As promised

Reyna Shawl

Done!

My Reyna shawl is finished, soaked and on the blocking mats.  It was a great knit but a nightmare to block.  My bind off was way too tight.  The shawl was knit with a #4 needle and I used a #6 for the bind off but it was still way too tight.  WAY too tight.  I had to really tug & pull on it to get it anywhere near close to the shape it's supposed to be.  Even with all the tugging, the wing tips are causing the blocking mats to bow upwards.  I've got heavy brass candle sticks holding the mats down & I expect to hear them crashing to the floor at any moment.  I think I'm going to end up with a hooded scarf instead of a triangular one.

I knit Reyna with Crystal Palace's Mini Mochi.  It took two skeins plus a tiny bit of a third.  The ball band says it's color #317.  Very unimaginative!  I've been calling it 'Warm Seas' because it reminds me of the water in the Florida Straights but I was knitting outside yesterday (first sunny day in something like two months!) and the bumble bees were pretty interested in what I was doing.  It made me realize, it's not Warm Seas, it's Morning Glory.  The yarn is the exact color of the morning glories that used to climb our back fence.

As for the pattern, I have nothing but good things to say about it.  And I just realized, it does suggest a much stretchier bind off.  If I'd only learn to read the entire pattern.....  Oh well.  Live and learn.  And end up with a hooded scarf instead of a triangular one.  I'm sure I'll get a chance to try the proper bind off though.  I see many more Reynas in my future.  There are several skeins  in my stash pile calling the shawl's name.