A Blocking Block

Oh dear, this is a sweater that I made for a friend's baby, but by the time I got it done and blocked, the baby had already outgrown it.  darn. 

But all is not lost, I have an adorable little nephew who has just gotten to the right size to take full advantage of it.  So off it goes.  He is the one for whom I made the sweet elephant gift-bag.

This Shawl Collar Sweater is a Debbie Bliss pattern from Essential Baby.  I added the color detail at the cuffs and collar - I love it in this deep chocolate brown - yum.  You can find the pattern on Ravelry here.

So, why is blocking such a hurdle from me? really, why?  I'm not quite sure.  At this point, I have a stack of no less than six projects to be blocked - some of which have been sitting there for almost a year!  It may be that it is simply a big transition for me to go from that meditative state of knitting that I love to the process of finding the pins, gathering the towels, cleaning out the laundry tub,  figuring out where I can lay it out without it being trampled, etc.  I'm not good with transitions.  

Hopefully, I've found something that will make blocking a happier and easier adventure for me.  I just ordered this, thanks to this post by Jennifer Casa and apparently by Posie Gets Cozy too.   Alicia Paulson suggests simply spraying with water, which I've never tried before - I've always given my pieces a bath.   I'll let you know how it goes.  I think I'm going to have a blocking challenge after the board arrives.  Maybe I can get six projects blocked and packaged up in six days - anyone want to join me?

Happy Weekend!