Rejoice with me!!!
The knitting part of the Bloomfield throw is totally done! The throw is now drying on the blocking wires.
Tomorrow, I fringe.

Here's how I blocked it: Since I have but one bed (and no desire to strip it and use it for blocking) and no large expanses of carpet, I duct-taped a couple of beach towels to the tile floor in my sewing room.

Next, I carefully threaded my Zonta Blocking Wires through the edges. (I tried to find a link, I think there's one out there, but I can't locate it right now). These are sold by the Zonta Club of Boise, ID as a fundraiser. They are a good investment if you knit a lot of shawls or scarves.

I did the short edges first, then the long edges.

Next, I flopped the whole deal out, right side up, on the towels.

Then - and here is what I think of as my brainwave although I know it's not original to me - I filled up a
plant mister with warm water and misted the thing heavily.

This does two things: first, the piece is not as wet as it would be if you actually immersed it or
even rolled it in a wet towel. Second, and more importantly, you can put the wires in BEFORE you wet the piece. (Believe me, wrestling with a wet, doggy-smelling wool shawl isn't fun).

Then I pinned it out. Yay yay yay yay yay yay.

And I cast on for something new: A Terryspun baby hooded towel. This was in the last summer's (I think)
Knitter's Magazine. It will be a gift for my friend Emily, who is expecting a son in May.

I plan to get some reading done on some grant-stuff and knit on the towel (it's simple stockinette stitch
so I can read and knit). I know this yarn was considered one of the "most hated" on the Knitlist, but at least "out of the gate" (5 or 6 rows done) I don't hate it.