Right. Before we begin, I just wanted to say that the (signed) Arne and Carlos giveaway is coming soon! As is a post about some rather gorgeously talented fellow bloggers and their amazing work.
Meanwhile…
Progress on the knitted mandala picture continues at a pace so slow that I was recently overtaken by a glacier whilst knitting.
Having cut the steek to transform the mandala from a knitted-in-the-round tube to a flat piece, I decided to wash and block it, in order to enhance its flatness and to even out all those wibbly-wobbly stitches and small variations in tension caused by knitting whilst being climbed by the toddler twinnage, as well as by my general incompetence.
But pre-steeking, I did something that I didn’t tell you about in my last post. I, err, tried it on, so to speak. Thing is, when it was still a tube, it started looking rather like some of my dresses. Yeah, I’d need to sort out top and bottom if I was actually going to wear it, and it is a tad wide, but still. I like it asymmetrical, like this:-
I don’t knit many clothes these days because this blog is an insatiable beast that needs frequent feeding with knitted homewares, but sometimes I’d like to pause and make clothes, so it was briefly tempting to finish the mandala picture for wearing rather than putting on the wall.
Anyways, back to the wash-and-block. I use the word ‘wash’ lightly, because it was actually a very hasty agitation in soapy cold water with a Dylon Colour Catcher, because I was terrified of all that luscious Fyberspates green dye seeping into the plain cream yarn. Witness:-
Then I wrapped it in a towel (a very, very ugly towel), and patted gently to get the worst of the water out. Finally, I pinned it out on some old towels stretched over polystyrene blocks. It spent a day on one side, catching the rays:-
Then flipped over for a day on its reverse (look at all those ends I need to weave in – I’m in denial about those).
And then it was dry, and beautiful, and much smoother and more even than pre-blocking.
Now for the gold embroidery. And the weaving in of ends. The fun starts here. 🙂
The fun starts here! I thought the fun began with the mandala dress.
Nah, that would have been if I’d dared to leave the house dressed like that…
That would have been sensational and started a new trend in yarn bombing; the mobile kind on human form.
The dress stage looked really comfortable to lounge around in, however, I am in agreement that your mandala will make a gorgeous wall hanging.
You must have the patience of a saint to knit such an intricate design.Wonderful!
No, I’m just inpatient to see it finished, so I have to keep going… and going…
You have a great sense of humor! From the other pictures I thought the Mandela was much smaller. It so much fun to take part in your process. – Sharon
Thank you, Sharon. 🙂 My sense of humour is probably a bit bonkers.
Oh,what a beautiful mandala!!!And the colours are sooooooooooooooooooo gorgeous!Great work!!!!I love it sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!And thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much for the advice about washing and blocking,I’m still terrified by this phase…..
Honestly, it’s fine. No need for terror. And thank you for being so kind about my work. Again. 🙂
I’d like to knit something similar for myself,too….your mandala drives me sooooo crazy!!
Wow that is beautiful.
Thanks. 🙂
It looks pretty good as a dress (and I actually thought it was about half the size until you put it on!). And er… good luck with those ends, it’ll be worth it when it’s finished
Either that or the ends will drive me so nuts that I’ll throw the thing in a cupboard and never speak to it again.
Stunning!
Thank you! *blushes*
Just when I thought you could nothing else to surprise me, you took a selfie while wearing a wall hanging. What have you planned to top this? 😉
Erm…. I fear I may be all out of bonkers ideas for a while.
Wow! I’ve been following your Mandala progress, but had somehow missed just quite how big it is. Interesting dress – but probably better on the wall.
Your work is amazing as ever. I stand (sit, actually) in awe.
Says she who has just knitted the most amazingly gorgeous purple lace, and who works a camera like she invented the thing…
I didn’t realise how big that mandala was until you put it on… WOW!
It did come out a TINY bit larger than planned. Oops.
So much knitting but so worth it. Absolutely beautiful.
Thank you. 🙂
Spectacular! What a wonderful journey! Do you have any advice for weaving that many ends? I tend to be quite hasty and quite impatient.
I love it as a dress!!
Thanks! I’m not sure I’ve got the courage to leave the house in it, though.
Wow, it is much larger than I imagined and so beautiful.
Thank you!
