Projects
The Long and Winding Fold
Dear Ann,
If you’d heard the shrieks and hysterical giggles coming from my basement the other day, you’d have thought I’d finally gone ’round the bend for good.
What was I doing?
I was at the ironing board, blocking my finished Yabane Cowl. Well, I was trying.
The Yabane Cowl is an origami-inspired knit that Olga Buraya-Kefelian taught at an in-person workshop at MDK World Headquarters last month. It was a dream to knit; I couldn’t put it down. I was enchanted to see folds forming from ridges of increases and decreases; I felt so clever to be doing this. I raced through the larger size of the cowl, which took two skeins plus a few more yards of Atlas.
As fun as it had been to knit, as a pre-blocked piece of knitting, it had a lot of—well, humanity.
After the obligatory soak in the Soak, the rolling up in the towel, and the stomping thereupon, I had a damp and frankly bedraggled piece of knitting. Not a pleat in sight.
How was I going to get those knife-edged pleats and folds? I consider myself a confident blocker, but I had no clue how to approach this one.
Luckily, the Yabane Cowl pattern includes a link to a handy blocking video, which I watched with reverence.
And then the shrieks and giggles began.
Where Olga, in her video, was bossing those folds around, zapping them to crispness with a flick of steam, I was presiding over an ever-collapsing circle of doom. As soon as I got a few pleats folded, the first ones would dissolve. It was Sisyphus, and it was Lucy and Ethel.
I just started laughing. This was not! going! to plan!
In my semi-panicked state, I had an idea: could this be a case for the Clover Clips? Clover Clips are my rock of Gibraltar, a present help in time of trouble. Nobody ever regrets using a Clover Clip.
As I folded each pleat, I clipped it. Stay, stay, damn pleat!
Did I press the edges to immaculate flatness, as Olga demonstrated? No I did not. The folds were enough to contend with—the edges were going to have to take care of themselves, or wait. I Clover-Clipped those pleats to within an inch of their lives, every last one of them, all the way around.
I then—oh so carefully—removed the clips so that they wouldn’t leave clip-shaped dents in the damp wool, shrieked one last “Stay!” at it, and left my folded Yabane Cowl on the ironing board to dry.
For seven whole days.
I just didn’t want to think about it anymore. It was in God’s hands.
But guess what Ann! When I finally returned, and opened the folds, they were incredible. Olga is magic! All I had to do was fire up the steam iron one more time to flatten down those edges. But this time, I wasn’t worried about the pleats anymore. The pleats were IN.
Isn’t it lovely?
I can fold them, I can unfold them, you can’t tell me nothing.
I truly love this cowl. Despite the novelty of its construction, I will wear it a lot—it’s intriguing but understated, and this Cedar shade of Atlas is going to go great with all my navy and black.
I’m so grateful to have had the experience of making this with Olga. And I have not laughed that hard in a long time.
Ann—go get yours blocked, it’s a gas.
Love,
Kay
Beautiful work, and I’d have loved to see you wrestle that cowl in person! I can’t wait to see a picture of you wearing it!
My best blocking tip: rather than rolling in a towel and stomping your beautiful garment take the item directly from the Soak/sink and place it in your washing machine along with a few dry tee shirts. Run the SPIN cycle for 5-7 minutes, remove and place on your blocking board. Pat into place, usually no pins necessary. I have been doing this successfully for years with my handknits ranging from laceweight Wollmeise to the indestructible Léttlopi.
note: I have a no-agitator machine but I don’t think it matters since the SPIN cycle does not involve agitation.
I bl9ck my knits the same way as you do. No rolling or stomping necessary just a spin in the washer and mine does have an agitator.
I’ve used the spin only cycle as well sans t-shirts with great results.
Yes, Carol is right (of course she is, no T-shirts needed).
Here’s a cautionary tale. I used to spin my knits in the washer as described above. Until a cardigan I knit in a wool/linen blend felted. I swear all I did was spin the excess water out in my front loading machine. (Also, I couldn’t resist posting this comment under Carol S and Carol H.)
Wish I had been there! Oh, those clips! However did we live without them???
