Angel Shawl in "Dawn" by Naturally aka Before and After Blocking!

I promised you I'd take photos of the Angel Lace shawl after it was finished, before it was blocked and then again after blocking to demonstrate what a huge difference blocking out your lace will make in a finished project. Ta Da!! Here is the UNblocked shawl:

I put a pencil in the photo to give you a point of reference as to the size of the unblocked shawl. The funny little "spots" that you see along the edges are teeny glass beads that I decided to knit into the edge. I couldn't get a good close up photo of them, but they are small green faceted bead with an iridescent surface...pretty! So now you know - don't despair when your knitted lace looks like something that's been lurking in the bottom of the laundry hamper for days - it's supposed to look that way!

Now here's a shot of the lace after it's been blocked. It looks a little strange because I have it blocked out on two different color towels, so it's a little distracting - sorry. But it's what I had on hand at the time, what can I say?? By the way, note the long pins used for blocking - they are called Blocker Pins, come in a kit that includes a batch of long and short pins, flexible pins (for curves around necklines, armholes, etc.), t-pins for pinning out the solid longer lengths, and even a yardstick! You just run the length of the blocker pin through the edge of your project, apply even tension and use the t-pins to stick through into your blocker board, cardboard, toweling, spare bed (basically, whatever you're using for a blocking surface) and viola! Instant straight edges! Or in this case, when the pins are run through the points of scalloped edging, I guess I should say viola!! Instant Pointy Edges!! They are Worth Their Weight In Gold. Really.

Anyway, here's a photo of the BLOCKED shawl:

Waaaayy bigger - note the pencil in the photo in comparison to the first photo. When this comes off the blocker pins, probably tomorrow, I will take a photo of it on a person and hopefully you will be able to see the gorgeous little angels and the beaded edging. This is Fiber Trends' newest lace shawl pattern, called Angel Lace. I used four skeins of Naturally Dawn, which is a 50% wool and 50% silk laceweight yarn. I wish the computer had Touch-a-Vision, because this yarn is yummy!! The shawl will be packed in my suitcase on Thursday when I get on an airplane and head out on vacation.

The Hand, Filbert and I will try and post photos and news to the blog on our travels!

Ciao (I'm getting in practice),

Becky