Now here’s what I do. First, it depends on what I am blocking. If it’s something simple, or something with lots of colourwork, I do a steam block. I take my Super Cooker (a wedding gift - I’ve always wanted to test if I can cook a steak and cake at the same time!) which is basically a really big pan with a domed lid and a steamer rack. I put some water in (not too much, just 1/2 inch or so) and let it boil. I toss my knits on the rack, put the lid on and let them absorb the steam for a minute or so. Then I take them out and fluff them into shape. It works pretty good, and is my line of first defence when it comes to blocking.

If my work needs a bit more, or I am blocking lacy openwork, I opt for full immersion. I take a big bowl and turn on the kettle. I place my knits in the bowl and when the kettle is almost boiling, I pour the water (gently) on to my knits. I let it sit until the water cools considerably and then GENTLY wring out excess water. Then I take some towlels, lay the knits flat on a towl, roll it up and stomp on it as I read somewhere that Elizabeth Zimmerman did this, and I giggle at the idea of her stomping on anything. Then I lay it flat and start shaping and pinning. I put blocking wires in the straight edges and pin down the middle first and start working outwards. Then I let it dry (sometimes I cheat and use a hair dryer to speed things up).

If I am blocking silk, I just spray and pin as quickly as possible, the smell is so bad!

So that’s how I block. How do you do it?

My Macbook Air suffered a horrible drink soaked death thanks to my crazy 2 year old, so I’ve been without a proper computer for a bit. But last night I went down and bought a new computer. Phewf! That little guy is expensive. So far he has wrecked my cellphone in an unfortunate drop and a computer. I hope he does not want to go to college! (I kid…)

I finished my Color Affection Shawl, it’s beautiful. The Arroyo got even softer and nicer after blocking. And I am getting ready to cast on another, this time in Manos Lace in Alvina Aqua and Rhiannon (which I have been dying to knit with since it came in) and Alpaca Super Lace in brown for a KAL we are doing at my store (Ravelry Link). If you’re local, you should join in! I like awkward colour combinations. Can you tell? I really liked the shawl and am super excited about doing a lighter version. I might follow the fingering weight instructions though, because I want it to be a bit smaller this time. I also broke and bought a shawl pin (it’s the Cupid) to wear mine with, and it’s made all my shawls more wearable. And it has animal print!

I also just just finished a bag out of the Darn Good Yarn Sari Ribbon I posted about a while ago. It took almost all of the 6 skeins I bought and it’s huge and slouchy and a perfect knitting bag. I loved watching the colours and textures change as I knit it.

I am working on a second version with some awesome tutorials, so that should be up soon. But not too soon as I am off to Yarnover this weekend! If you know of any good yarn stores (or anything else for that matter) that I should check out in the Twin Cities, let me know!

Finally, here’s another ebook sneek peek. I knit a version in another yarn, and decided that I had to do another in Arroyo in Arco Iris because I loved the yarn so much and Arco Iris is my favorite Malabrigo colourway.

Other than that I have been consumed with a need to finish a Color Affection shawl. I am halfway through the third section and I really can’t wait to finish it so I can wear it. I have been knitting on it like crazy. It’s a great pattern, simple colour changes and shortrows that anyone could tackle. I am possibly considering another, but I need to finish other things first. I am using Malabrigo Arroyo in Borraja, Chircas and Escoria. I am digging it. My goal is to finish it and my Kidsilk Haze Stripe scarf this week. I just finished picking up a dropped stitch about 30 rows down. Ugh. We’ll see. I love the colour palette in Arroyo. We got a bunch in at the store the other day and there was not a single colour I did not like. Even the reddy/pinky/orange ones.

I am so excited about working with this stuff. I’ve ordered a few different yarns from them before and they have all been gorgeous. I just love all the colours and the bits and the fuzz. And I have 6 skeins to play with!  It’s made up of strips of sari silk remnants sewn together so there are all sorts of colours and patterns in there, it’s pretty amazing. Opening the skeins was like opening a wrapped treasure with all sorts of interesting elements to discover inside. I can’t wait to get started knitting with this stuff. Next time I want to get some of the Tibet Jewels because you know I love me some sparkle!

