It's raining.. It's raining patterns!!

The Spring issue of Interweave Knits. OMG, I wasn't expecting it in my mail today. And was I delighted when I flipped through the pages! Let me explain. I subscribed IK last year in the hope of finding clever designs/patterns delivered to me at regular intervals. And receive so in mail I did - brilliant patterns and all. Sadly, they turned out not my style. Way too much detailing in any pattern and my mind moves on, not wanting to launch on it for practical reasons.

This issue makes up. The mag is better organized. The patterns are.. well.. I'll let you judge that but I did find some elegant ones not wrought with details. I'll list the ones I dig: the Green Tea Raglan (I'll perhaps use a different shade), Slanted Neck Pullover, Ruffled Surplice, Merry Maiden's Dress, Florentine Pillow and the Lace Shrug. Phew! That's enough projects right there to make new issues of IK redundant in my collection. This being the last issue of my 1 yr subscription (which I've now cancelled), I'm glad it ended this way.

I'll probably launch on the girl's dress for my nieces just coz I love knitting stuff for them and it's a lovely pattern. The lace shrug is beckoning me as well. That'll be my first project with mohair. And how I'd love to have a color burst on my couch with the Florentine Pillow! My only reservation there: intarsia. I am not sure of my feelings towards this technique. It just seems like way too many ends to weave in. Is there a good reference on how to eliminate having to weave in ends by some clever technique or other? I'd love to know.

One other thing I'll prize this issue for: a howto on enrelac. By Eunny Jang who also contributed to the *very* interesting steeking article in the previous issue. Nice! Steeking and Entrelac no longer seem wild and fierce to me.

It seems IK is introducing more and more online Knitting personalities into their publication. First it was Amy Singer of Knitty.com. Then it was Eunny J. This one features Grumperina's pattern. I've been following Eunny's and Grumperina's blogs for nearly a year now. These blog feeds sit next to Nona's, Zibibbo's and Yarn Harlot's feeds in my 'Celeb Blogroll' tab of my personalized Google aggregator. This is what keeps me in awe of them: the sheer bulk of knitting they publish with every new post. When do they knit so much? How do their shoulder/arm muscles cope? I read diligently in the hope of one day unearthing their secret.

February is a lovely month, no? I like the rain showers, the gray skies, and the temperatures resembling those of Spring. This afternoon I sat on my rocking chair on the patio, listening to the pitter-patter of rain and the swish-swish of the swimming pool, watching the bare trees sway in the light breeze and the raindrops fall into the pool. I had a warm comforter around me and a steaming cup of ginger tea in my hand. Bliss!