in the midst of work and before i sleep, i must profess:

why is there so much fug in the knit mag world at precisely the moment that i start subscribing to publications?

therein lies a deep, complicated question.

i just flipped through the spring 2006 issue of interweave knits, and it's embarassing to confess that my favorite items in the entire magazine are the food items in the knit picnic (the adorables of which i saw in person at lint in portland). and those dont even come with a pattern. so, my friends, we're stuck with not one, but two fingerless glove patterns, a weird belt fannypack, and an absolutely repulsive styling shot for the usually-favorable IK sock pattern (green lace? pink picot? BLUE HEELS?)

i kid you not.

you can see all the patterns here, but refrain from going blind. i used to love IK! it was cute and fun and inclusive and creative! i hated the last issue (hanging for dear life on the solo redemption of the embossed leaf socks) and this new spring one did not help its case.

if i weren't already bobbled enough, i would (for a second) dwell on the bobble blue. however, it probably would come out more tacky-vintage than expected, and i never really understood short-sleeved sweaters.

the sunrise circle jacket is fantastic! however, because of its unorthodox (i.e. not rectangular) construction, which is totally commendable, it seems like something that would be complicated to fudge and amend in terms of stitch AND row gauge. plus, it looks like the edge would be completely ragged without a lengthly crochet edging, which is sort of a personal drag. maybe i'm just seduced by the toggle closures. who knows.

the trellis scarf is pretty, though something i'd probably only do if i had a 15 hour flight. i dont know if this scarf is worth the $1500 for a roundtrip ticket to asia. hm.

the drop-stitch hoodie is probably the most promising, though as shown something's not quite right. there's too much pattern going on; if i plunged ahead i would either do ribbing on most of the lower body, or do the dropped motif sporadically and asymmetrically along the body. otherwise, as printed, it just looks like jacquard that makes you fat. poor little red-head girl! it does have a cool, undulating, mod flavor to it (that's more apparent in a zoomed-in version). the pattern looks mega-complex though--chalk it up to the ridiculous number of zippers and some complicated numbering. i love the hoodie shape, and how it either zips up or down (in a back view). i would also remove the sleeve zippers (too fussy) and adding more ribbing would give it a more curve-hugging qualities.

the wobbly circles tote is cute enough, but why not just make it in fabric? so much easier and a little more practical. more excuse for felting and intarsia, i suppose. i also have a personal vendetta against bags which render your hands inoperable.

i love the front of the streakers shrug (did the la lana people even reconsider that yarn name?), though the back is hideous (it's all baggy and loose) and i feel the shrug trend has been pounded into the ground without restraint for the past year. there's no word of letting go of the noose anytime soon.

i wont spend much time on the rest, but what is up with sweaters that flare? do women really want to look like woolen tents? and also sweaters with eyelets or lace or HOLES for goodness sake in really inopportune areas. i know undershirts exist for a reason, but sometimes it doesnt really make sense to layer for a more warm-weather type of thing.

well, i suppose this is a blessing in disguise. i wont be clamouring to try anything new anytime soon!

(that sock picture still hurts. my retinas need to readjust.)