• great way to use up partial balls and leftovers
• fun excuse to use an unusual pop of color
• great reason to buy that pop of color (oh c’mon – I know you all love an excuse to shop for yarn.  blame me.)

Here are a few chevron designs that have popped on my radar lately.

• Chevron Delight Infinity Scarf – grays aren’t my thing but the design works so well
• Chevron Keyhole Scarf – I love being able to put a scarf on and not need to futz with it
• Chevron Scarf – larger swaths of color make for a more modern look
• Chevron Scarf – this one has eyelets
• Chevron Scarf – overlapping decreases give a pretty aesthetic
• Chevron Scarf – the columns of decreases are so tidy in contrast to the zigs and zags

• Chevrons All Round – the textures are great
• Favorite Scarf Ever – another take on the ubiquitous scarf, this one with a tidy edging
• Garter Stitch Chevron Scarf – no purls!
• Hypernova – Shawl and Shawlette – love the radiating design
• Rumple Scrap – the volume really makes a statement
• Monster Mitts – how fun would it be to look at those all day?

I can see myself wearing any of these patterns.  I like the thought of using “my” colors plus something else fun or different.  I browsed Design Seeds for a bit of color inspiration and came away with these 3 palettes that are me with a little something extra.

What do you think?  What colors would you try to branch out?  Yes there’s lots of purple, lavender and pink but also some orange and aqua thrown in too.  Definitely pushing me to try new colors and stay true to myself.

I’ll catch you on the purl side…

Here’s a sampling of some of my faves.

• Either/Or by Lee Meredith – Great excuse to use small amounts of 2 colors.  And like most of Lee’s patterns, they work for any gauge.
• Simpliworsted by Charles Parker – Love the smocking.  How cool would they be if you added some beads to the smocking joins?
• Catty Bitch by Bev Warner – You all know how much I dislike two-color knitting.  This pattern combines the colors without stranding the knitting.  Oh and it has an awesome Latvian Braid too.  [view my tutorial on knitting a Latvian Braid]

• Chimera by Julia Mueller – Another opportunity to use two colors without stranding!  Instructions includes a full mitten as well.
• Bergen Street Mitts by Erin Ruth – Refined and feminine, I imagine wearing these with a long, tailored 40s-style coat.
• Fingerless Pomatomus by Tobi Beck – I love knitting little shell shapes, so these have been on my radar for quite a while.

• Proposition Entrelac by Julie Browne – Fabulous excuse for some long gradation yarn.  They would also work well with self-striping yarns too.
• Marywarmers by Lisa Reeve – The curving ribs really drew my eye, and I bet they’re super comfy to wear too.  The ribbing also makes them a forgiving fit for gifts.
• Swirling Gauntlets by Susanna IC – what savannahchik pattern round up would be complete without a Susanna IC design?

What about you?  What are you favorite mitts?  Or what’s on your radar that you *must* knit this year?

I’ll catch you on the purl side.