Kaffe Fassett's Kaleidoscope of Quilts

Denyse Schmidt Quilts

The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking by Jane Brocket

I've never been someone who sews. When I was 12, I was in a 4-H club that did “domestic” type projects. Sewing and basic cooking were the main subjects. We also had our colors done (I'm a “winter”), decorated shirts with puff paint (yes...it was 1989), and learned about table settings and table manners. One of my projects for the county fair was a pair of bermuda shorts in cool Miami pastels. I loved these shorts, but sewing them was a pain. Our sewing machine was temperamental at best, and my mom wasn't too familiar with how to use it. I had dreams of making other clothes, but after the harsh reality of putting these shorts together, I scrapped the dreams of blouses and dresses, and of sewing altogether.

I'm not sure what has sparked my recent interest in quilts, but at a recent trip to the library, I picked up a few books to look at the colors and patterns. The three I found represent a good range of simple to moderately challenging patterns. The use of color was very interesting to me. The different authors of course have different styles. Denyse Schmidt uses prints more sparingly, while Kaffe Fassett uses a large range of tumultous prints. My favorite of the books is Jane Brocket's The Gentle Art of Quiltmaking. I love her style and the quilts are all simple shapes; squares and rectangles. I'm not about to start quilting, but I can certainly see the appeal.

Of course, I am working on a type of quilt: my sock yarn blanket. Since J's birth, I haven't been knitting anything too involved or large. The little mitered squares are just the ticket. I am putting this blanket together in the most time-consuming way possible. I knit all the little squares separately, then occasionally lay them out and pick out groups of four to join into a larger square. These larger squares will all be connected in a way yet to be determined. I wanted to be able to have some control over the placement of the squares and not just add to the blanket as I obtained the mini-skeins. Also, I prefer the arrangement of squares with 4 corners coming together as opposed to the points on the bias [design of the original pattern].(http://www.shellykang.com/all-about-the-blankie)

I have a number of larger squares assembled and I wanted to see how many squares I would need. I laid some out on a folded sheet to get an idea of the size. I had thought that I would need 1280 small squares for a queen-sized blanket, but I have revised that to 1080. Still a very large number. I have knit 585 squares so far, and I have assembled 92 large squares of the 270 I'll need.

This quilting through knitting is interesting, creating the fabric and joining the pieces. I'll love it, when I eventually finish it.

New picture of J at the Farmer's Market last week:

J. was born May 8th, 2011 at 12:50 pm. He weighed 8 lbs, 6 oz and was 20-1/2 inches long.

Detailed Birth Story - Lots of cute pictures at the end!

I started having contractions Saturday night around 9:30. At first I thought it was just indigestion, but the contractions just kept coming. I tried to relax. We used a timer application on our phones to keep track of the duration and frequency of the contractions. Walker helped me breathe through the pain.

By morning, the contractions were pretty intense and about 5 minutes apart. We called the midwife around 6, but since my mucous plug was intact and my water hadn't broken, she told me to continue to rest and keep watching for other signs of progression. We went back to bed for a few hours and tried to sleep between contractions. I lost my mucous plug, but my water didn't break. Walker made breakfast, and I tried to eat it, not knowing when I'd get to eat again.

Around 9:30 am, I felt very strong desire to push! We called the midwife again and she told us to come to the birth center. We grabbed our bags and got on the road. Fortunately there wasn't much traffic on Sunday morning. Somehow I managed the car ride all the way from our house in Beaverton over to the birth center in Southeast Portland.

We arrived at the birth center around 10 am. It was a cool, mostly cloudy morning. We went upstairs and and I got ready to give birth. The room had a large bed and a large corner tub. Angela was my main midwife, and Whitney and Laura assisted. Angela examined my dilation and effacement. I was fully effaced. I was more advanced in labor than was expected, and it was too late to start the antibiotics with which I had been expecting to receive. Angela recommended that I try to deliver in the tub. I started in the tub, first leaning back and soon on my hands and knees. Walker stayed by my side, giving me drinks and encouraging me through the pushing. After some time in the tub, my water finally broke. It was hard to get a good grip on anything in the tub. All the surfaces were slick and wet, and my hands were weakened by numbness due to fluid buildup in my body. The water in the tub needed to be changed, and I took a break. I decided to move to the bed and labor there for awhile. The midwives provided a birthing ball for me to lean against, and I rested my upper body on the ball. I tried to concentrate on opening and allowing my baby to emerge.

