Gambit Unisex Scarf – Page 107 of the book – finished weight 81 grams – 60 inches tip to tip; 7.5 inches wide
In this post I will show you how I make my projects come alive with blocking. I knit this scarf with Mountain Colors Bearfoot – a delightful yarn with a hint of mohair. The pattern was intuitive and the well written charts made knitting it up a breeze. When doing the slip-slip-knits (SSK) in this pattern I used the method by Jared Flood, designer ex·tra·or·di·naire. The other favorite trick I used when making the scarf was always slipping the first stitch of each row – this makes a clean edge and it makes blocking much easier. But, when finished it didn’t look quite like the one in the book and I knew just what it needed – blocking.
There are many methods to block knitted items. My method of choice is a full on warm bath with a cap full of Eucalan. After about a 20 minute soak I gently squeeze out excess water, wrap it in a towel and stomp on it to get rid of every last drip. With shawls and scarfs I use blocking mats and wires. This part is a bit tedious but the results are stunning. I should note that when I weave in the ends of a finished item I don’t cut them until after the blocking process might tug on them a bit.
Here’s the scarf before and after. This is another wonderful pattern and I’m sure I’ll be making this one again some day!
3 Projects done – 98 to go!
Knit on!
Did you manage to get the corrected chart from the publishers website? They say there are corrections to Chart D but the link comes up blank.
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That’s very pretty, I love it!
I also love your white blocking mats – mine are a dark grey, which makes it almost impossible to see what I’m doing when, inevitably, I’m blocking out a project in the small hours of the morning in electric light because I couldn’t wait another day…
They are great mats…very easy to see.
It’s beautiful!
I have 3 of the books, and wonder why I need to look at any other pattern!
I think it’s a great idea to work your way through this book.
As a fairly new knitter, I often forget that trick to slip the first stitch. I always wonder why patterns don’t have that written in?
Good to have you with us Alane. I agree that patterns should include the slip first stitch, when they don’t I always wonder if there’s a reason they don’t….
Blocking makes such a difference! I will enjoy reading your blog as there are many projects in that book that catch my eye.
(emusing on Ravelry)
Welcome Ellen, it’s good to have you. Hope you continue to enjoy the blog.
I never block, (exept lace, that NEEDS blocking the same way that I need food) But I can see where it would help. I think that when I finish the knitting I am to eagar for a FO to wait for it to dry.
I hear you Garret, I am always excited when I have a new FO!