My first and fastest Poncho and other knitting thoughts

I Have been knitting eversince, I was 19 years. I may have knitted and crochetted, may be a hundred sweaters,many of them my own patterns. I have never recorded the patterns, all these days. Maybe, I should start doing it from now on.

I knit and crochet, while travelling, walking, reading, watching tv. The most difficult part of my knitting/crochet project is the selection of pattern. Though I have hundreds of patterns to choose from the books, I have collected over 30+ years, each time, I want to make a new sweater, I have to go thru all of them again and again and more often that not, after some two days of searching, I am still not happy with any of the patterns. Either, the stich do not suit the garment I have in my mind, or I do not have the right type of yarn, the pattern prescribes( I live in India, where we do not get a big variety of yarns.The pattern books, I have are all printed abroad and talk about yarns, available there). Then I start thinking of designing my own pattern( I do take some tips from the patterns from the books, like the design of the garment, etc. So I pour over my stiches book and with great difficulty pick up 4 or 5 stiches. I make swatches and show to my family(my husband and two sons) and get their opinion.Then I sit and write the various changes I have to make from the original pattern and start. Usually, once I start on a project, I work on it atleast 2-3 hours a day and try to finish it as soon as possible. Yet I do have many unfinished projects, started long ago.

I have finished this crochet Poncho for a little girl in 4 hours time. It is the fastest garment I have ever made. I am also working, now on a baby garment, 80% of which is done. May be, by tomoroow, i will be able to finish it.