IK Fall 2008, and Must Have Update

I love listening to Nicole and Jenny (Stash & Burn podcast) review each new issue of Interweave Knits and discuss which patterns they like (and don't). I thought I'd try that here. I know a lot of you are regular readers of this magazine.

In the Fall 2008 issue, what do you like? The Dumpling Bags caught my attention. I probably wouldn't carry one, but my younger son would! He is a little squirrel who finds tiny objects and packs them away in boxes or bags or baskets. His current obsession is acorns, which he refers to as "nuts." If you've seen Ice Age (or Ice Age 2: The Meltdown), you'll know that Scrat the squirrel is obsessed with getting a perfect acorn. These are the acorns my son adores. We look for oak trees all over town and scour the ground underneath to add to his "nut" collection. He would love one of these little bags. I would make it without the flower motif and do something else, maybe a geometric design, or maybe robots or bugs or something. The pattern calls for Cascade Pastaza yarn (50% llama, 50% wool), and I have some of that in stash left over from a hat I made last winter.

I kind of like the Bacchus Socks, though I don't think I would put those bobbles on the foot part. The cuff would be okay, but not the part that goes in the shoe. The pattern calls for ShibuiKnits Sock, and I have some that would look nice. But I have other plans for it...

The Knotty or Knice Socks caught my eye, but not so much because of the pattern. Did you notice the color of this Blue Moon Riber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight? It's hoofle foofle. That just makes me want to knit with that yarn. Which reminds me, I always meant to get some of their sock yarn in the colorway "pond scum" a year or two ago, and I never got around to it. I'll have to investigate and see if Pond Scum is still available.

There is an ad on page 111 for ads' Huggable Friends. The photo shoes a really cute doll that my sister-out-law would adore for her daughter. I'm not a big toymaker, but this is a cute doll. See the ak traditions website - the doll is shown in the fall right margin, third photo down.

And finally, an ad (p. 77) for a felted wine tote caught my eye. My parents are notoriously hard to shop for, but they and their active senior set do drink some wine. Maybe a sassy wine bag would be just the conversation piece in Sun City? Next time I am stumped about a gift for the parents who have everything they need already, I'll remember this concept. Could be a good stashbuster, too!

Lest you think there's been all reading and no knitting, here is what the Must Have Cardigan is looking like today. The pattern is completed through row 61. This is the back of the sweater. It's soooooo pretty......