Sqeeeeeeeeeeeee! That was a bit of genius! Now we all know how big the mandala is and what a gorgeous figure you have!! 🙂 I have never blocked in my life and I can now see why I should have……. all my off square squares would have been much improved by this wonderful technique. I’d be really scared by all those ends en masse like that – are you really going to weave them all in? Can’t wait to see the gold thread addition and then the final ta-da moment when it is hung somewhere in your brewery………..
You may have to wait a while…. I’m the queen of procrastination… But thank you, anyway. Now, more importantly, just to give you a bit more detail: IF (and only if) it’s OK with you, I’d like to do a post within the next few weeks, showing the beautiful prints of your work that you sent me, and mentioning your blog, and then also briefly mentioning a couple of other lovely blogs. Hope this is still OK. It might take me a week or two to do it.
Of course it is okay – it is always a lovely thing to have happen I think. I usually enjoy checking out other blogs that are liked by someone I enjoy too – so I shall look forward to reading that post 🙂
And now that I have an inkling of what it must be like to parent a toddler twinnage – I would absolutely understand if you never get round to it 🙂
Even the back of your knitting with all its loose ends is disgustingly beautiful! I’m definitely going to have to try some colour work with the Dark Art sooner rather than later. Wearing the wall hanging was a great way to give us a sense of scale and take the ultimate crafting selfie!
You definitely, definitely must come over to the dark side! (OK, I’ll stop nagging you soon.) That was my first ever selfie, by the way. Made me feel as though I’m 17 (I wish).
On the FEAR of threads bleeding color (so speaks the woman who once washed 35 shades of wool before making a crewel work embroidery sampler which was later attacked by evil evil mouths who only liked the turquioise) I’m totally with you. Have you ever contemplated using those color catchers that look like baby wipes?
The evil mouths were on moths
Yes, I used colour catchers, but was still quite nervous. But HOW evil were your moths?? Somehow that almost seems worse than if the buggers had devoured the whole thing. Almost. Grrrr, on your behalf.
I know! I could have cried when I realized what happened. Luckily I still had the oddments and could restitch it, using the previous needle holes, it was 4 crescents in buttonhole stitch, not easy to get sharp the first time round and now a bit tired looking :/
I have to say I LOVE the dress! But the mandala is beautiful, whatever you decide to do with it. If it’s to be a cushion I wouldn’t even worry about the ends – just sayin’…
Hmmmmm…… you may be on to something…..
I didn’t know the mandala was so large. That is a whole lot of knitting in the round, and you did it so quickly. Oh my the ends! You must be a master of patience and serenity. Needless to say this project is on the level of masterpiece and really proves knitting is quite able to elevate itself into art when it is in the proper hands.
Thank you (although I fear that you’re giving me more praise than I deserve). The ends are a bit of a work in progress: you may hear grumpy muttering coming from this direction for the next few days…
Start knitting that dress … It’s so cool … You in denile about weaving in ends …never!! Bet you have planned how to do it in your sleep 🙂
Nah, who needs sleep?! 🙂
Congratulations! Brava! Beautiful!
Awww, thank you. 🙂
I find it very brave of you to post the wearing of a knitted tube…that being said, it looks quite nice on you. 🙂 I generally avoid wearing knitted tubes as they show off my lumpy bits. Can’t wait to see it on the wall! Good luck with the weaving of ends…I would probably do some sort of non-weaving short cut.
Thank you! Not sure I’ll be going anywhere wearing it….
While I found this post very informative and would like to learn more about Knitting Prevention (a more elegant title than “Blocking Your Knitting” – don’t you think?) I did find that it suffered from a shortage of modeling shots. The anterior shot is really quite lovely, but an anterior shot would also have been appreciated, as well as at least one profile. Hope you keep this in mind for future posts.
…my faux pas… I meant to say that “a posterior shot would also have been appreciated”…
I’m with everyone else: 1) The mandala is A.MAZ.ING. 2) I had no idea of the sheer scale. How, I really mean, just how (?!) have you knit so many stitches in that time? 3) You totally have the figure and skill to start a new trend in yarn-bombed selfies.
Ha ha, I’m not sure I can agree with you, but thank you so much anyway. 🙂
Oh that has blocked out beautifully, although it did make an interesting frock too 🙂
Thanks. Not sure I’d leave the house wearing it, though…
Reblogged this on SeamLess In Seattle and commented:
Great tips, thank you for sharing!
Awww thank you, you’ve very kind. 🙂
Your pre-steek mandala selfie is très chic 🙂 ❤ <3
Ha ha, thank you! I’m a bit embarrassed about it.