One Down, One to Go

Well, I finally made a decision about the yarn combination I'll use for my next project. Both Kelly and Lolly suggested maybe a more subtle color combination with a "gentler" contrast. I sat down and looked at the yarns again. Usually, I often go for the brightest, most severe contrast. This time, I looked at the yarns with a new eye. This is what I ended up with.

Subtle, classic, refined. Love it. Now, after pouring through my mitten books, I narrowed it down to four patterns. Some criteria had to be met to make my short list. The pattern had to be from a book that I have not made anything from yet. It had to be graphic/linear in quality and not so "flowery". The pattern needed to be different from things I have made in the past (this eliminated a couple that had patterns very similar to the Turkish Stockings - I just can't get enough of the scrolls!). Without further ado, the nominees are:

Top Row: Magnificent Mittens Chapter 4, pattern 15 and Pattern 25 from Mostly Mittens. Bottom Row: Pattern 29 from Mostly Mittens, and Magnificent Mittens Chapter 6, pattern 3.

Funny how all four patterns came from two of my most prized (and probably valuable!) knitting books. I flip through both of these books on a regular basis looking for inspiration. They are full of patterns and charts you can use on anything - socks, sweaters, hats and of course mittens. They also contain a lot of tips and techniques. Truly indispensable references.

This will be a hard decision - they are all great! What do you guys think?