Blocking Faeries?

I have discovered the joy - as opposed to the sorrow and shame - of failing in my role as a "Slow Bee". The other Bees are currently buzzing about the CHOICE that has been presented with clue number 3 - do we wish to complete Design 1 or 2. Oh no! Isn't deciding on a single project enough decision-making. This reminds me of eating at the Red Lobster before I became a vegetarian. Do you want baked potato, fries, or hush puppies with that? Bread or biscuit? Salad or soup? Dressing? ....

After spending a great deal of time examining the two patterns - Will it look like this? Or this? Is this one more intricate? Merely complicated? Is this simplicity of form? Or laziness of temper? - I realized something. I haven't finished Clue 1 yet! By the time I reach Clue 3, there will be dozens of photographs of both! Yes, I will, in the end, be forced to choose, but I can choose with information. I creep on, heartened.

In the meantime, I blocked the Optic Waves Shawl this weekend - after locating my errant camera. It is transformed. The BLOB has become a shawl.





The Blob






















The Shawl






Pattern: Optic Waves Shawl by Sheila January
Yarn: Brooks Farm Primero (2 skeins, 500 yards each)


The yarn is glorious. It is, as the pattern suggested, "inelastic" and fairly weighty, but the pattern makes these possible difficulties assets. The shawl hangs beautifully, if substantially, from the shoulders. The color is rich and deeply saturated - despite my limited photographic ability.

I have also discovered - I HATE BLOCKING! Even with my lovely child's mat (Thank you Ravelry Lace Group) and blocking wires, what a chore it is. Now I am afraid to wear my new creation for fear it may be injured, thus rendering my blocking efforts futile, or worse, that it will become stained and I will have to block it again. Perhaps if I concentrate very hard, I can create Blocking Faeries as Terry Pratchett envisions in Diskworld.

I have made the attempt, and no Blocking Faeries are forthcoming... Perhaps a large engine ...