I knit this in the round because who likes seaming, amirite? But then was at a total loss as to how to block it. I tried to steam block, but couldn’t get the scallops to work. I rolled up a bunch of towels and couldn’t get them to the diameter I needed. I looked all around the house for inspiration, and my eye lit upon…

The Cone of Shame!

(otherwise known as an Elizabethan collar or E-collar, used when a dog has an injury in order to prevent it from licking or worrying the wound.)

Using strapping tape, I taped the top and bottom of the cone to the proper dimensions as specified by the pattern schematic. I then ran a line through the top bindoff on the cowl and cinched it just above the opening, then pinned out the scallops on the bottom.

This method should work if 1) the length of the cowl is approximately the same length as the collar, and 2) the cowl is smaller on top, bigger on bottom. Someone else suggested that for a straight cylindrical piece, you could use one of those thin flexible cutting mats - they run about $5 for 3, so cutting them to the right size is not too hard on the pocketbook.

It’s still wet, but I’ll post end result pics when it’s done.

Update - the Cone of Shame method was perfecto!