In Which I Block a Rattlesnake

Justin works on a ranch in Texas so he has plenty of opportunities to capture rattlesnakes. They are everywhere! He taught himself how to tan the skins and recently gifted us with a rather long one. 

He advised me to gently rinse it in a bowl of water to remove any loose scales, just like giving a knitted piece a good soak

 (but without Eucalan).

I normally use my drying rack for socks and other small items, but here it's being used to dry the wet snake skin.

The next step in blocking is pinning, which I did after finding an old barn board in our old barn.

It's almost like blocking a six-foot scarf with an argyle-like pattern, except for one small large difference.