Malabrigo March Is On

I have already had so much fun in just the first week of March!  At midnight on March 1st I cast on my very first malabrigo march project.  I chose to cast on the Laurel Love Cocoon for the little baby boy I am expecting in July.  I know it is hot in July in Florida, but babies cannot regulate their own body temperatures and so I think the sack will still get a fair amount of use, plus wool is very breathable.  I worked on the first project for about a half hour that night and then finished it by the 4th.  Here are a couple of photos:

The next project I cast on was the Camp Out Fingerless Mitts.  This project has been interesting because I have learned a few new techniques.  First, the knuckle section is knit flat and then seamed.  In order to make the seaming neater you start with a provisional cast on, something I'd never done before.  I watched a youtube video on how to do it with a crochet chain and I was able to successfully make both knuckle pieces in the first sitting.  I then learned how to pick up stitches.  The next step is to pick up stitches around the edge of the knuckle piece and then knit the body of the glove in the round.  I also used a youtube video to teach myself this technique.  Here are a couple photos of the mitts in progress.

It has been fun reading the forums of the other knitters making things along with me.  I still have a couple of projects that I plan to cast on for the month that I just haven't got to yet.  I have put the yarns and needles together and got the patterns ready.  I think I may cast on another tomorrow, but I hope to finish one of the mitts first so I don't get too ahead of myself.

I am still working on my afghan!  The new kits came out Saturday but I have not had an opportunity to pick mine up yet.  I am still only halfway through the second February square and it is calling to me.  I am letting it take a little bit of time to ferment while I work on a few malabrigo projects though.  I think that I should still be able to finish March on schedule with the afghan knitting and am really proud of myself for keeping up with it as well as I have so far.  I must say that I was not so sure I would be able to keep up with such an enormous undertaking, especially since the squares challenge me to learn new stitches and techniques.  I am not the most adventurous knitter by any means!  April will start a new quarter of sign ups for the afghan club and I definitely plan on renewing my membership for at least the next quarter.  I am thinking that just with the six months worth of squares I will have a nice couch cover up size blanket and may switch up two of my colors to make a coordinating companion afghan rather than  one big one.