Soon after I was pushing on the bed, the baby began to crown. All the pain I had experienced to that point was not near as intense as pushing out the head, but hearing “I can see the head” was so amazing and inspiring I knew I could get through it. Walker said my face lit up when I heard that J's head had emerged. It seemed like just a few more minutes pushing before I felt him slip out into Walker's waiting arms. I felt such relief and amazement that it had all happened so quickly. I laid down on the bed and the midwives placed J. on my chest. So little, so alive. I was amazed at how perfect and complete he was. I counted his fingers and toes and stroked his face and back and legs. My son was finally here!

The midwives checked J. and prepared to sever the umbilical cord. Walker made the cut. I am really proud at how well he was able to handle the whole process. In the moment, the details of blood or other fluids don't really matter. Having my son in my arms, I was already starting to forget the pain and the hardship of labor.

The whole process was so fast, and much of it was blurred by pain and adrenaline. I was able have the birth experience I wanted, without drugs or other intervention. The birth center was calm and quiet, and the team of midwives were there just for me. I am amazed by my body's ability to give birth to a baby so quickly. I had waited for him for such a long time, and I knew it was true love from the start.

Lots of pictures:

First night

Second day

Second day with his mom

Dancing with his dad

15 days old

23 days old

30 days old

5 weeks old

After my explosion of startitis in January, I find myself not wanting to start any new projects. I just finished my Daybreak Shawl, and I have a number of unfinished projects I’d rather get completed than to start any of the items in my queue.

Here it is, fresh off the needles:

This is how it looks blocking:

• Daybreak Shawl by Stephen West
• Size 5 needles
• Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight in "Cloudy with a Chance" and "Saffron Surprise"

I’m trying to make an accessory per month. I made the bulky hat in January, and Daybreak this month. I have some gloves started for Walker, and if I actually work on them, I could easily finish them in March. I’ve started the fingers on the first glove. I’m feeling motivated to get some work done on his Mossbank pullover; this cold weather is probably helping that mood.

I’ve gotten a bit more done since this picture was taken.

Realistically, my knitting time is going to be drastically reduced this year. It would be more satisfying to finish the works in progress and have some space for starting something new as time allows. I have done a lot of planning of knitting projects with a deadline in mind, but I realize that uninterrupted hours of knitting time won’t be part of my life for long.

I am getting to the end of my second trimester of pregnancy. It’s gone so fast! I am enjoying the time of setting my own schedule as much as I can now.

Just because, here’s a cute picture of Isabel. We got her groomed last weekend.

I used to spend my allowance to buy pre-printed fabric with smiling rabbits and work simple stitches in primary colors. I also found iron-on designs at garage sales featuring anthropomorphic fruits. I loved choosing the colors and making the designs my own.

Eventually I found counted cross stitch, and worked some small designs. I even had a larger sampler I started in college, but that was abandoned and eventually discarded.

I’m not interested in the ornate scenes or landscapes, but I like the more “primitive” bare-bones designs, such as colonial American samplers and the more modern single color designs from France and Italy.

When we lived in California, there was a great needlepoint and embroidery store just blocks from our apartment, Needle in a Haystack. (They have since moved, but are still in Alameda.) In the summer, when it was too warm for knitting, I started this piece, which means that has been a work in progress for at least 7 years!

• Pattern: "Red 12" from Dessins DHC
• 28 count linen (worked over double threads)
• DMC floss, color 815, three strands
• Plastic hoop (advice I picked up from Jenny Hart)

I mentioned it very briefly last week, but I am enchanted by the Fruit of the Month sampler by Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. I signed up and received the first and second charts. These are fairly basic counted cross-stitch designs, and appeal to my love of kawaii fruits with little faces. I haven’t decided how I want to work this design, one large piece or as little individual pieces. I don’t have many colors of floss, but floss is very cheap and fun to collect!

I am making progress on Daybreak. It is so easy to work on, just striping the colors and making the increases as I go. I am making the medium size, so I will have 16 stripes of both colors. Currently there are 13 stripes. I feel certain that I’ll be able to finish this month, for the second out of 12 accessories of the month! It is nice to be able to keep up with a (modest) goal. :-)

I love the color combination of gray and yellow, so I also got a skein of Socks that Rock in "Saffron Surprise". It goes very nicely with the gray.

• Daybreak Shawl by Stephen West
• Size 5 needles
• Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight in "Cloudy with a Chance" and "Saffron Surprise"

This is the only project I've been working on this week. It's very easy: the only challenge is that the rows get quite long. I could see knitting this again. There are so many beautiful projects on Ravelry (Ravelry link). Very inspiring.

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Some other inspirational points:

• seeing pussywillows and the first shoots of daffodils.
• Howie Woo, the crochet superhero
• Fruit of the month embroidery sampler is sure to be adorable
• Jane Brocket is living my imaginary life.

• Pattern: Baby Bib o' Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting
• Size 6 needles
• Peaches and Creme Cotton in Peppercorn Ombre and Trick or Treat

These are combinations of two patterns from Mason-Dixon Knitting, the Baby Bib o' Love and the Baby Genius Burp cloth. I used the original number of cast on stitches for the pastel bib, but used the slip-stitch pattern from the burp cloth pattern. For the "Giants" bib, I cast on 50 stitches instead of 40, and then decreased at either end when it was time to make the straps.

I frequently need a "palate cleanser" project when I just get sick of all my other projects, and more often than not, that project involves kitchen cotton. I hardly ever knit with cotton, but the skeins are so small that I use it up quickly. It's the thrill of casting on a new project and the guilt-free result of finishing it fast, and I can go back to slogging through larger projects again.

• Pattern: Easy Peasy Baby Hat by Keri McKiernan
• Size 1 needles
• Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Jeans

This a great way to use up little bits of sock yarn. It's a tiny hat! I'll probably use it for the trip home from the birth center. I love little hats. I might make some extras and give them to the midwives to give to other moms for their babies.

• Pattern: Basic Glove pattern from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns
• Size 2 needles
• Lana Grossa Cashmere Plus (discontinued)

I started these gloves, and to me they just seem too big, but Walker insists that they are just right. I think he wants me to finish them sooner rather than later. It would be nice to use up this yarn that's been in my stash since 2006. I made a pair of gloves for myself with this same yarn in another color, and they are good for the milder winters we get here.

Finally, I started a little something for myself. It seems as though everyone is knitting scarves by Stephen West, and with good reason. They are all interesting shapes and suit men and women equally well. As part of the podcast, Natalie and I wanted to do a knitalong, and our theme is "cloudy knits". I am making the Daybreak Shawl with Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in "Cloudy with a Chance" (how could I pass up that colorway?!) and "Saffron Surprise". I'm excited to have something for myself in my favorite color combination.

• Daybreak Shawl by Stephen West
• Size 5 needles
• Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight in "Cloudy with a Chance" and "Saffron Surprise"

I had started knitting and was making a good bit of progress, but I wasn't doing the increases correctly. That'll teach me to read the directions!

Malabrigo Chunky in “Blue Lime” Size 9 needles Started 12/31/10 - Finished 1/10/11

This was the first of the 12 accessories for 2011. I’m counting it, even though I started it on New Year’s Eve. My mom had asked for a hat when she saw the one I made my sister’s boyfriend at Christmas. It was a good chance to get some more bulky yarn. The Malabrigo is plied, and very soft. I didn’t use a pattern, just cast on enough stitches and worked 2x2 ribbing until it was tall enough. This used up nearly the whole ball of yarn.

I also finished the Tweed Baby Blanket. What a great pattern! I also really love the yarn. I used the yarn as in the pattern, and I had enough of both colors, especially the border color. I just barely started the last ball, but better too much than not enough! I had difficulty picking up the border stitches, but that simply came down to not being able to count properly. I managed by using lots of stitch markers and counting on basically every round.

Knit Picks City Tweed in Orca and Lemon Curd Size 8 and 9 needles Started 11/8/10 - Finished 1/9/11

I really love the border.

Using the momentum of some finished projects, I’ve started some plain gloves for Walker with some old, old, old stash yarn. I’ve been planning on making these gloves for at least 4 years! I’m using the great resource A Knitter’s Book of Handy Patterns. This was one of the first knitting books I ever got, and I go back to it for basic shaped items, such as hats and mittens for people of different sizes.

