Olympics Day 14: Wheeee! I'm done!

Wheeee! Woo-Hoo! Yee-Haw!!! I'm done, I'm done! I'm so pleased with myself I can hardly stand it. My Kiri shawl is off the needles and looking great! I *am* an olympic champion!!! Raise the flag, play the anthem, clutch the bouquet of flowers and grin. I DID IT!

I knit like crazy last night during the Ladies Figure Skating long program and finished the edging. Long was an appropriate word for those last few rows of Kiri. Very long. I waited until this morning to cast off so my edge would be nice and even. I wasn't exactly alert at midnight when I knit off that last long purl row. I used the technique recommended in the pattern, a new cast-off for me, and I think it looks really nice. In essence, you use a needle one size bigger than you used for the shawl and you knit the sts together rather than passing the 1st st over the 2nd. Not only does this keep the cast-off edge "loose" but it keeps the stitch size very even--something I've found to be challenging in the past. Right now the edge looks quite ruffled, but that will disappear once I get the shawl blocked out.

I went to Lowe's looking for long skinny metal rods/wires to use for blocking. I read about these from one of the knitting lists, but I couldn't find anything suitable. Maybe I need a "real" construction supply type place rather than a big box hardware store. I think I'll try another technique in which fishing line is used instead of a blocking wire. I'll run the line through the eyelets of the garter st border before bathtime, then pin the line in place rather than pinning the shawl. Of course the leaf points will have to be pinned as usual. I hope to block/dress the shawl tomorrow. If all goes well, I'll wear my Kiri while watching the closing ceremonies on Sunday night. How cool is that???