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The bed was finally empty, so I stripped off the burgundy sheets, laid down a clean white sheet for contrast, got Birch, the pins and some heavy-duty, color-fast thread and got to work. This is the largest thing I’ve blocked—or made—so far. At first I just used the thread to mark the shape and size I wanted and used pins to bring the shawl out to the line. This gave be a scalloped edge which didn’t look right. Using a darning needle I threaded a thread through every other loop of one of the two short edges. I tied one end of the thread to a pin, stretched the thread taut and tied it off to another pin. Then I pinned the thread to the required shape. I repeated this with the other short side. The long cast-on edge was tight enough.

I can’t be sure, but I think that the pattern’s use of a k2tog-tbl instead of ssk meant the two edges have a slightly different tension, ssk being a better mirror of the k2tog. It could just be my knitting. One edge was definitely easier to thread.

This is Birch, released from its pins. We have no appropriate models in this household and no good place to drape it artistically, so you’re stuck with some pillows under a bedsheet.

I had put F&F aside to finish Birch and rest my still sore right arm—too much keyboard and mouse activity at work—but have picked it up again. At the end of round 121, I have knit 35% of the stitches.

J & I are off to PTown Thursday for a six-day weekend, so I’m off to work today, so I can leave in good conscience.