I was given some Peaches & Creme Cotton by my ”secret Santa “at work, and it’s great colors for baby stuff. Naturally, I turned to Mason-Dixon Knitting and the Baby Bib of Love (ravelry link). I’m combining the basic shaped bib with the Baby Genius Burp cloth (ravelry link again) stitch pattern for a more interesting texture.

I’ll make a few of these with my stash of cotton yarns. I even have some orange and black for our little soon-to-be Giants fan.

However, I am not feeling that my sock yarn stash is that overwhelming. I managed to trade a good chunk of yarn with others as part of the Sock Yarn Blanket swaps. Leftovers from those trades have been slated for baby projects, little hats, socks, and legwarmers.

The items I have been wanting to knit, more than almost anything else, are lots and lots of accessories. I have only one handknit hat and cowl, but in this rainy and cool climate, I feel the need for more. I found 12 patterns I'd like to make this year. I've added the tag “aotm11” to these projects in my Ravelry queue. I might change my mind, of course, but for now this is an appealing and motivating list.

I had a request over the holidays for a ribbed hat from my mom, so that's been started.

I'm just improvising this pattern based on gauge. The yarn is Malabrigo Chunky in Blue Lime.

In no particular order, the remaining patterns are as follows:

1) Basic Gloves

2) Shawl Collared Cowl

3) Quilted Cowl (Free Ravelry download)

4) Thermis Cowl

5) Pretty Thing Cowl

6) Ananke Shawl (Ravelry Link)

7) Ruffled and Ruched Scarf

8) Wine and Roses Mitts

9) Daybreak Shawl

10) Susie's Reading Mitts (free pdf pattern)

11) BYOB(Knitty pattern)

I'm getting into the "little scarf" craze late. There are an overwhelming number of patterns out there, and many of them are in my queue for the future.

What are your knitting resolutions this year?

I had a busy summer and fall. I started school again, which was a challenge but ultimately should lead to better career options down the road. Online classes are a really great option for people like me with full time jobs. I just started my second term at Portland Community College, taking classes in Accounting and Economics. I'd like to eventually get a job as an accountant. It's been something I've been slowly working towards, I'm just finally doing something about it.

On the knitting front, there has been a shift in the types of projects I've been working on:

Baby Socks (Blue socks are improvised)

Baby Leggings and Mushroom Rattle

Tulips Cardigan and Baby Surprise Jacket

Norwegian Baby Hats

There are a number of 2011 babies on the horizon, including my baby due in May! We are super excited to meet him. I'm 22 weeks along. It's been an adjustment, but I've been feeling pretty good so far.

I still am trying to finish the Fair Isle sweater for Walker (last seen here). I have started the first sleeve, so there's been some good progress on that. I'd also like to make at least one sweater for myself this year, but we'll see how much knitting time I have in the spring....

One more baby project still on the needles is Brooklyntweed's Tweed Baby Blanket I'm using Knitpicks City Tweed in Orca (dark gray) and Lemon Curd (warm yellow). I'm working on the border, which is a pretty easy feather and fan pattern. It just looks like a big gray blob right now, but I hope to finish it this month.

I hope you all have a great New Year! It's certainly going to be exciting for me. :-)

I managed to finish up the socks I had left over from March and April.

• Pattern: Rivendell Socks from The Eclectic Sole by Janel Laidman
• Yarn: Knitted Wit Superwash Merino Fingering Weight in kissed
• Needles: 2.75mm
• Started March 1, 2010 -- Finished May 21, 2010

The Rivendell Socks seemed difficult before I actually cast on. There are some tricky wrap stitches on the cuff, but the majority of the sock is simply twisted stitches against a reverse stockinette background. Knitting the heel in this pattern was a good opportunity for practicing purling through the back loop, which is a move that confounded me for the longest time.

• Pattern: Brigit Socks by Monkey Toes (Ravelry Link)
• Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in November Muse
• Needles: 2.75mm for cuffs, 3.0mm for feet.
• Started April 1, 2010 -- Finished June 6, 2010

It seems appropriate that my April socks are for Walker, since April is the month we got married. Too bad I didn’t finish them more quickly. The pattern is pretty easy, just some small cables that are repeated over and over. I quickly memorized the pattern, which made the second sock go pretty quickly. It’s always hard, however, to knit such large socks. It’s just a lot of knitting!

