WIP Wednesday: Experiments in blocking

My mother-in-law asked me last week if I would make a baby blanket for her cousin, who is about 6 months pregnant. My previous attempts to make a blanket have been unsuccessful. I tend to like smaller projects that finish up more quickly, and I also like projects that have a lot of variety. However, I have been wanting to make the Klimtchen blanket (also known as the Babette) for a long time, and I thought that, if someone else would (gently) be holding me accountable, this would be the best time to do it.

Another hurdle that has previously given me pause with a lot of projects is that some require blocking, and I have never had adequate supplies for it. I finally caved and bought a foam blocking mat and some rust-proof pins. I also found this great tutorial on steam blocking acrylic yarn projects. Steam blocking has the benefits of both speed and softening the fabric, and holy crap have I become addicted to the process. It is SO SATISFYING to see the patches go from scrunched up messes to flat, soft, perfect squares.

So far I am having a blast with this blanket. The colors are definitely all over the board, but it’s keeping things interesting for me, and babies like bright colors anyway.

Apollo is a big fan of the blanket so far.