I haven't seen much commentary about the summer '06 issue 
of Interweave Knits around, but I actually think it's pretty good--and I'm looking forward to seeing the next Knitscene at the end of the month. I haven't read the lace tutorial, but I don't feel like I need to. Most of the patterns are attractive and wearable, and I'm tempted to start the Icarus shawl using some laceweight from the stash. The pattern is simple enough that it doesn't look like a fussy tablecloth, although I bet the knitting might get a bit boring after the border.
And Robin Melanson's Looking Glass top is elegant, but I can't believe that grafting the top and bottom together is the best way to construct the front. Couldn't you just knit the front from the top down and make the twist before closing up the keyhole, then continue to knit to the bottom? I swear I can see a line where the graft is in the magazine photograph.
As per usual (in my opinion), Annie Modesitt's design--the Bias Corset--consists of interesting design ideas and construction techniques that add up to an unattractive garment. Every time I see her work I think, "Wow, cool idea--but it doesn't look great."
I've been a Norah Gaughan fan for ages, and I really love the Ottoman-style motifs she's been exploring lately, but the short-sleeved pullover in this issue doesn't look like it fits very well in the sleeves, and I think it would look better in a finer gauge yarn.
Because I do love many of the Norah Gaughan designs I've seen through the years (one notable exception being the funnel-neck 
Aran from IK a couple of winters ago that had a lovely intricate design and looked like it was strangling the model--actually, I was wrong. That painful design was by Annie Modesitt too.), I've been ready to buy an entire book of Gaughan's designs if one ever appeared; a couple of weeks ago I finally got my chance. I found Knitting Nature
at the bookstore
and promptly took it home. I'm right there with her fascination with symmetry and repeating geometric patterns, not to mention fairly classic styles. I think this pullover with the spiral eyelet pattern will probably be my first attempt from the book. Unfortunately, I've been reading that some knitters have run into problems with the patterns in this book. Considering that I'm not nearly as patient or logical a technical knitter as Grumperina seems to be, I may have a harder time working around hinky instructions. In the meantime I'll just look at the pretty pictures.
Actually, one of the patterns might work for a scarf I'm planning for Jane's niece, who will be starting at San Francisco state in the fall. I'd like to make her a scarf and hat from this Manos (I've actually got two skeins of the green). I was thinking of something stripey but I haven't spent a lot of time figuring it out.
I also did buy some midnight blue Malabrigo, size 8 bamboo straights, and a book with basic knitting instructions to rope in my friend.
I think she liked them--I'll know for sure when and if she calls to set up a lesson... I checked out the new issues of Knit.1 and the Vogue Knit Simple on the newsstand, but both left me unimpressed, and neither had the kind of designs that I thought would appeal to someone who doesn't want to end up with something tacky for her troubles.
Finally, I've been dinking around with some yarn I got about a month ago from Elann. It's an alpaca-tencel blend, which felt very weird when I first started working with it. It's hairy, whereas I thought it would be very smooth, and it feels both soft and cotton-y, linen-y hard. The part that I ripped and reknit felt noticeably less crisp, so it probably will soften with washing like linen does. I've never used tencel before, so I didn't know what to expect. Even on size 5 needles, this is making a fairly open stockinette stitch, but I think it will work for a couple of lightweight cardigans. Though I'm feeling like it will be a boring knit, I could definitely use a couple of basic, throw-on sweaters. The steel gray has a very blue cast to it, which I like, but it certainly doesn't work with the olive, so I'll have to use them for separate projects. I suspect I bought way more than enough, as usual.
