It was surprisingly quick, really. I used what in Holland we call "baby wool", which I think is like a very soft 4-ply -- it should be used with a no.4 hook, but I use a no.7 which makes the texture more airy and fluffy (and also makes progress a lot quicker ). It's quite an easy pattern, once you've got it set up you just keep repeating two alternating rows until you reach the size you want (30 rows in my case), then one "closing row" and then add the fringe. I didn't time it but I think it took me about 12-15 hours.
no I haven't yet; as I won't be giving it to her until we go to Holland later in December I thought I'd concentrate on the other Christmas presents first.
Delivered the present last week, and it was much appreciated
Here's a picture of the stretching (you really need a kingsize bed for this -- an ordinary double just isn't big enough!) and the finished article; unfortunately I couldn't get the fringes to behave, so it looks a little untidy, but it'll give you an idea. Stretched and fringed it measures a comfortable two metres along the top.
It's beautiful, Mabel!
And the fringe looks fine to me! I hope you weren't having to sleep in that bed while it was stretching! The pins would scratch a bit!
Seriously, how long does it take to get the stretching completed? It's not something I've ever done: clearly, I wasn't trained! I just pick stuff up as I go along.
It actually received its final stretch on Mum's bed, and she was most particular about my removing every last pin . What I do is stretch it to the shape I want, then spray it very lightly with water from one of those plant spray bottles, and wait for it to dry, which is usually about 3 or 4 hours. Like you, I very much pick things up as I go along, and this seems to do the trick .
Agi
"The world, as a colourful knot of threads, has turned into a memory, and now you cannot be sure whether it was real." (Géza Ottlik, Hungarian writer)
Mabel Figworthy wrote:It actually received its final stretch on Mum's bed, and she was most particular about my removing every last pin . What I do is stretch it to the shape I want, then spray it very lightly with water from one of those plant spray bottles, and wait for it to dry, which is usually about 3 or 4 hours. Like you, I very much pick things up as I go along, and this seems to do the trick .
Ah! That's the method I use for completed cross stitch designs, if I need to remove any creasing or distortion.
). It's quite an easy pattern, once you've got it set up you just keep repeating two alternating rows until you reach the size you want (30 rows in my case), then one "closing row" and then add the fringe. I didn't time it but I think it took me about 12-15 hours.
There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE! 
no I haven't yet; as I won't be giving it to her until we go to Holland later in December I thought I'd concentrate on the other Christmas presents first.
The pins would scratch a bit! 
