Some days I work, and my crochet is practically error-free; other days, I get to learn from my mistakes.
Today was one of the latter.
I wanted to get further along with the shawl, so that I would have a manageable base to work from.
With just one row completed, it would be easy to get things turned around and to inadvertently join the motifs incorrectly. As it happened, inadvertently joining the motifs incorrectly was much easier than I had imagined.
I having mastered the motif crocheting the first row, I went onto the second, I bit more confident and less informed than was helpful.
Rather than sketching which petals to join where, helping to cement that information in my brain, I blithely went ahead, correctly joining the first two of six motifs, and then, inexplicably, I lost my way, but did not realize it for several motifs.
Eventually, however, the error made itself apparent, I frogged the offending motifs, and reworked them, this time paying closer attention to my work, and eventually, I finished the second row:
As a result of my mistakes the first time I joined the motifs of the second row, I did not weave in the ends so that it would be easier to undo my work should the situation call for it. This proved to be an effective strategy on one hand, but left me with a tangle of ends that I needed to address, which, I did:
While weaving in the ends improved the appearance of this project, it also became clear that it will require a major blocking effort in order to be entry ready for the state fair and to properly showcase its charms.
With that in mind, I soaked the project in warm water rolled it between towels to remove most of the moisture, and then got out my blocking kit and pinned the shawl-to-be in place:
My hope is that when the shawl-to-be dries and I remove the pins, the blocking will be enough to make the edges of the project behave, but if it turns out that they are still a bit unruly, I will consider adding some sort of edge to help the shawl keep its shape.
In the meantime, there is more work to be done, and I best go do it.
I looked at the pattern last night and was very confused by the instructions for row 3 and joining… I surely must be learning challenged…..
anyway I still have one of the Japanese flower motif shawls to complete though thought it might become a ghan for my eldest but when she opted for something else it reverts to being for me so I took a breather from it….to work on the baby blanket and as I am nearing completion on IT – decided to day to try my hand at the crocodile stitch!!! Arrrgh – more challenges and several attempts with much frogging but VIOLA I’ve mastered it and am making a scarf!!! Using LionBrand Amazing – Aurora!!! SO pretty and very proud of my perseverance and determination!!!