Organization? What organization?

I went a little crazy after finishing the huge shawl. I felt so free... free to cast on for lots of things. For the past week I've been a little obsessed with these:



Terri Shea's Norwegian Stockings from Piecework Jan/Febr '08. Free pattern. Go check it out. I was a bit skeptical at the beginning about the peasant heel and lack of gusset, but it looks like the sock will fit perfectly. Who'd have thought...

Keefely mittens

These might be the fastest mittens I've ever made.



Pattern: Keefely Mittens from Handknit Holidays

Yarn: Harrisville New England Shetland (the yellow and the purple), Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport (the red)

Comments: The Harrisville is kind of rough on the hands. I know it's Shetland wool and all, but the Jamieson's shetland is a lot softer. The pattern is fabulous and knits quickly; I especially like the thumb construction - the way you pick up stitches avoids gaps!

Disclaimer: I did not pick the two main colors and I still think they don't go together at all. But a promise is a promise! So, warning: if you take your partner into a yarn store and tell them to pick some yarn, be prepared to work with their choices! Fortunately, we are poor and could only buy yarn for a small project; can you imagine having to do a whole sweater in yellow and purple?!?!

More colorful projects

I sometimes wonder whether my "sense of color" is off. Whenever I pick up the Crosspatch vest and need to adjust my eyes, I think that perhaps I need some lessons in color theory. And then I remember that I married a man who chooses these colors:



and insists that they be used together in a colorwork project. Purple and yellow. Wow. My eyes almost hurt when I pick up this project. For the record, these are the Keefely Mittens from Handknit holidays and the pattern is beautifully written. I will certainly get my money's worth from this book.

I recently acquired a copy of Alice Starmore's "Fishermen's Sweaters" and oh! the beauty!! I think the next big project will be one of her sweaters. If I could live a million years I'd like to knit ALL her projects.

Poetry Mitten 1

Have I mentioned that these mittens are are addictive? You can see progress, or rather READ progress:



I've already cast on for the second one, but the 2x2 ribbing on size 000 needles is a little... slow going.

Because one color project is not enough

One must have stranded knitting in one's life:



Poetry mittens from the current PieceWork magazine. I'm being unoriginal and knitting these in the original yarn, with the original poem. Awesome pattern, and extremely addictive.

In other (un)exciting news, the Spring IK arrived in my mailbox today and I am extremely disappointed by this issue. I am even thinking of canceling my subscription, because there is nothing in this issue I want to make and there was nothing in the Winter issue either. I admire Eunny's work as a designer, but I am very unimpressed with her editing choices. To do a quick run through the projects:
- Lisa Meyer's legwarmers: look great, probably best pattern in the magazine. I don't do twisted stitches, though.
- assorted spring cardigans and "camp jacket": why are they all in the same color family? And why do they all make the models look pregnant? I am so over the empire waist look, and if I see "dressmaker details" written one more time I am going to scream. If I want dressmaker details I will go to a dressmaker, or I will become one myself. Fussy little button tabs and attached button bands - so much fun to make.
- linen trumpet skirt: nice stuff, but the yarn substitution will be difficult, and I don't think I can afford a $300 skirt yet.
- children's dress: I actually checked if this came in my size, because I like the pattern. I'd probably get bored with all the stockinette in my size, though. It's nice to see cute children's patterns, though, especially if they are not for babies.
- banded peasant blouse: I like this, but how on earth does it stay up on the shoulders?
- dovetail pullover - nice and classic, but doesn't quite jump out at me.
- random lace stoles: I am not impressed either and have no desire to knit miles and miles of a small pattern (bleeding hearts) or a random assorted of extra-precious patterns (cobweb lace). I've always found M. Rose Orne's designs too pretentious and ornate for my taste.
- twisted tulip socks: for all I know, these might be the same pattern as the green cabled socks from last issue, because the cables were impossible to see on those. Ok, so they are socks with a cable and some eyelets. Big deal.
- the vest: I'll just shut up about this one. My boobs are obvious enough, thank you.
- staff projects: cute, but what's up with the delayed release dates?

So, yeah. What's up with this magazine? Am I getting too jaded? Have I seen too many patterns online and in books to be impressed with a magazine?