Being the Dummy

  I am so happy with the re-design of my latest shawl, but I hit a point of uncertainty with the last row... The problem is, I like how it looks when flat, but I'm not sure about when it's worn. I decided to do my best at modeling it, so I could ask for some opinions about it. I wasn't terribly successful and ended up getting a laugh more often than a usable photo.


  The good news is: I made up my mind while taking the pictures, so now I don't have to beg for opinions. The other good news is: I'm going to let all of you laugh at my ridiculous attempt at being the model. And don't try to make me feel better!... I'm having too much fun laughing. More good news is: I'm not ripping it back - It's done! There is no bad news: Just bad modeling.


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace


  With the last row's stitches not bound off yet, I stuffed the yarn ball in my pocket and set to getting that usable photo... Which leaves me stuck using the bathroom mirror, so I hope you enjoy my ugly wall paper. Since it's from the 80's, let's call it "almost vintage". Why am I taking pictures in a mirror when I have a smart phone with a front-facing camera? Because I can't fit the whole shawl in the frame, and there's not enough light.


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace


  I'm not a selfie-taker. I'm awkward. I'm known for having bad posture, standing in weird positions, and making strange faces. But hey, you can still get an idea of how awesome that shawl is, right? After reviewing the photos, I realized that I can't hate the last row - It just needs some blocking!


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace


  30 minutes later, I had those few semi-usable pics. But I didn't need them for opinions anymore! I'm happy with the shawl; I know what needs to be done to make it right. And that's when I remembered that I have a tripod, and my camera can be set to take multiple photos. Oh, why didn't I think of that before?


  Just one more thing to do before I bind off: I think I'll try blocking it beforehand, to make sure that will fix it. But first, I have to redo the stitches I ripped out while playing dummy. Do you know a locking stitch marker is a great tool for saving active stitches from undoing? And wouldn't you know that I skipped that step, because it would be okay.
Fixed, blocked, and...

crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace


  Success! Yay, happy dance! While it was blocking, I thought I would give that tripod a try, and attempted to get photos of my other shawl that still needs pictures before the pattern can be published. It further proved I need a dummy...


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

Okay, that's an okay pic, right? You can kind of see the shawl...


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

But what is this? "Look at my elbow"?...


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

And where, oh where did that big butt come from? That's when I realized that my tripod was too low, and bad angles can make this size-0 butt look big.


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

Oh, I'm so ashamed of my "big butt" that I'm going to hide now... Lol, not really. It's so strange how this photo came out, with parts of me and the shawl disappearing. Maybe I need to set the automatic timer up, so I don't get weird photos like that.


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

Adjusted at a better angle! But, what is that? A self-exam? Reciting the pledge? I pledge allegiance to my boob?


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

That's better! But, too dark. What happened to the light when I adjusted my angle?


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

Turn the light setting up and... Yay, check out some of my tattoos while I only show you half of the shawl! Arg, the tripod slipped back to a lower position again.


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

Mannequin-worthy stiff pose that still doesn't show off the pattern... Hey, let's scrunch it all up so nobody can see the design!


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

A little better, but still doesn't show the project well enough. Are shawls really this hard to wear, or am I just that awkward? C'mon, girl, get it together!


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

Much, much better. Held up, properly displayed, but with the edges cut off. I know I'll need to take it outside to get farther from the camera. At least I have an idea of a pose that will show it off well if needed...


crochet, shawl, photography, fails,worsted weight, lace

And now I shall fly away like my faeries!


  It's a fact: I need a dummy. When I asked The Other Half if he could help me get some not-ridiculous photos, I received a strange stare as a response. I'll either take that as a "no", or as a clue that such a thing doesn't exist. I guess every picture doesn't have to be perfect, but I want them to be better than this. At least I had fun, and I hope you did, too. Let another dummy model these worsted-weight projects in the 100-degree Florida heat. After reviewing this post, I think I might have fried my brain while trying.


Happy Crocheting!

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