First Project for 2014

I prepared to cast on my first project for the New Year by getting my knitting area in shape.  Here is the before and after:

I had to wait until after midnight New Year's Eve for the project to be eligible as my January installment for the 12 in '14 HaldeAlong in the HaldeCraft Group on Ravelry.  To pass a little more time I got all my 12 skeins for the HaldeAlong put in a tote for a picture:

Once it was time to cast on and I had a chance to begin, I cast on my Damson Shawl by Ysolda Teague using HaldeCraft HandDyed Octavia in the now discontinued Raspberry Beret colorway:

There you have it.  My first project of the new year.  I even learned a new technique right off the bat; the garter tab cast on for shawls.