And by auto-blocking, I don’t mean that my knits shape themselves automatically—I mean that I block them on my car.
If there is one thing Sparky the Stash Weasel loves more than wool, it’s wet wool, which means that blocking chez moi is out. Indoors—Sparky will be all over it. Outdoors—Sparky will be all over it. Indoors at Melissa’s home—also too much feline assistance. But outdoors at Melissa’s home—that can work. She lives in a tough neighborhood, but the parking’s in a central courtyard, so she doesn’t get foot traffic beyond her immediate neighbors. And my car, small and practical as it is, provides a big enough surface for most knit objects.
So I drape a couple of sheets across the top of it (suhtting their edges into the doors if the day is windy) and get to work.
Using a step-stool helps.
This won’t do for items that need truly aggressive blocking—there’s just not enough traction, nowhere to pin—but for cooperative knits, my wonky system works.
And here’s a look at the finished project…
… my version of Clementine worked up in three skeins of Malabrigo. Mmmmm. Soft and big and cozy and bright.
Meanwhile, sock the first has been joined by sock the second.
(If my legs look a little funny, it’s because I made Melissa photoshop them to hide my nubs.) Now that I have socks that fit, I’m afraid to wear them—I don’t want to wear them out.
Your shawl and socks are beautiful. That was fast! And your blocking method is ingenious, especially for those long projects that don’t want to fit on the table. Although for animal control, I’m better off inside – our neighbor cats like to climb all over the cars, while just taking the chairs away from the table edge thwarts our dog.
YOu constantly amaze me Sarah Hope. Great idea about blocking.
Got any really simple hat patterns? I am on the quest for niece and nephew (teens) christmas presents.
Beautiful shawl and I love the blocking method, do the neighbours ask what you are doing?!
I wonder if a 1/4 inch thick piece of plastic foam (which could be rolled up when not needed), would conform well enough to the car (and could be pinned to the sheet) and give you something to pin to.
Also, not for socks, of course, or for hats on heads, but would you consider for shawls, etc. including a ruler in the photo for scale? It looks like your version of Clementine is quite a bit larger than the original in the pattern photo.
Congrats on being pattern of the day (again!) on dailyknitter.com. That’s how I first found your blog. (For the Santa Cruz hat!)
Love the autoblocking!
What an amazing array of FO’s. In case we thought you weren’t doing anything while saving cats and attending meetings. Nice socks!
Wow, Clementine is really wonderful… I haven’t seen that pattern before.
And as for auto-blocking, well, eerrhhmm, looks effective! I think I might just give it a pass, though….