Experimenting with blocking (Fortune's Shawlette)

Be warned this is not a very exciting post it was an experiment for my own benefit but I decided to share just incase, by chance, someone may find it useful (also if I make more of these I can read what I did...). If you don't care about blocking but want the pattern to these shawls Click here for a link.

I made 3 Fortune's Shawlette as gifts for Christmas. I really love the pattern and how the shawl falls ect. It looks gorgeous when it's finished. My only issue is that as I'm giving them as gifts I don't think my giftees will want to block the shawls after they have been washed. So I just wanted to see the size difference in the shawls after blocking/stretching and not doing any blocking/stretching.

I left one as it was without blocking or anything, I blocked one after wasing it and the 3rd one I washed and stretched with hangers... I used hangers as weights on the corners of the shawl (don't judge me).

The picture shows the purple one (the largest shawl) after blocking, the green one (the middle sized shawl) after being stretched with hangers and the blue one (smallest shawl) which I have done nothing with.

The size difference is obvious. The blocked one (purple) is definitely the better looking, the detail of the pattern is much more obvious, and will fit nicely on anyone. The stretched one (with hangers) looks alright the pattern isn't as obvious but Ok and the size is alright but may not fit/fall as well. The blue one that I left alone isn't the best as the pattern is hard to see and I struggle with it fitting me and I'm quite small, it does fit but it doesn't fall as well as the others.

After my little experiment blocking is definitely the way to go but stretching whilst drying is an alright alternative. Leaving the shawl as it is though with out any stretching encouragement may not be a good decision.

Tschüs