The (final) Tale of the Crocheted Juliana Wrap

Once upon a time, (the end of June '12) I was reading Mary's blog : Needles and Hooks and Books Oh My! and she mentioned that she was participating in a CAL on Ravelry.  I had tried to do a CAL once, but it just never came together (wrong yarn, weird pattern bits, etc.) It seemed like she was having a great time and the wrap(s) were awesome so I  took a peek.  It turns out that Mary was hosting this CAL.  Even though it was nearly the end of the month  - I decided to give it a go.  Reading through the thread I felt a sense of community. Everyone was friendly and encouraging and I knew that I had found the right group this time.

One great advantage to joining late is you have the benefit of all the modifications and helpful hints that those who started before you share! Right away I took advantage of a suggested modification.  I decided to go with the circular design instead of following the directions and getting a more ovular shape.

I was off to a great start.  And then summer came on full blast!  It was hazy, hot and humid day after day. Even with the air conditioning I had a hard time getting any work done on Juliana. I wasn't discouraged.  I kept her in a basket by my chair and every once in a while I'd pull her out and work a few stitches.  By the end of July I had finished the main body and the mesh section.  It's about this time that I was contemplating adding beads to the finished edge.  I've never done crochet bead work, and this pattern really lends itself to this kind of accent.  I even went so far as to ask your opinion on color (blue won).

I don't think I even picked her up in August!  It was just too darn hot.  With September came the promise of fall.  I always find myself energized after Labor Day.  It reminds me of "back to school" and all the excitement the new year holds.  The cooler mornings motivated me to get this project finished.  The final rows went quickly.  I knew that the beads would look terrific, but I decided not to do them.  As much as I enjoyed this pattern, I'd had enough and I'm ready to move on to something new.

I am really pleased with the way my Juliana Wrap came out.  It's larger than I anticipated - and than the pattern implies.  I used a sport weight yarn.  I image if I used something smaller it would have turned out more like the picture.  I brought her to work yesterday and my lovely co-worker Kelsey was kind enough to model for me.  (Thanks Kelsey!!)  This is her in front of the large print books.  The round table was the perfect size to hold Juliana! Just look at how even the stitches are and how defined the work is - all without blocking!  I used acrylic yarn.  I know that there are those of you who can't imagine it, but I think this is a perfect place for it.  It drapes easily and since you can just toss it in the washer the bright winter white will stay crisp and clean!

This morning I added the final finishing touch - the tassels.  I wasn't sure about them at first (they're just pinned on here).  Once I tried them out I decided they should stay.  They hang nicely and really seem to help keep it in place when you throw it over your shoulder.

And so that ends the tale of the Crocheted Juliana Wrap.  It took a little longer than it should have.  Foul weather hindered the progress and the desire to finish trumped the longing to try something new.   I'm not sure where she'll go from here, a present perhaps? We'll see.  As for me, I'll be linking up with these wonderful blogs and heading out in search of my next project!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!