Blocking

I decided today, since I have the day off, to block some finished objects. Blocking is one of my least favourite things to do, along with sewing in loose ends. These FOs are cowls for Christmas! I knit them last year and because if all the mishegas associated with my move to New Orleans, never got them to the recipients. So they'll go out this Christmas, leaving me time to work on UFOs I found while cataloguing my yarn. All those sweaters. Which I probably won't wear in the south, because the winter doesn't really get cold enough. Is it too late to take up skiing?

In Malabrigo Rios, we have two cowls for a pair of sisters. The pattern is the New Bittersweet Cowl, and can be found on Ravelry. It's a fairly easy lace pattern, and it knits up very quickly. One of these was knit in Purple Mystery and the other in Teal Feather. Soaking these in cool water really brought the lace pattern out, and stretched them out quite a bit. Before they couldn't be wrapped twice around one's neck, and now I believe that will be rather easy to do.

This other cowl being blocked is in Blue Face Leicester, yarn bought at a S&W festival in 2015, from Jan Marek Raczkowski Studio (there is no website, this is a Ravelry link). It's a gorgeous light purple. I adapted the feather-and-fan pattern to be done in the round, rather than just length-wise like a scarf. It can be drown up like a hood, too.

And in other news, I finished the Death of the Moon shawl! Sound the trumpets, raise calls of, "Huzzah!" and general kudos all around. I still need to sew in the loose ends, and I need to block it. Not sure how to tackle that, but I'm sure I'll be resourceful and get it done.

I'm really pleased with the way it came out, can't wait to sew it and block it. I shall bring it with me to the NHS&W festival next month. I made this with the last yarn I bought at Stitch House in Dorchester before I moved. I just might keep it for myself.

I feel, after not posting any pictures of knitting for a while, that this is text light, but picture heavy. I can deal. I'm just happy to have these done, and ready to go to their new owners this Christmas.