Not only is it really gorgeous stuff, but they are great. All of the yarns are made of recycled or reclaimed fibers and it’s all super hippy-friendly. This article says it way better than I could.

Spin Art is a step by step guide to making texturally intriguing yarns. It takes you from a simple ply to tail and corespinning, and the one I am most intrigued by, the Bubblewrap, which is a corespun plied with a thin yarn or thread. It looks pretty awesome. The book is like a textbook for spinning fun yarns.  It’s even suggested you work through the yarns from beginning to end, which reminds me of math class. You know, where you need to do the easy stuff so you do the cool stuff really well (shush, there is totally cool stuff in math). I had eyed this book when it first came out, but someone bought it before I really got a chance to look at it. I haven’t had a chance to check out the DVD that comes with it (isn’t that awesome?) because my MacBook Air does not have a disc drive at all, but I will. Especially once I start working on some of the techniques. I am a really visual person so I think it’s great that it includes one. The pictures in the book are gorgeous and just make me want to spin all the yarn right now. I have a small bunch of mohair locks I am going to try some tail spinning with ASAP. With this book I can spin anything!

Hand Spun is similar in that there is instruction on how to make different textured yarns, but it’s more of an artistic approach. While the Spin Art is a great book for someone who wants to know exactly how to make certain kinds of yarn, Hand Spun is more about taking that knowledge and applying it artistically. So they compliment each other really well as I said. I especially liked the bit on crocheted yarns, I never would have thought of that and I am all about the crochet right now. This book also has projects in it. I really like the Monkey Wrap, I spin lots of bulky textured yarns and now I know what to do with the next one. And thanks to the Finger Crochet tutorial, I can finally teach B to make the scarf he has been wanting to make. I have (and love) Intertwined, and this book is a great set of ideas building on that book. And the pictures are just gorgeous in this book too. This book really speaks to the part of me that wants to bring more art back into my fiber arts.

After spending the weekend with these two books I feel so inspired. And then I spent last night making a simple 2 ply yarn. Ha. I’ve also been knitting a plain (!) stockinette (!!) scarf (!!!) with Rowan Kidsilk Haze Stripe. OMG. It is so gorgeous I don’t even notice I am knitting my nemesis, the boring scarf. I am using the circus color way and it is just amazing. I saw the Lorax last week with B, and I keep likening it to knitting Thneeds with the tufts of Truffula Trees (which everyone needs!) because it is so bright and might just be softer than silk. Ha. Thanks to Mona I finally got the hang of knitting continental. I always purled wrong. With such a fine yarn and bigger needles it is a lot easier than throwing.

When I saw the pattern for Debaser I had to knit it! Especially since Diamond Luxury Collection Mulberry & Merino is such a gorgeous yarn, and I am always wondering what to knit with it. You might also notice that the shawl I knit is not made out of that yarn. Being me I had a certain colour in mind (Taupe, which is really more of a shimmery champagne kind of colour) which was on order. But that same day we got in a shipment of one of my favorite yarns, Malabrigo Silky Merino. So it all worked out. I used one and a half skeins of it in Piedras and did the extra repeats of the shawl body to make it bigger since my yarn and needles were a bit smaller. There is this mottled blue in there I just love. Meghan has some really beautiful shawls. Two on my knit one day list are Point and Repeater (Fugazi and lace knitting together at last!).

I’ve been knitting some shop samples this weekend. One with beads. I really like adding beads to knitting, mostly because I like to make things sparkle as much as possible. The beads are a touch small for my yarn, but there are not too many of them (34 more to go!) so I am going to let it go. I feel so delicate working with a tiny crochet hook to pick up all those beads. I’ve still been knitting mostly for publication, which means I can’t share much yet. But soon! I am also in the middle of working on projects for an upcoming ebook. It’s full of juicy colourwork so I am really excited. And I am almost finished my quilt! I just need to sew on the back and add some buttons. So excited. I do not think I am finicky enough for quilting. Mostly I hate ironing.