/karen/

Branching out doubled

Sunday, 19 October, 2008

So it was George's birthday recently, and being rather disorganised, I didn't actually get started on the thing I wanted to make her until the day of her birthday. I took this beautiful Anny Blatt mohair (green, George's favourite colour)—

—and thought, “I want to do something a little more complicated than the Knitty lace ribbon pattern by Veronik Avery which I used for the lace ribbon shawl.” Branching out seemed perfect, but too skinny for a shawl. Then I found the Branching out blog where all these knitters got together to discuss their progress on this one pattern (Branching out being the kind of pattern that introduces people with no experience to lace knitting). One blogger put up a picture of the pattern doubled, and from there it was easy to blow it up to 15 mm needles.

I gave George half her present on the Sunday after her birthday, and told her there was a second half still to come. I overestimated my knitting prowess, figuring I could finish the shawl and block it by Bible study on Wednesday. That was way too ambitious! Remember, George is a very tall woman, and in order for the shawl to look nice on her, it had to be long. Fortunately (or unfortunately), she was absent from Bible study on Wednesday which allowed me to do some more pattern repeats without spoiling the surprise.

I finished the shawl just before I left for Brisbane (I finished it at work and Ben had to take it home for me because I wasn't going to take it on the plane!) Here it is unblocked:

When I came back from Brisbane (another Sunday having gone by but I wasn't back in time for church), I blocked it. Emma asked me recently why you block things. The simple answer is it brings up the pattern better—especially with lace knitting. Here it is unblocked on the purple foam thing I use to block stuff:

And here it is blocked:

Close-up of the Branching out pattern:

I wasn't at Bible study on Wednesday because I was hanging out with Ben for his birthday (and anyway Bible study got cancelled; a number of people couldn't make it). So the shawl spent Tuesday to Thursday night drying (me cursing the stupid spray bottle I bought from the local variety discount store because it broke halfway through the blocking process, which meant I had to use my iron to spritz the thing with water, and the the iron leaked water all over the carpet because you're not supposed to use an iron that way).

On Thursday night, I made Ben help me unpin it since he was having friends over for a jam session the following morning and needed the floorspace. And last night at Ben's party, about two weeks after her birthday, George came and I was able to give it to her. And she loved it!

Current:

Blinks:

Blog archives: ----------- January, 2012 November, 2011 September, 2011 June, 2011 April, 2011 March, 2011 February, 2011 January, 2011 December, 2010 November, 2010 October, 2010 September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009 December, 2008 November, 2008 October, 2008 September, 2008 August, 2008 July, 2008 June, 2008 May, 2008 April, 2008 March, 2008 February, 2008 January, 2008 December, 2007 November, 2007 October, 2007 September, 2007 August, 2007 July, 2007 June, 2007 May, 2007 April, 2007 March, 2007 February, 2007 January, 2007 December, 2006 November, 2006 October, 2006 September, 2006 August, 2006 July, 2006 June, 2006 May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 January, 2006 December, 2005 November, 2005 October, 2005 September, 2005 August, 2005 July, 2005 June, 2005 May, 2005 April, 2005 March, 2005 February, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2004 November, 2004 October, 2004 September, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 June, 2004 May, 2004 April, 2004 March, 2004 February, 2004 January, 2004 December, 2003 November, 2003 October, 2003 September, 2003 August, 2003 July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 December, 2002 November, 2002 October, 2002 September, 2002 August, 2002 July, 2002 June, 2002 May, 2002 April, 2002 March, 2002 February, 2002 January, 2002 ----------- Amusement Anime Canada/USA 2005 Comics/graphic novels Craft Depression Depression Talk 2006 Divorce Dreams and nightmares Forgiveness Gender Hong Kong 2007 Links Love and relationships Melbourne 2005 Melbourne 2006 Money Moore College MTS Notices Photoblog Pregnancy, birth and parenting Quotes Reading Recipes Reflections Scribbles St George Girls High Story of my life Talks The Arts Victoria 2008 Web geekery Writing ----------- Current archives: ----------- September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 May, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 December, 2009 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009 December, 2008 November, 2008 October, 2008 September, 2008 August, 2008 July, 2008 June, 2008 May, 2008 April, 2008 March, 2008 February, 2008 January, 2008 December, 2007 November, 2007 October, 2007 September, 2007 August, 2007 July, 2007 June, 2007 May, 2007 April, 2007 March, 2007 February, 2007 January, 2007 December, 2006 November, 2006 October, 2006 September, 2006 August, 2006 July, 2006 June, 2006 May, 2006 April, 2006 March, 2006 February, 2006 January, 2006 December, 2005 November, 2005 October, 2005 September, 2005 August, 2005 July, 2005 June, 2005 May, 2005 April, 2005 March, 2005 February, 2005 January, 2005 December, 2004 November, 2004 October, 2004 September, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 June, 2004 May, 2004 April, 2004 March, 2004 February, 2004 January, 2004 December, 2003 November, 2003 October, 2003 September, 2003 August, 2003 July, 2003 June, 2003 May, 2003 April, 2003 March, 2003 February, 2003 January, 2003 December, 2002 ----------- Bible Books Concerts Exhibitions Graphic novels, comics, manga Movies Music Musicals Series Talks and lectures ----------- Twitter archives: ----------- January, 2012 December, 2011 November, 2011 October, 2011 September, 2011 August, 2011 July, 2011 June, 2011 May, 2011 April, 2011 March, 2011 February, 2011 January, 2011 December, 2010 November, 2010 October, 2010 September, 2010 August, 2010 July, 2010 June, 2010 May, 2010 April, 2010 March, 2010 February, 2010 January, 2010 December, 2009 November, 2009 October, 2009 September, 2009 August, 2009 July, 2009 June, 2009 May, 2009 April, 2009 March, 2009 February, 2009 January, 2009

More /Karen/ ----------- Blog About me Testimony Favourites Wishlist Contact me ----------- Writing ----------- Articles Mixed Poetry Prose

Hippocampus Extensions H/E Ben Shots fired Sermons

Open links in new windows

Feeds

• Full posts
• Full posts and del.icio.us feed
• Excerpts only
• del.icio.us feed only
• All comments

Social media

• Flickr
• Last FM
• LibraryThing
• Listal
• Ravelry
• Twitter