A lot has happened since last February! I've gotten into listening to podcasts, starting with Brenda Dayne's Cast-On. I'm lucky I started with such a good one, or else I may not have sought out others. I've been knitting quite a lot this summer. I had to put it on hold for the spring while I was writing my thesis and **graduating** from college. Ever since June I've been back at it with a vengeance. I've finished three projects, including my first non-scarf non-hat garment! It has armholes! It was very exciting. I made a lace vest for my best friend and roommate of four years, Katy, from Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in magenta. I kind of made up the pattern as I went, trying it on at various points. I also added I-cord (does the "I" really stand for idiot?) and beads! Lots of new techniques for me.

Since then, the only finished objects have been two hats, both made from a free pattern I picked up at the LYS. I discovered this second LYS mid-summer, and the first time I went in I saw a sample hat and absolutely had to make it. The hat is incredibly easy to make, but looks much more complicated. The first hat I made with the Nashua yarn (blue-green-purple variegated) that the pattern was meant for, and the second one I made with Koigu! (my first time with Koigu) in a bright orange. The first one was given to my youngest brother Michael, because I took it home to show my mom and he looked so cute when he tried it on that I had to give it to him (he's seven). I told him that he could only have it if he promised to wear it, intending to guard against its inevitable fate in the bottom of the closet. He took me seriously and slept with it on, afraid to take it off lest I reclaim it. So adorable. The second hat I shipped out to a friend who lives in Boston and hates the cold. I don't know if he has received it yet...I hope he likes it.

I have two projects currently on the needles and many more planned (especially with the holidays coming up!). I'm working on my first lace shawl - Adamas by Miriam Felton for Knitpicks, with the Knitpicks Shadow yarn in Lost Lake. I was worried that I wouldn't enjoy knitting it, after a not-so-enthusiastic attempt at sock knitting, but it turns out I love it! Of course, I'm only at about 135 stitches per row...I hope it's still this much fun when it's 300 stitches per row! The second project is an intarsia argyle hat and scarf set that I designed and started knitting last fall. I had knit about half the scarf and then frogged it this summer because I wanted to change the pattern. I started the project over with the hat first, and last night I finished the argyle band. There will definitely be a picture series on the progress of this. I have yet to fix my digital camera, and I want to buy a new one, but in the meantime I will take pictures with my film camera and get them on a CD so I can post them here.

Future projects include:
- a hat for my brother Jack for Christmas - the Maze hat from summer Knitty in Mission Falls 1824 Wool in Black and Curry (goldish)
- a striped vest (?) for my Mom for Christmas - Knitpicks wool, various colors
- a hat for my brother Grant to match the scarf I made him last year - hopefully for his birthday November 27
- my first pair of socks in gorgeous Koigu (KPPPM) in browns - still deciding on a pattern to follow