As I mentioned yesterday, I’m quite pleased with the patterns in the latest issue of Knitters Magazine.
My absolute favorite is Penny Ollman’s Jade Empire.
I confess to having headed over to Elann yesterday to order enough Peruvian Sierra Aran in Italian Plum to make one in my size. (With Elann’s prices, it was a total deal.)
Why do I love this sweater? Because it offers an ideal blend of comfort and feminine beauty. The diamond lace pattern is girly without being fussy. The empire shaping means it won’t bind (and, again—girly). And I am a fanatic about three-quarter length sleeves: love them, love them, love them.
(For the moment, Empire Jade has even eclipsed Silver Belle on my must-knit major project list, though I still find Silver Belle breath-taking. Click here and here and here and here to see it in progress on various bloggers’ needles. I’m planning to work up my version in Mustard Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran, for a warm-colored, autumnal look.)
Back to the latest Knitter’s…
…I’m also fond of Lois Young’s Etched Copper.
And I definitely want to have a go at Jane Sowerby’s Ruffled Fichu.
Check out that bell-shaped ruffle.
I must hope that the next few knitting magazine that arrive in the mail offer only hideous patterns or I’ll be feeling utterly overwhelmed with all the pieces I want to work on.
Meanwhile, I stayed up much too late last night leafing through Barbara Walker’s Mosaic Knitting dreaming up ideas for all sorts of projects: scarves, hats, table linens, and dishrags, of course. (Check out the Walker Treasury Project for a sampling of possibilities.) I have papers to mark this weekend and also need to completely empty the bottom level of my little home because I’m getting new flooring, but how I wish I could just ignore everything else and spend full days playing with needles in hand.
P.S. For those of you who sympathized with my raccoon problem, you may want to head over to offer comfort to So Now What? as well.
You know it’s funny, I haven’t really enjoyed Knitter’s much over the last couple of years, but those two sweaters are really pretty. I could totally see them in the wear to work rotation.
And I was so glad to hear that I wasn’t alone in the world of raccoon night visits. It must be the season, the little guys are everywhere! I also saw an opossum the other night. It’s turning into Wild Kingdom around here. 😉
Thanks so much for the Belle links — this is next on my list and it’s good to see it looks relatively trouble free.
I’d never have picked up Knitter’s on my own — just haven’t seen anything I like there for several years. That sweater looks great though — empire shaping AND 3/4 sleeves!