I have been working on the big blanket in Noro Kureyon. I got all the pieces attached and am nearly done with the border. I only have one (long) edge to go, hopefully I’ll be able to finish it today.

• Pattern: Based on Log Cabin Square Pattern
• Yarn: Noro Kureyon in a variety of colors and Louet Riverstone in Caribou for the borders
• Needles: 5 mm
• Started May 8, 2009

It may be telling that the internal borders are wider than the external border. I just couldn’t do all those long rows.

We took a little vacation in June, hanging out in Portland with our friend Sean and then going to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. I stopped by Websters, but I did not get any yarn! It is a fantastic store, but I just didn’t feel like buying anything. There’s a first time for everything. ;-) We brought our dog, so shopping was very limited. I decided to bring along a “vacation project”, which probably kept my fingers from itching for something new.

• Pattern: Montego Bay Scarf by Amy Singer from Interweave Knits Summer 2007
• Yarn: Handmaiden Sea Silk
• Needles: 5 mm
• Started June 25, 2010

I screwed up the pattern, but I don’t think I’m going to care, so I’m not ripping back. It’s really fast, the open stitches make the scarf grow really fast. When the weather gets hot, this will be a project that won’t make me spontaneously combust. It’s cool and very, very easy. This yarn has been waiting to be turned into something for a long time.

I love having smoothies for breakfast, especially when I'm all sweaty from running. I tried a different combination than we usually use, just frozen strawberries, frozen mango chunks, half a frozen banana, and about 1 cup each vanilla soymilk and 100% pomegranate juice. The vanilla and mango really add to the sweetness, and I swear this tasted just like a strawberry milkshake, only it was healthy. Probably a lot fewer calories, too.

After work on my birthday, Walker came to pick me up at work and we went down to Twisted for some birthday yarn. Walker asked about a colorway I had been craving, "Cloudy with a Chance" from Blue Moon, and they had it in Medium Weight Socks that Rock. I had to have that colorway since it's just like the name of the podcast, plus it's shades of gray, which I love.

I picked out a pattern for a very cute hipster scarf called Ananke (Ravelry link), designed by Shannon, and some Verb for Keeping Warm Annapurna with which to make it. The yarn is a cashmere blend, so it should be a luscious scarf.

Finally, I picked out some Malabrigo that will most likely be knit into a gift. The color is great, deep shades of purple and green over black.

I can buy yarn now if I want, but even when I'm tempted, I stop myself: "When are you going to knit this?" I know it won't be anytime soon, so I can wait to buy yarn until I finish some other projects.

I haven't finished anything lately, which is frustrating. I knit all the time, but these big projects are just really big. I have made a lot of progress on the circular shawl, but the rows are now 574 stitches, so I can get maybe 2 rows done a day. The Kureyon blanket is coming together, but again those 300-stitch rows are a real pain, especially trying to pick up all those stitches evenly.

Hopefully by the end of the month I'll have something done and I can focus on working through the rest of the unfinished knitting.

My starting goals were:

Finish:

• Mossbank Pullover
• Kureyon Log Cabin Blanket
• Tangled Yoke Cardigan
• Shetland Tea Shawl
• One other lace shawl TBD

I did finish the Tangled Yoke Cardigan, and I made some progress on the Mossbank Pullover and the Shetland Tea Shawl. I'm nearly done with the Log Cabin Blanket, but no other shawls have been started. I have restarted knitting socks, which is great since I love wearing socks. I have been trying to knit a pair of socks every month. March didn't work out, those socks are nearly done, but there yet.

Rivendell Socks Twisted Wit yarn in "Kissed" Size 2 and 1.5 needles

I couldn't help but start some new socks for April as well. I had set aside a few yarns for socks for Walker, and this was his lucky month (even he said he doesn't need any more socks).

Brigit Socks Dream in Color Smooshy in "November Muse" Size 2.5 and 2 needles

As I mentioned, I've made good progress on my Kureyon Log Cabin Blanket. I finished attaching all the squares into four strips of five squares each, and I am in the middle of attaching the strips together.

So I've started running. I was in track in high school, and while I wasn't the fastest runner, I enjoyed the practice courses of just running through the woods for longer distances. Here we're right next to Greenway Park and there are trails and streams and lots of trees. I am running about mile, maybe. Being sick and not being able to breathe makes it hard to keep going, but it's motivating to be able to go further and faster each day.

