Orenburg lace shawls are time consuming to knit, but once they are done they are worth the time spent. It’s so hard to say which is better, a small project which gives instant gratification, or a large project which provides months of entertainment.
All yarn ends tucked in, and a blocking yarn woven through the border points.
This was phase one for the blocking process, which is the last thing to do on a lace project. The pattern is visible but not super clear, so blocking is critical. The yarn which is used for blocking on a project this large is nylon which is not stretchy. I wanted the shawl to stretch, not the blocking yarn.
A mixture of a mild non-rinse soap and water, add one shawl, and wait.
The shawl soaks up a lot of water, which makes the fibers very elastic.
A surface for blocking and a lot of T-pins.
I spread an old quilt on the floor, and pulled the soaking wet shawl out taut, pinning all the points on the border out. This gives the shawl it’s final size and shape, and shows the pattern clearly. This takes about an hour to accomplish. Now the hard part, waiting for the shawl to dry. This takes at least 24 hours.
Shawl is light as a feather and so warm.
Time to start planning my next knitting project!