Blocking new items
Pics of some items being blocked. I used to do full-blown pinned wet blocking, but have simplified my process recently.
Porcupine Stitch from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Stitches
The Thistle Leaf pattern in the prior post was from the Second Treasury of Knitting Stitches by Barbara Walker. This scarf, in Porcupine Stitch, is knit in another pattern from the book, the Porcupine Stitch. The yarn is from the Saxon Merino farm, also the subject of a prior post. This pattern - 9 rows, is easy enough to memorize, though it has patterning on every row. Since it has an odd number of rows, it is reversible (the pattern reverses every 9 rows). I think the top and bottom edges will have similar appearance too, so that the last few rows can remain in pattern. I started with 4 rows of garter stitch, in purl, and will finish with the same before binding off. The six-stitch side borders are also knit in purl stitch. I'm using a row counter, because otherwise, it would be confusing to keep track of the rows. I have used one skein of the yarn so far, and have knitted about 6 inches from the second one. Here's another view:
