Gifts Given

I didn't want to spoil anything by showing you what I've been knitting, as they were Christmas presents. Not that the people I gave these to actually know that I have a blog, but there you are. So first up, I made my MIL a scarf using this pattern. I'm not certain about the yarn name, but it's a mohair blend.











Then I made this for my mom using Shulana pacolana, which is a wool/alpaca blend. Nice and soft, bulky weight, and knit up fast using Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles Scarf pattern.











And since I had leftover yarn, having bought two balls of the pacolana, I made Mom a Fidget, which I think turned out rather cute with silver buttons.

Jammin'

I've been looking for a challenge to do this upcoming year. It's been tough, because this is the first challenge I'm trying, and it needed to be something that I thought I could do fairly easily, and have plenty of time to accomplish it. It needed to incorporate something I already can do somewhat, not be a total burden on my family, and be interesting enough for me to want to do it each month.

I've thought about doing Not-so Urban Hennery's Dark Days Challenge, but unless my garden is up to snuff for the winter, finding local food means driving into the city once a week, which doesn't seem like the right idea. I've thought about doing some of Crunchy Chicken's challenges, but they seem more family-oriented, and my family is already whining at me to turn up the heat when it's set to 68 degrees.

So when I saw Tigress' Can Jam, I was pretty sure that was the one for me. But I waited, and thought it over, and finally made the decision today, which was a good thing since today was the cut-off date.

So here I go! Ready for my first challenge (may it not be my last!)