I wish I was old enough to join in the swap.  I'll make one anyways.

<3 it. Where'd you get the pattern?

I usually work from the skein by the outside. I hate the limpiness, and when I have an innocent victim near me I just get them to entertain themselves by unrolling the skein. Every once in a while, when I have small projects i.e. baby booties, I'll crochet/knit from both sides of the skein. I like to have the sizes of both booties as close as possible and like to compare the beginning chains to make sure they stay the same. Also I like the flexibility to work on two different things if one gets a bit too monotonous for me.

oh man! I already signed up and look forward to starting the project in New Years. I'm already going to start looking at the sky to see what colors I should get. Can't wait to see all the results. Good Luck everybody!

Gosh, I love this little monster. I've recently had a brief flirtation with aikido myself, and am beyond awe at how small it is. I really like the details on the hakama, and I wish I could sew something like this.

You've inspired me to try my hand in sewing. Now to see how that turns out.........