Thanks, Kay – what a great laugh to start the day. I decided this cowl was Too Much for Me, knitting-wise, but I almost wish I had done it, just to follow your excellent blocking tips.
And Marsha: yes, this is how I “pre-dry” my knits too, including completed projects when washed later. It really works, folks, and it doesn’t hurt your precious knitting at all!
Olga’s a fiber wizard…on the List! SO Fantastic! I seriously need a connection to buy that fabric/napkin tho’… been searching a while for a fun vibrant fabric for dinner napkins!
Lotta Jansdotter!
Wow that came out beautifully and I love the color! Great problem solving Kay. Can we see it on you?
It’s TOO HOT HERE lol
This cowl is amazingly beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it and you blocking story had me laughing this morning. Congrats!!!!
It’s gor
For small -ish items, I use salad spinner after soaking . The item dries faster and no towels to wash and dry. A good sized shawl will fit in average salad spinner.
Now I want to try this cowl!
Best use I know of for the salad spinner—my husband loves it but to me it’s useless!
Salad spinner! Why didn’t I know this yesterday when I blocked my Venation shawl. Thank you.
Salad spinner! Brilliant! Pure genius!!
At first I despaired of ever being able to wrestle the cowl into a pleated form. I persevered and conquered. I only had lowly clothespins to help me manage the folds. It’s now all origami folded waiting patiently in the closet until the 90 plus days are gone and fall is here.
Clothespins would work just the same! I get overexcited about any opportunity to put the Clover Clips to work…
“Despite the novelty of its construction, I will wear it a lot” gave me my morning laugh!
I am just saying it’s not giving Art Teacher….not that there’s anything wrong with that!
This is so cool, so magical!
Enjoyed this postso much! Both following your inventive solition and the amazing outcome. So intrigued about this construction.
I SO want to try this–I saw a photo of Olga wearing this and I was so intrigued! And now I am more intrigued!
Kay, you had me in stitches. Almost makes me want to try it. x
The cowl looks great, but that Cedar shade of Atlas is awfully similar to the shade of terrier called Olive. Don’t be surprised if you see Kay trying to get her cowl to play fetch!
I will have to stage a photoshoot with the Worried One.
Oh Kay I laughed all the way through this post!!! I hadn’t planned on knitting this piece but seeing yours finished I do think as scary as it appears I ay have to put on my big girl knickers and give it a whirl!!! Thanx for the much needed laughs!
I cannot wait to knit this. Thank you all for the tips and tricks re blocking! Will attempt and report back.
It’s beautiful!
How lovely! Congratulations on being so persistent and clever. And the color is beautiful.
That cowl is gorgeous!
Wow!! Great Job!!! I would love to see a picture of you wearing this beauty with your navy and black.
This pattern has intrigued me for a while. I put it in my favorites, and every once in a while I look at it and contemplate making it, but haven’t pulled the trigger on the purchase. Sounds like it needs a firm hand when blocking and I’m not sure I’m up to the “battle”. I do appreciate your tip on using the “Wonder Clips” and that might push me to trying it, eventually.
Also, good to know she has a link to a blocking video.
Alas, I also have way to many WIP’s right now to add another to the crowd. Maybe next year.
This was the best letter ever!!!
I love it. But concerned I won’t know how to use the clips. Is A Kay clover clipping video in store for us?
I do not have the video skills, but it’s very intuitive, as you fold each v-shaped pleat, you clip it closed, so that it stays folded while you fold the next one, and the next one. If you look at the pictures you can see where the clips would go to close a pleat and hold it. Once they’re all clipped and the piece is laying flat on your surface, remove the clips carefully while the piece is still wet, without moving it, to keep it from getting dented from the clips as it dries. But this is easy to do once the piece is laying there all well-behaved-like.
I think of you every time I wonderclip ™
Beautiful!
Thanks for sharing your journey with this…I am really looking forward to finishing mine. The color is lovely. Thanks for the inspiration and advice!
Oh…my…Lort!!!! That is an absolute work of art! I’m squeeling for you. Good job, my fellow knitter.