I cannot remember the last time I knit someone else’s pattern. It has literally been years. My ravelry project pages inform me that in February of 2009 I finished my February Lady Sweater – that I had started back in September of 2008. And before that, on September 1st of 2008, I finished a Liesl. That’s it. That’s insane.
So to cleanse my pallet in between songs I picked up not one but two quick OPP projects. First up, the Mama Janes in Amber Trinket Madeline Tosh DK.

The yarn is crazy beautiful and that wonderful in between/indescribable color. Last night as I flipped through stitch dictionaries looking for some inspiration I worked on them. It was so very relaxing knitting something that I didn’t have to design at the same time.

Michelle aka FickleKnitter has had an insanely tough time of it lately. So I bought this pattern at first as a sort of virtual hug, even though I really didn’t think I would end up knitting it. But I’m so glad I started knitting it. The yarn is awesome and the directions are sublime. Seriously, FickleKnitter patterns are awesome.

The second OPP project I’ve started was also procured for a slightly different reason. A few weeks ago a person (or group of persons – they claimed they were legion) decided to post their own version of the hexipuff and offer it for free. This happens all. the. time. Granted a hexipuff is a pretty basic concept, and most knitters could reverse engineer it. If you can do that, then fine, do it. But I don’t think it’s kosher to post it as a free pattern on Rav. And I really don’t think it’s cool to mock the original designer in your blog and claim you are going to post free versions of tons of patterns because you can’t afford patterns and yarn. (Most of the snarky content was removed after the uproar, but it was not nice at all.) So I bought the Beekeeper’s Quilt pattern in a sort of solidarity sister thing.

But then I saw some puffs in person. They were squishy and cute and oh so portable. And wouldn’t it be awesome-sauce if I made little hexipuff seat cushions for the yet to be bought dining room table in the yet to be closed upon new house? And then I was done for. I’ve only made one, and I need to pick up some fiberfill today. But I can totally see how this could be a sickness.

Just don’t expect my OPP projects to be finished quickly. I have some awesome ideas for the sixth song and today is a rainy, gray, make yourself a homemade caramel mocha kind of swatching day.