Finished: My Stitch Sampler Masterpiece

Ladies and gentlemen, my stitch sampler masterpiece is DONE!  Though I finished the crocheting a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t block this beauty until tonight.  And so, here it is in photos:

Normally I would let you know what brand of yarn I used, colors, gauge, etc.  But the idea of this pattern (available on Ravelry) is that it’s a sampler; you use all kinds of leftover yarns.

I was lucky enough to have colors similar to those pictured in the book where I got the pattern: Afghans for All Seasons Book 1 by Leisure Arts.  I only had to buy three colors: the coral, the pink and the light brown.

This is a time-consuming project, and you have to pay special attention to the instructions at the beginning of every row.  But the end result is worth it!

One important note: This has been a real b**** to block.  Because the center starts out round and then goes to square, I had a lot of trouble with pooching in the middle.

I tried blocking part-way through, but that didn’t quite do it.  And now that it’s done I’ve tried two blocking techniques, hoping the second will work.  First, I shaped it and pinned it to the bed.  Then, with a damp towel fresh out of the washer, I placed the towel over it and ironed through the towel.  Once it got nice and warm I left it there for several hours.  Sadly, once unpinned it went pretty much back to its pooched shape.

Currently it lies pinned out on the guest bed, misted with water from a spray bottle.  The plan is to leave it there for over 24 hours and hope that does the trick.

If you have suggestions for blocking my beautiful masterpiece so that it looks as good as it should, please tell me in the comments!

Find TheBrainInJane on Ravelry, or look up your local Stitch n’ Bitch!