Yesterday I received my materials in the mail. I opened them at about 7pm and I was super excited. The first packet was the information that is posted on the website, basically verbatim. So I skimmed it, but now realize that I should highlight or take notes on the required aspects to make sure I do everything correctly. I also read through the swatches and the projects. At first glance, I doubted my knitting abilities--just from looking at the first swatch! However, I realized that I have done everything that they are asking for, but now I need to think about which increases/decreases are best to use, etc. After this level, I'm sure that I will change from being a knitter who rather mindlessly follows patterns, to one who reads a pattern between the lines: reflecting on why a pattern is written a certain way and if I agree with the decision of the pattern designer.

My first major decision to make is the brand of yarn that I want to use. Initially, I planned on using knitpicks wool of the andes. It's very affordable and the colors tend to be consistent, or not discontinued frequently. However, after looking at both the TKGA group and people who have completed the program, most use Cascade 220. It is a more expensive yarn, but the majority of knitters used it for the program and had no cons for it. The only con of the knitpicks yarn was that it didn't 'do much for the swatches.' So today I'm going to call my knitting stores and see how much Cascade 220 costs and perhaps drop by. I'm really excited to start knitting and answering the questions. I will keep you updated!

Happy Knitting!