9/13: Best of Show, Creative Arts, the Big E. (Roughly translated from extended victorious squeaking.)

8/10: So, finally got around to blocking this shawl. I’ll have a finished picture up soon.

This project let me use two of my favorite stupid knitting tricks: hula-hoop blocking and fishing line beading.

Hula-hoop blocking (for circular shawls):
Pin down the center of your shawl. Center a hula-hoop over the shawl. To do this precisely, use a tape measure across the diameter of the hula-hoop in two different directions.
Using the tape measure again, stretch the shawl an set distance from the outside edge of the hula-hoop and pin. (I did 4 inches on the Evenstar shawl, for a total diameter before the edging of about 50 inches). Pin a section of about 5 inches, then do an opposite section to save yerself aggravation.

Fishing line beading:
This is a handy alternative to crochet hook beading, especially if you have a miserable time finding a crochet hook small enough. Take a 6-7 inch length of heavy duty fishing line. Knot a bead at one end, and fold the other so you have a kink in the line about an inch in. String on as many of your beads as you can fit.
When you need to add a bead to the knitting, slide the fishing line through the yarn loop, fold the line over at the kink, and then slide a bead down over the fishing line and onto the yarn.

I’ve used the plastic string that beads come on, and even the bits from clothing price tabs in the past when I don’t have fishing line. =)

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