if it didn't need an aggressive block, after spending a week in the barn with Liddy, it needed a good wash. I used fairly hot water and my favorite Mrs. Meyer's lavender laundry soap. I let it soak a good long time - around 25 minutes - changed the water and let it soak again, changed the water and added a tiny bit of lavender fabric softener and gave it a final rinse. Wrapped it in a towel and headed to the porch.
I again used my dee-lux insulation boards and floral pins. I keep toying with getting a set of blocking wires, but for now, these work just fine. I started at the top by pulling the right and left tight enough that the top line became straight, pinning as I went. I then pulled down the bottom center and pinned that. I then started working my way out on each side until magically it all laid flat and smooth and...
... straight! Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I really didn't think that would work.
I wasn't sure how to block the ruffle so I just futzed around with it a bit and let it do what it wanted. I think it looks pretty good but would welcome some better suggestions.
Pats on the back for everyone :-D.
After listening to A Man Called Ove (now twice), I could hardly wait for the release of Fredrick Backman's new book, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She's Sorry. I listened to the audio sample on Audible and was a little concerned. I thought about getting the actual book and just reading it myself, but really wanted something to listen to while I knitted. Not to worry. The reader was wonderful. They just picked an odd spot to sample. The story was fabulous!
Joining in with Ginny...
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