teapot1

teapot1

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Crochet Every Day: The Purple Shawl

The Purple Shawl


The shawl is finished! A few of you commented on my earlier post and photo of it, so I thought I’d show you how it came out. (Pretty good, I think.)

 This was my first attempt at blocking something I’ve crocheted. Blocking means using moisture on a finished piece to even out the shape and define the stitches and just generally make the thing look better and, as I read somewhere, look “handcrafted” rather than “homemade.”



Before blocking



After checking several sources, print and Internet, I got ready for the procedure. I went out and bought rustproof pins. I found a spray bottle from an old cleaner and washed it thoroughly. I decided to do the process on the rug in a spare bedroom, and I found an old quilt to spread out on the floor and covered it with two large towels and a sheet.  Then I painstakingly pinned the shawl down using every one of the 80 pins I bought.






After this I sprayed it thoroughly with water until shawl and backing materials were fully wet. Then I left the room and closed the door to keep the dog out.

 Next morning everything was dry, and the pinned shawl looked like this:




I think the difference is pretty clear. It looks much straighter and the edges are more even. Here it is with the loose ends woven in:






I was so pleased with the way it turned out that I took it to my LYS to show my crochet guru, Helen, who very nicely took this picture!






I wore it under my coat to dinner and movie last night and it was just what I needed to keep me warm in places that I usually find chilly (meaning both the locations and my shoulders and arms!)

On to the next project--finishing my cowl. I also just found a charity site that I'm excited about: the Snuggles Project, making "snuggly" little blankets for animals in shelters. I'm going to try that one soon.




11 comments:

  1. beautiful. I used to knit a great deal. But find my fingers do not allow me to anymore. I love your work

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    1. Thanks so much, Sondra. My fingers (and wrists) bother me sometimes, too, and I just hope I can keep on going with this craft through my old age, as my mother-in-law did. She did beautiful work, and I wish I had found my interest in crocheting while she was still alive. She could have taught me a lot.

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  2. It is beautiful! Good job. I love to knit and often have to block what I have done. I always end up with the uneven edges and ends. It's all part of the process. Very nice.

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    1. Thank you, Jo. I was a little nervous about blocking for the first time but it was really quite easy, so I'll be doing it a lot more in the future.

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  3. How fabulous Elaine - and I love the combination of your explanation with the beauty of your finished work. You should be proud!

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    1. Thanks, Amy. I am kind of proud of the way it came out. It's so nice to finish something and have it look the way you hoped it would. That's the joy in learning a new craft.

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  4. Replies
    1. Thank you, Katheryn. The colors aren't completely true--what looks like a light purple or lavender is actually a fuschia shade. I bought the yarn for the colors before I knew what I was going to make with it!

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  5. How lovely, and it looks lovely on you also.

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