A Blocking Block

Oh dear, this is a sweater that I made for a friend’s baby, but by the time I got it done and blocked, the baby had already outgrown it. darn.

But all is not lost, I have an adorable little nephew who has just gotten to the right size to take full advantage of it. So off it goes. He is the one for whom I made the sweet elephant gift-bag.

This Shawl Collar Sweater is a Debbie Bliss pattern from Essential Baby. I added the color detail at the cuffs and collar – I love it in this deep chocolate brown – yum. You can find the pattern on Ravelry here.

So, why is blocking such a hurdle from me? really, why? I’m not quite sure. At this point, I have a stack of no less than six projects to be blocked – some of which have been sitting there for almost a year! It may be that it is simply a big transition for me to go from that meditative state of knitting that I love to the process of finding the pins, gathering the towels, cleaning out the laundry tub, figuring out where I can lay it out without it being trampled, etc. I’m not good with transitions.

Hopefully, I’ve found something that will make blocking a happier and easier adventure for me. I just ordered this, thanks to this post by Jennifer Casa and apparently by Posie Gets Cozy too. Alicia Paulson suggests simply spraying with water, which I’ve never tried before – I’ve always given my pieces a bath. I’ll let you know how it goes. I think I’m going to have a blocking challenge after the board arrives. Maybe I can get six projects blocked and packaged up in six days – anyone want to join me?

Happy Weekend!