The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I just love this time of year. Most of the knitting magazines begin publishing things I would actually think of knitting. New yarns come out. And, it's early enough to make ambitious plans for holiday knitting.

Here are a few things that I just can't wait to begin:

Coral Crossing from Interweave Knits, Fall 2006

I really want to knit it in Classic Elite Miracle, but I'm afraid that it will stretch out of shape, especially at the bottom. I've wanted to try this yarn for a long time, and there is a gorgeous new green this season.

Fair Isle U-Neck Pullover from Vogue Knitting, Fall 2006

This is a great modern shape. I think it would be perfect for my niece. I'll probably change the colors. Maybe something acid to change it from classic to funky.



Mohair Sweater from Junya Watanabe's fall 2006 collection

I have loved this from the first moment I glimpsed it while thumbing through the Vogue Fall Collections review at a local bookshop. I looks easy to knit. The main difficulty will be finding the right yarn, so it looks kind of trashed. Then of course there are the sleeves. I love too long sleeves, but that long might just be annoying.

I also want to try several new yarns: Pure, a new soysilk yarn by South West Trading Company (it looks luscious); Gloss, a new fingering weight merino/silk blend from Knit Picks (blah colors, but oh so cheap); and Di.Ve Autunno, a lovely variegated merino.

My eyes are always bigger than my fingers or my bank account this time of year, but I think anticipation is the best part of the process of knitting. Seeking out the perfect yarn. Swatching endlessly. Searching for the right pattern or designing your own. I enjoy the actual knitting, but every row I complete makes me think about how I will do it differently next time. I wonder what this stitch would look like in a different fiber or weight. I think that's why I give most of my completed garments away. To make room for what comes next.