Ever Wondered "Why do I need to block?"



Blocking can take a lot of time, but it is so worth it. Immediately below is an unblocked swatch of Shetland Ruffles, a shawl from one of my favourite designers, Kieran Foley

 

 

 

Witness how blocking opens the lace and accentuates the curves created by the stitch.

 



 



You can see several beautiful samples of Shetland ruffles on Ravelry  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shetland-ruffles

 

 

 

I love Kieran's designs. He frequently uses self-striping yarns, especially Noro and Zauberball. The combination of striping yarns and stitch patterns which curve and undulate are just incredible.

 

He also uses dropped stitches in many of his shawls. I have just finished my first (but definitely not may last) Kieran Foley Project, Shogun.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shogun

 

 

 

 



I enjoyed this project so much. When I first began, I was misreading the pattern and could not figure out what was wrong. I e-mailed a question to Kieran, who by the way, lives in Ireland, and I got an answer back in less than 2 hours. After that it was smooth sailing. I am offering this project as a class in the new Spring Session beginning in April.

 

Class	Shogun   (Beth) Two 2 hour Classes $40 plus supplies
Date & Time	Monday, April 20, 27 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Description	Let me introduce you to Kieran Foley, an Irish designer whose work I admire. Designer Site I am currently knitting his Shogun Shawl and I love it. The pattern is both charted and written – easy to knit whichever style you prefer. With a couple of “keeping track tips”, this project, with chevron patterning and dropped stitches, is not as difficult as it appears. And if you are a colour person, fond of Noro or Zauberball, this design is perfectly suited for self -striping yarns. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shogun
Prerequisites	Intermediate. Good basic knitting skills.
	Treat yourself to a browse through Kieran's designs. http://www.ravelry.com/designers/kieran-foley   and check out his blog and pinterest page which are both linked on the above site.   I can not decide between Echo Beach or Shetland Ruffles to do next.   Beth