Placitas Lace Wrap!!

It was a long journey to get to this point, but I made it. Finally. Placitas Lace Wrap is now Live on Ravelry! This will be just a short post with pictures for y'all. 

Placitas, New Mexico is a small mountain town north of Albuquerque. This Lace Wrap is dedicated to a period of time in my knitting life which has come to a close. Our very dear friend Frankie had been in the process of moving to California for quite some time. The week I finished this wrap, their house sold and we spent our final afternoon knitting in her beautiful Placitas home. Within mere days of this my knitting family learned that the owner of the Anasazi Fields Winery of Placitas, where we would often retreat to knit and where our local World Wide Knit In Public Day was held for many years, had suddenly passed away. It felt right to name this Lace Wrap after a place that holds so many fond knitting memories. Change is good and it always allows us to grow, but memories last a lifetime!

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram then you know I had to start this bloody this over again after being about 1/4 of the way through it. I had come to the conclusion, after much time in denial, that if I had continued at the pace I was going I would not have had enough yarn to finish the project. And I was right. I wouldn't have. I'm glad that I started over. Not only to change the size but to make small minute changes to the pattern that only I would understand. I was happy with the changes and happy I was forced to start over...

Because I have chronic illnesses, they will often time dictate when and how often I can knit. I really wish that I was able to have gotten this out sooner but I simply couldn't. I am praying that the new one I started 3 days ago will go better and faster that Placitas Lace Wrap went! 

I am so pleased with Placitas Lace Wrap and the end product. It blocked like a dream. As you've heard me say before, this was a collaboration with MJ Yarns our of Colorado. I love working with their yarns, strong and beautiful. I have to admit though, the physical aspect of blocking this sucker was....wow. It took me almost two hours to do it as I was doing it alone. I knew this had to have an aggressive block and it was going to take me a while doing it alone...

See all those little loops? For the body of the shawl I specifically knit the first and last stitch of every row so I would have those little loops to run the wires through. It was a VERY tedious task but I did it and I don't regret it a bit. The finished blocked piece was damn near perfect. I've added my blocking photos into the pattern itself so it could possibly help someone else making this...

Audrey Grace ws an excellent helper! I cannot possibly be the only person whose cat IMMEDIATELY jumps up on the table the second you get your blocking mats out! 

I do hope you enjoy this piece as I have. I'm truly excited about it! 

I have started the Skein Yarn Project already and am SO STOKED about it! I seem to have started out faster on this one that on Placitas. Take a peek...

This was taken on a lampshade because the yarn is dark and its tough to see the pattern at night just by looking at the yarn. I am IN LOVE with the pattern and cannot wait to get this one out too! 

Have a wonderful evening everyone! Until next time, KNIT ON!!!!