I listened to Haruki Murakami's book, "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" which was inspiring for both getting into running and also thinking about writing, which is also one of those things I used to do all the time. Just like running, the more you write, the easier it is to keep writing. Something to think about...

I was so happy with our vegetable garden last year that I want to improve on it this year. I also want to change the plants in our yard. Walker got a new lawnmower, which should make caring for the lawn less of a strain compared to the old push mower.

Since my last post, I "competed" in the Ravelry Olympics Knit-along known as "Ravelympics". I wanted to finish a sweater I started in 2008. I didn't finish by closing ceremonies, but I finished shortly afterwards. This picture isn't very good. I will put up a new one when I can take one with sunlight.

Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang from Interweave Knits Fall 2007

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, color 38. 9 skeins

Needles: Sizes 5 and 4

Started June 13 2008, Finished March 9 2010

I've also started some new socks for my sock-of-the-month project. I think this is a perfect Spring sock.

Rivendell Socks by Janel Laidman

Yarn : Knitted Wit in Kissed

Needles: Sizes 2 and 1.5

Started March 1 2010

I've actually frogged this one and started over. I cast on with smaller needles, but it didn't fit over my ankle, so I just started over. I don't know that I'll be able to finish these by month end. The pattern isn't too complicated once the wraps are completed, it's actually kind of plain especially through the foot. I should just knit the socks separately through the gusset, then work 2-at-a-time-on-1-circular-needle to ZOOM through the feet.

Oh, my yarn diet goals are going well. I donated a big bag of yarn at the Naked Sheep for the high school knitting program. It felt awesome to get rid of yarn I was never going to use. I haven't bought any yarn since October. Sometimes when I'm having a bad day I am really tempted, but I just remind myself how much knitting I need to finish and I put the yarn down (figuratively and literally). I usually go dive into my stash as soon as possible, just to remind myself of my bounty. I am really lucky to have a stash and the space in my house to store it.

• No yarn purchases. Try to avoid buying needles or books unless truly necessary. Trading stash yarn has been deemed acceptable. (The "trade provision" was added because I was contacted by a Raveler about trading some yarn I had for up in the sale/trade section of my stash. She traded me Tahki Cotton Classic for some Cascade Tweed I'd had for a long time. Overall, my yardage decreased, so it seems like progress . I also finally donated a bag of yarn to the Naked Sheep for the Jefferson High School knitting program. I got rid of 4290 yards and gained only 432 for a net loss of 3858 yards. That's incredible.

• Complete the Horseshoe Pattern #2 section of the Shetland Tea Shawl. (I made some mistake bewteen the first and second pattern, so all I've managed to get done is fixing that transition. I have barely worked on this.)

• Connect 10 squares Kureyon Log Cabin Blanket. (Done! This is very easy, once the stitches are picked up along the edges. I'm still not looking forward to the really long rows, though.)

• Get to the armhole shaping of the Mossbank Pullover. (Done, at last. I've actually been working on this, and I'm excited to start the shaping and steeks. It's going to be a beautiful sweater.)

• Finish January socks, start and make solid progress on February socks. (Done and then some--I finished both pairs in short order. It took about three weeks to finish the January socks and just under two weeks for the February socks!) Pattern: Saucy Socks Yarn: Koigu KPPPM Needles: Size 3 for legs, size 2 for feet. Started 1/23/10, finished 2/5/10 I did some adjustments for these socks. First, I only knit 5 repeats of the pattern on the leg--that was long enough, and I know that one skein of Koigu makes a sufficient sock for me, if I don't get greedy. ;-) I also switched the cable on the second sock, just for an attempt at symmetry. It is great to make these, finally. I've had the yarn for years.

For the next month (February 12- March 13), my main goal besides not buying more yarn is competing in the Ravelympics, completing my Tangled Yoke Cardigan. I started this in June 2008, but I haven't knit on it since before we moved, almost a year ago. If I have any extra time after that, I want to finish up my Baktus Scarf which is just past the halfway point, as well as finally work on the Cherry Garcia Cowl I started at the beginning of January and promptly abandoned. I'll get started on my March socks, which I couldn't help but pick. I will be making Rivendell, which is one of the more challenging projects I chose for my personal sock club. The yarn is a soft green, which seems perfect for the softer spring days to come.

[* This is a computer game Walker loves. Progress Quest]