Thursday, March 18, 2010

Oops, forgot to announce!

The random number generator gave the winner of the last drawing as Pandora! Pandora, I hope you read this and will drop me email at valerie [at] grasslimb [dot] com with your mailing address so I can send your mag off to you!

I have been knitting, but it's all on the afghan, which is boring. However, I did try 'killing' some acrylic and I thought you might be interested to see, especially if you've never tried it!

Swatch before death:

It's lofty, cushy, and a little bit scratchy. As you can see, it looks more cabley than lacy.

I dampened the swatch, put a wrung-out wet towel on top and a dry one under it, and pressed it with a hot iron:

It's now smooth, drapier, less lofty/warm-feeling, and, as you can see, it looks like blocked lace. I dried it by popping it in the dryer.

On the other hand, I don't think I'm going to kill the afghan. I think I'll trade the slight scratchiness for the loft and cushy sensation. But it could be useful for things in future. Have you ever killed anything? Er, anything made out of yarn?

More magazines soon!

2 comments:

JustJen said...

Eons ago, I used that technique to make too-short acrylic scarves longer (stretching as I ironed), but never knew that the technique had a name.

I always learn something new from you!

Unknown said...

BOO!

I killed...er...blocked...an entire cardigan once. I was ten, and I had delusions of hippiedom. I bought what I thought was super-hip and natural and cool redwood-brown yarn and real wood buttons. I knit my little hippie heart out, blocked it, seamed it... I was so proud of my "tree hugger" sweater. Years later I found out acrylic was about as anti-hippie as it gets.

Still have the cardi, although I don't wear it. It's not bad for being done by a ten-year-old clueless hippie girl.

xo miss you and Sir Rob, dearheart!