Knitterati Mystery 5 - Done!

I finished this up last night while watching the Firefly marathon on the Science channel.  I knew that it was going to be a bit of a challenge to block, so I took some progress pictures to show how I did it.  Here is the shawl after I cast off.

You can see how ruffled the edges are.  After I soaked it I laid it out and spread out the center stockinette stitch section and pinned the top edge.  I followed the natural curve of the knitting and stretched gently, pulling the shawl out.  Then, starting at the bottom center and working up each side, I pulled out the center spines and pinned them.

The next step was the tricky one.  I had to decide what to do with the other leaves.  I played with a section a little bit trying to understand what the shawl wanted to do.  I ended up pulling out the panels and pinning them, adjusting the spacing on the central spines if necessary to allow room for the two smaller leaves.  This left a fold of fabric that I opened up with my fingers and folded over.

The whole thing took less time than I thought it would (between 30 and 45 minutes).  When blocking shawls I always try to listen to the knitting and determine what it naturally wants to do.

Pattern:  Knitterati Mystery 5 by Janel Laidman
Yarn:  Zen Yarn Garden Squooshy in Horne Creek Fall (September 2012 Art Walk Club)
Needle:  US 5 (3.75 mm)