A Big blocking adventure

The Serendity stole (aka Mystery stole) turns out to be a hard critter to block. If I could get down on my hands and knees and if I had a stretch of floor that no one walks on, I could block it there. But my usual blocking place, the bed, just did not have enough length. And if I was going to do it in sections (not being able to find room to do it all at once) I decided I might as well put it on something of comfortable reach. So it's blocking on top of my dining room buffet on a thick tablecloth. Well, part of it is blocking, about 3/4 of the length. When that dries I will do the other end.

(Yes that is my wine cellar under the buffet).
I did run wires through each edge in the YO's that the designer conveniently put between the shawl and the scallops. This is also something new for me, I have not used the blocking wires until now. I had to run the wires through the top line, pin that down, run wires through the bottom line, pin that down, and then pin each scallop and the bottom edging.

The pictures are doing a pretty good job at showing the lace design, but the beading is lost in the color. The beading is much more obvious in person and really adds to the design. And the angle of this above photo did not quite catch the grafted area although there is just a hint of it in the lower right corner. The graft did not disappear completely with this blocking, I quess I could have pulled on it harder, but was already at my limit of space, sideways, to block it on top of the buffet. I can live with a slight line being visable at the graft.

I put the crocheted edging on it, that was not in the designer's pattern. I did not feel the edge would not roll, even with blocking and there is a lovely line of beads there that i did not want to get lost in the roll. So the crochet edging was something I found in a very old crochet edging booklet that I have. Usually I am not real fond of crochet edgings, but I like this one and feel it blends well with the scalloppy design of the long edges.

I spritzed the shawl heavily with water after it was pinned, I did not wet the shawl first which is another new thing for me. I thought it best not to wet the whole shawl if I was not going to block it all at once. I am sure I got the shawl good and wet though, judging from the 'wet wool' smell. Now the only problem is keeping the cat off the very inviting surface.

CW