Knit-along!

This winter, my knitting group and I have embarked on our very first knit-along. I mean, how adorable is that?!

I *love* the idea of a knit-along or a crochet-along. A group, either in person or virtually, works on the same item and uses each other for support and help. We decided to make the February Lady Sweater, and this is a free pattern for anyone with a Ravelry account (also free).

So far, this has been super, super fun. We each chose to make our sweater in different colors and textures, and it's interesting to see how all the sweaters are turning out. I suggested that we incorporate 2 knit-alongs per year, winter and summer, and so for the summer we're talking about making the quite infamous Clapotis. How you actually pronounce that garment is anybody's guess, but I'm excited about it all the same.

I've been trying to be more adventurous in my crafting, and so far so good. I've successfully:

(a) felted, and

(b) made a sweater that I can actually wear without exposing any body parts I'd rather not expose.

These were 2 new things to me as of this past year. This year I will try to keep going in this endeavor. Steeking, anybody? This means instead of leaving an opening or armhole in a sweater, you just cut one when you're done. With scissors. I think that if I actually do this I may need to document everything for this blog and drink several shots of whiskey beforehand.

Here's a few of my recent creations. New socks for myself:

Adorable felted handbags for my sisters, I was especially pleased with these:

Felted slippers for myself:

And the market bag that I made for my Secret Crafty Santa recipient:


Good stuff. :)