PRESENT STATUS: HIBERNATING while I’m reorienting my KAS knitting activity to hats and learning how to soften-up acrylic worsted yarns.

When I discovered the Knit-a-Square for South Africa project would accept squares knit of acrylic yarn - I knew this was the right stashdown charity project for me.

Since my resuming yarncrafts a year ago, it’s occurred to me that impoverished children in my own country live in such a Westernized society, a handknit item of acrylic yarn wouldn’t be appreciated (as much as, say, tutoring them in English or pitching in at a Food Bank - options I couldn’t accomplish from home).

Shaniqua, my self-styled Afrocentric alter-ego, loves the bright hues and vivid combinations seen in the Knit-a-square project, so I’m eager to contribute. I realize knitting a square takes longer than crochet, but I find the latter less enjoyable a process.

The garter stitch makes a nice squishy thickness I’ve never achieved with crochet. As always, I enjoy knitting on the diagonal. And the bias square is an old friend to this veteran patchwork quiltmaker :-)

My goal for this project - the first of a series, seeing how addictive these are with endless stripy color combinations - is a set of 20 (hence each square = 5%).

Eventually I’ll attempt a knit or crocheted vest for this project, and possibly hats in my new favorite knit stitch, the half-brioche.