Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project! It is simply an exercise in blogging about how you come to decide upon what projects to make. Try and blog about the journey which inspiration and investigating patterns, yarns, stitches, (etc) can often guide you through. You may wish to make a collage or 'mood board' to present several ideas, or even sketch out your own design.

I find myself pulled in two different directions on this topic, one is to embrace the animal of the Monkey and the other is to follow the path of what I see the House of Monkey as representing, challenge.

Mascot Project - Literal

The first path is the monkey itself. In the fall I got back into Craftsy classes (mostly after they launched an iPad app that makes them much more enjoyable to view in my opinion) and I got hooked on the idea of making Amigurumi. If you aren't familiar, amigurumi are crocheted or knitted toys. The style (and term) originated in Japan and are quite popular. I enjoy crocheting but I don't love the fabric for garments and a person really doesn't need that many afghans so amigurumi were a great choice for me.

A couple of weeks ago I finished up another piece of amigurumi, a really cute whale and gave it to my boss who has been having a pretty rough go of it. I asked her what her son's favorite animal is and it turns out that it is a ... monkey (I know, you're shocked).

So my first mascot project is Owen the Monkey by Stacy Trock of FreshStitches.

I will be making it as my next amigurumi, the little boy it's intended for could use a a stuffed version of his favorite creature.

Mascot Project - Figurative

Following the spirit of the monkey rather than a literal monkey, my mascot project is one that challenges me and forces me to expand my skills. To me there are two potential mascot projects, one is a stranded colorwork project and the other is a design project.

Stranded colorwork is something that I have done but I don't feel confident in it and it's not something I do easily or very well. So I should probably find a stranded project to do to re-build me confidence in the area, maybe a pair of fingerless mitts. I wear my Endpaper Mitts all the time and they hardly show any wear. I know that many moons ago I had queued and favorited other charts that looked fantastic on that mitt pattern. Maybe that is my project, it would require some of my own design work and a part of knitting that I struggle with.

Or maybe its going to be knuckling down and figuring out and writing down the pattern for a cowl I dreamt up a month or so ago. This isn't the greatest shot of the pattern, mostly because this was the only yarn in bulky weight I had on hand when inspiration struck.

It is without a doubt a fashion cowl rather than a warmth cowl, but I'm pretty impressed with myself. So this is the other option on the other path. I can see all these being feesible projects for over the next few months, as long as I can stay on top of my sock knitting (I've learned I always need to have a pair of "fancy" socks on the needles) and the wedding shawls I need to make for my sister's wedding in October.

A bit like Harry Potter, but not quite, this year’s Knitting & Crochet Blog Week is split into 4 houses. Don your favourite knitted or crocheted hat and let it guide you to which house you will be in. So choose your house. You may be a combination of more than one of these noble beasts, but think about which house best embodies your qualities and declare your place. You can use one of the graphics above to display your house crest, if you like (though this is totally optional).

Post about your crafting outlook/style and why you chose this house. The descriptions have been purposefully written to seem quite vague, but that's really because they are only the merest starting point to prompt bloggers to write about in which ways they identify themselves within their craft(s).

This year's Knitting and Crochet Blog Week has a different flavor than in past years. This year we must first sort ourselves into houses and for me it was a pretty clear choice to be in the House of Monkey.

I'm a process knitter, while I like having finished objects to wear, for me knitting (and crocheting, and spinning and weaving) are an activity in itself. I like ramping up the skill level, I like learning new techniques and skills and I do go out of my way to select patterns that use new (to me) stitch patterns, or exotic shaping.

This is part of why I have continued to add crafts, in June I'm taking a table weaving workshop with a borrowed loom because I want to learn more things.

The challenge for me these days is that I'm getting quite comfortable and confident in many of the techniques that I'm finding it tough to find "new" skills (at least in knitting). I think the next big challenge for me is designing. I have a few ideas and am getting the hang of improving/adapting patterns to suit my needs so I think I'm on track for the next stage.

To see more of the projects I have finished over the past couple of years you can check out Ravelry (sign-up required) or here on the blog.