Chugging Along

   It's cold here in St. Louis. The kind of cold that almost makes your teeth hurt when you go outside. It's so cold that I have already decided that my next project is going to be a couple of pairs of fingerless mitts. One pair for me to keep my hands warm while crafting, another pair for my Mom to keep her hands warm while she types at work. I'm about halfway through the second sleeve of my shrug. Like most needle crafters I have multiple projects of varying difficulty going at once. For those of you who I'm sure are insatiably curious about what mine may be, I, of course, will share. In addition to my shrug I am also working on a scrap yarn stitch sampler afghan, a crocheted afghan, and I also have some yarn for when I get my act together and tackle some socks.
   The sampler afghan is great for three reasons. First, it helps me get rid of odds and ends in my stash. Secondly, it's a great way  to try out different pattern stitches, so if one gets really irritating, it doesn't last too long. Last, I feel like I'm completing things really quickly when I get the squares done & move on to the next pattern. The crocheted afghan got shelved for a little while because what looked like a complex and interesting pattern turned out to be dead simple & got a little tedious. I actually started the socks once, but my beloved little boy got into my bag & put a pretty good run in the sock on the needles. The result was me unraveling to whole thing & waiting for some inspiration to start over.
   We're supposed to get more snow over the weekend, so hopefully I will be able to finish my second sleeve and start on the back. I have truly grandiose aspirations of finishing my shrug before Valentine's Day. Now I'm going to go make cornbread to go with the chili I'm making for dinner on this chilly evening. Then I can knit while it's baking!