My Democratic Neck Warmer . . . or What I Did During Jury Duty

I was summoned for jury duty last Monday. That means I "played a part in the democratic process" and it also means I had plenty of time (5 hours!!) to finish the lace scarf that started out as a swatch. 

I didn't have as much yarn as I thought, so I guess I wouldn't call it a scarf. But I had enough length to go around my neck . . . so I added 4 buttonholes before I bound it off and decided it could be a neck warmer.

As you can see it really needs to blocked, so let's do it together.

  

First I'll let it sit in a bath of tepid water. While it's soaking, I'll go get my blocking supplies.

I have my blocking board, T-pins and lace wires. The wires make it a lot easier to block lace - otherwise I would have to use 50 million T-pins (okay, that might be an exaggeration, but I would need more than I have).

A blocking board is also nice to have since they are marked off in 1" squares. The measured squares make it easy to pin your garment to the pattern specifications/measurements. If you don't have a blocking board you can use towels. Make the pile smooth and thick enough to be able to insert T-pins and also absorb the water. If you are putting the towels on your antique dining room table, place a plastic liner underneath so you don't ruin the finish! 

My piece of lace is small, so when I lift it out of the water I won't have any trouble holding it in my hands. . . but, avoid taking any large pieces from water without support . . . wet wool stretches quick! You can always place the pieces in a colander for support if they are too big to fit in your hand. Then just push down  gently to remove the excess water. Another way to remove excess water is to  place the piece on a towel and then roll it up. 

Then it's off to the board.

I ran my blocking wires along the 2 long edges of my neck warmer. Next I placed T-pins along the edge of one wire and then I stretched it out until it was flat and placed a couple
 T-pins against the second wire. Then I did the 2 ends. I used the measured squares on the board as guides so that my rectangle would be even.

After blocking. 

Next step . . . off to my stash to pick out another project. I need something to work on while it dries.

Hmm . . . Suzanne made some really cute wristlets . . .

Until next time, keep your nose in a book or your fingers in fiber.



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