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9:52 am
Senior Class
Mon 21-Sep-09
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I found a fellow knitaholic at the Cottage Smallholder Party " Jean (of course)
Thanks to her passing on 'the knowledge' of lace blocking, I set to and hey presto now have a gorgeous shawl.
Thank you so much Jean!
More about the yarn, pattern etc here
Celia
x
10:18 am
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
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Ah, now I have more of an idea of how it looks. Is that a mono-chrome picture? Haven't you always blocked your knitting?
I'll try that again!
11:07 am
Senior Class
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
Hi
It's a colour picture. The shawl is a darkish blue/green (I think it's very much more green than blue - it's like Scots Pine needles).
No I'm very lazy and hardly ever block my knitting. I usually just steam iron it on the back, sometimes with a cloth to protect the stitches. And yes I KNOW THAT IS THE WRONG WAY TO DO IT.
But with knitted lace it is absolutely essential to block it properly - Jean knows how 
if not all your hard work (and maths and lots and lots of counting) look rubbish.
C
x
2:41 pm
Expert
New members
Tue 9-Nov-10
Offline
Now you know! Blocking is 
. I freely adit I used to not bother - but that was before I did lace to any great extent. I used to pin bits of jumper onto the ironing board - some parts took more than one go - and iron over a damp cloth. I got away with it for years, but it is not really good enough for lace - if you put all the anguish into knitting it, you want people to see it and go weak.
Am now nipping over to your blog to have a good look at the pics on my big screen monitor.
By the way, I am jeanfromcornwall on Ravelry, and also my blog, so feel free to poke my account and have a good look. Only the most recent work on Ravelry, but quite a bit of older stuff in the blog archive.
Shut up, I'm counting
4:45 pm
Senior Class
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
Yep I can now see why blocking is a good thing.
I've impressed myself with the lace shawl (it's not perfect, yes I can see the flaws dammit!), it's probably the only thing I've knitted that has really impressed the OH!
So much more 
than a boring pashmina
Celia
8:19 pm
Knowledegable
New members
Mon 21-Mar-11
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Ok I've got to ask (and show my ignorance)
What is blocking?
(Closest I could find to a dunce hat)
Failing is not a fault, refusing to try is
9:32 pm
Expert
New members
Tue 9-Nov-10
Offline
It is taking a freshly knitted piece of work, thoroughly damping it and
1. in the case of lace, stretching it as far as you can without breaking it, and pinning it down or strapping it with string to a board, and leaving it to dry. When it is released from it's bondage (no silly remarks if the m*nfolk are looking) it will stay stretched out and supple, and show the pattern off.
2. for parts of jumpers etc. pinning them out to the size and shape they are supposed to be and either do it with them wet, as with lace, or pin them out dry, then steam with the iron over a damp cloth, but NO pressure. You don't want to flatten, just "set" the stitches into place.
This applies to wool - synthetic yarns have to be treated differently.
http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk/index.php?a=w.....038;pg=1
I hope that works as a link to how they do it in Shetland.
Shut up, I'm counting
9:39 pm
Expert
New members
Tue 9-Nov-10
Offline
By the way. Celia - keep quiet about any flaws. Non knitters won't see them, and if any knitter does, they only make her feel better about her own mistakes!
Jean Miles works on the theory that if a rider galloping by on a horse could see the mistake, she had better fix it, otherwise it will do.
Shut up, I'm counting
9:46 pm
Knowledegable
New members
Mon 21-Mar-11
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Thanks Jean,
All I have to do now is learn to knit. 
Failing is not a fault, refusing to try is
9:55 pm
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
Offline
Tracey, you will be blocking in no time. 
I am wearing the hat too by the way.
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
10:38 pm
Supreme Being
New members
Mon 7-Jun-10
Offline
danast said:
I am wearing the hat too by the way.
Is that to stop it going over your head....Love the shawl...would love to attempt....too busy gardening but the day will come....
Who lives long sees much : The diary of my life in Bulgaria
10:55 pm
Knowledegable
New members
Mon 21-Mar-11
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danast said:
I am wearing the hat too by the way.
Hat???? It's a sun hat I assume?
I have the instruction book, needles and wool " just need to find the time 
Failing is not a fault, refusing to try is
8:50 am
Senior Class
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
Gottaknit said:
I hope that works as a link to how they do it in Shetland.
http://photos.shetland-museum.org.uk/index.php?a=w.....pg=1%C2%A0
C
9:13 am
Supreme Being
Thu 24-Sep-09
Offline
Original Redhead said:
danast said:
I am wearing the hat too by the way.
Hat???? It's a sun hat I assume?
I have the instruction book, needles and wool " just need to find the time
Tracey, I meant the dunce's hat that you mentioned!!!!!!
Old teachers never die, they just lose their class
9:39 am
Knowledegable
New members
Mon 21-Mar-11
Offline
danast said:
Tracey, I meant the dunce's hat that you mentioned!!!!!!
As my daddy always told me " what's the point in being stupid if I don't show it
Failing is not a fault, refusing to try is
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