A Craft Post

I mentioned in passing that I needed to finish a crochet project for the Elder Imperatrix-in-Training. I finished it! Now both girls have a granny-square sweater.

This all started in the summer, when we were preparing to spend a week at a family camp with my father-in-law and his family. I wanted to bring something other than books to read (I didn't want to be impolite and go off to do something antisocial like that [as I am wont to do] at every possible moment). Knitting didn't seem right because the piece of work can get pretty big and cumbersome. So I found this crochet pattern and decided it was perfect: The largest a square got was 4.5 inches; it was repetetive, so after a while I'd get into a groove and be able to socialize as I did it; and I would make this for the Younger IT, who is such a good sport about getting hand-me-downs that she deserved something made especially for her. It didn't take long for me to teach myself the very basic stitches need to make the squares, and voila!

Of course, everybody else brought books to read, so I ended up crocheting in silence as they all were antisocially reading around me. Hmph!

After I put it together, the Elder IT said, "You know, maybe I'd like one of those, too, if you think you could..." (But the time span between Aug 1 and Sept 1 had lots more free time in it than the time span from Sept 1 to Jan 22!) (This last paragraph is to cut short any thoughts you may have that I am a most terrible mother, to not only make GRANNY-SQUARE sweaters for my kids, but to make them BOTH THE SAME SWEATER -- and make them wear them AGAINST THEIR WILL.)

And finally, I received gift certificates to a local knitting shop for Christmas (from the Consort) and for my birthday (from the Cowgirl). I admit that probably one reason the sweater finally got done was that I told myself I couldn't start on a project for me until the sweater was finished. . . But what would I choose for myself? I much prefer knitting and crocheting for kids, because the pieces are smaller, and the projects are actually do-able. But thanks to the Internet, and blogging, I came across blogs that raved about a particular stole/shawl project. I was intrigued. I checked it out. It came highly recommended. And so I began. I won't show you what it's supposed to look like, you'll just have to wait until I'm done.

But -- you can take a look at the luscious silk/mohair blend I picked out with my gift money: