So I switched, rather daringly, to an Addi turbo circular about half way through. Yes, I know that will change the gauge of it but I was prepared to risk that in order to get the damn thing finished. I'm not annoyed with the pattern itself. I really quite enjoy it. But my Brittanys were stained and worn and I was hating it.
Because it's a birthday gift for a friend at the end of the month, and because there appears to be miles of yarn left in the next ball, I figured there must be some way to figure out how long it would be after blocking, before I'd finished it.
If i'd been a good little knitter and swatched first, I'd have some idea. But I didn't, so I couldn't. Or so I thought.
I found an article on blocking part way through a project and thought, what the hell.
Before blocking, it looked like this. The usual pile of lumpy poo that lace is (I now know) prior to blocking.
So I soaked it in the basin, like this. Using a tub of moisturiser to hold it in place.
Next, I pinned it out on a towel like this.
A day later, I am happy to say that up close, it looks like this
It has gained around 20cm in length, a few in width and looks quite pretty, I think.
All I did was soak it from about 5cm down from the needles. My husband was watching me do this saying things like, 'are you sure that's wise?' and 'that looks like a potentially dangerous thing to do' and while his concern is touching, I'm thrilled to say that I now know it doesn't have to use up the rest of the miles of wool I have left in order to be long enough for my friend. I can probably knit another 30cm or so and be done with it.
Sometimes it pays to live a little dangerously, even if that living dangerously amounts to just blocking a lace project part way through the job.
Bells
|