summer planning

While the official start of summer may be 20 or so days away, for all intents and purposes is has been summer for at least a couple of weeks here already in Mississippi (once the temperature consistently pushes 90 for an entire week, spring is over for me!). So I've got planning on the brain. I love summer. I love the long stretches of uncommitted time. It feels so full of possibility, full of promise. So much time to make beautiful things! Then August comes before I know it and it's over. And I'm disappointed because I didn't accomplish nearly as much as I expected to. So this year I'm trying to be more purposeful, more strategic with my time.

I've noticed that I've been feeling very cowl-crazy for quite some time now. I have nine cowl patterns in my library, already purchased or gifted to me, that I want to make for me. I have to admit, that feels really crazy and selfish just typing that. But last winter showed me that I'm woefully lacking in winter gear, and I could really use cowls/hats/mittens for myself. And I have this crazy idea (ahem, more like rationalization) that it would be really fun to knit up different coordinated (but not necessarily matching) cowl/mitten/hat combinations. I want to wear what I make, but also not look like a crazy lady! My fine tune cowl has been constructed with the intention of matching it with the citrus lowbrow hat I made for myself back in February. Since I'm using MadTosh yarn in both projects, coordinating has come easily there. But next I'll need mitts ... for this "set" I have two projects in mind ....

A stranded pair of mittens using these skeins of MadTosh Merino Light (Robin's Red Breast and Citrus) from Charlene Schurch's Mostly Mittens book. Right now I'm leaning toward pattern 17:

And a pair of thrummed mittens from this kit I purchased from this seller on Etsy.

I've never really discussed my obsession with chevrons on the blog before, but I love zig zags. I have some self-striping skeins of String Theory Colorworks in the Muon colorway that would be perfect to finally make myself a chevron cowl using this free pattern. And to really go over the top, I'll make a pair of chevron mitts as well....

I purchased a second Joji Locatelli cowl pattern several months ago, called "something in the air" that I think will be perfect for my two skeins of JulieSpins MCN DK in Peony:

To coordinate, I might make a set of Nalu fingerless mitts (free pattern!) using some String Theory Merino DK in Radiant Orchid (I need to put these skeins together to see if they really work together ... these pictures are from the dyer's websites, and as pictured they don't look like they "coordinate" that well ... we'll see):

I also have some lovely skeins of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock that have been gifted to me, and I want to use my skein in the Sea Glass colorway first:

I'm thinking the sallah cowl (another freebie, published in Knitty!) would show off this yarn best. Either that or use this skeins for mitts ... come to think of it, this skein might go well with the Socks that Rock Twisted I have in the "buttah" colorway, which is slated to become a cabled love and happiness cowl:

And finally, I want to finish the dateline cowl I cast on for last month, which is a lovely navy-blue purple. I haven't dug through my stash to identify potential candidates to create a coordinating set of mittens and/or hat for that cowl yet.

Now can you see what I mean by being cowl crazy? There is no way I will make all of these sets this summer, but I'll be content finishing at least one set. A girl can dream, right?