This year feels like a lot of everything all the time, and while there are days I don’t want to crawl out of my blanket fort, I get to celebrate fifty years of life, twenty-five years with my partner, three years with my dogs, a new-to-me home in a new-to-me state, twenty-two years at my job, and a lifetime of crafting.

The number of candles I’d need on all those cakes would be a real fire hazard, so instead, I designed a piece featuring the lovely Flicker Flames stitch pattern from Barbara Walker’s Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

The crescent shape helps it stay on your shoulders when worn in any number of ways as a shawl and the cotton fabric feels great even right against the skin. But it’s just as comfortable as a cozy scarf, wrapped double around the neck. It has the potential for year-round use in many climates.