I finally did it! Finished The Yellow Scarf that Wouldn't Die. Here's what it looked like when it came off the needles - in its unblocked state:



All that was left to do was block it. Believe it or not, I discovered that I don't have a lot of blocking supplies in my vast mountain of craft materials. All I had was a few rust-proof blocking pins. Since lace requires serious blocking, I knew that I needed a good blocking surface and either blocking wires or a few more packages of blocking pins.

I checked knitpicks and discovered that a blocking board would put me back $80, and blocking wires would cost me $30. Ouch! After a little brainstorming, I improvised some cheapskate substitutions. Here's how I saved $110!

There are actually lots of substitutions for a blocking board - you can block things on a mattress, a carpet, or a piece of cardboard. The obstacles for me were that I needed something long enough to accommodate the scarf, and a place where the furry monsters who live in my apartment couldn't attack. SO: I used an old foamcore-mounted poster which I no longer wanted, cut it lengthwise into two strips, and set them on the kitchen counter.

Now for the wires. It was a challenge to think of something stiff and wire-like that wouldn't rust. But after a little stroll through the hardware store, I found my prize: plastic-covered electrical wire! It cost all of $2.76. Feeling pretty pleased with my smartness and uncharacteristic frugalness, I headed back home to block.



I soaked the scarf in cool water and Soak Wash, squeezed out the excess water and rolled the scarf in a towel then gave it another squeeze. Then I threaded the wire through the long sides of the scarf and pinned it to the foamcore every few inches, adding pins at the short ends too. Then, I went to sleep.


The next morning I was greeted by a beautiful scarf - I was surprised and delighted by how much better my boring yellow strip looked. So whisper-thin, airy and soft. Yay for blocking! Now I can't wait to get my blocking wires on that shawl.

Anybody have any other tips for household items that can stand in for overpriced craft supplies? Do tell!