Summer Squares Take Nine: We're Blocking DarkStar

I finally finished the DarkStar Stole, so I thought I would show you how I block. First, I soak the piece in cool water for a bit. "A bit" is at least 30 minutes, and usually more. Just leave it alone...

This yarn is wool, so I just left it alone in the water. Don't play with it... When it is ready for me, I gently press the extra water out and rolled it in a towel. I then thread my blocking wires through every beaded point along the edges on all four sides. After that, I pin the wires out as evenly as I can manage...

It was late at night and it was hard to manage...

Close-up of the corner, where you can see how the wire goes through the points.

Some edging detail. You can really see the beads (I think.)

And just a bit more pattern detail...

Pattern re-cap:

The DarkStar Stole, from The Summer Squares Suite

Yarn: EmmaLou from LandOLace (1200 yards)

Beads: Japanese 8/0 Transparent Amethyst Rainbow (20-30 grams)

US size 1 knitting needles and a US 14 crochet hook

I will be off-line for a few weeks, so I posted the third and fourth squares for this project at The Summer Squares group today. The fifth square will be posted over Labor Day weekend, and the border and edging after that! Out Summer Squares group will run through the end of September, but is now closed to membership. The individual patterns and the full chart set will all be available in October. Enjoy the rest of you summer!