As usual this time of year, the sheer number of things on the needles starts making me antsy! Why, you probably don't ask? I think it's because of the sudden influx of knitting magazines to the mail box and book stores, the fact that I love autumn and sweaters and am just brimming over with ideas for using part of my stash, and yet, there are all these already-started projects that really do need to be completed before I start anything else.

Here's the current list of things on the needles:

Socks:

• shades of red KPPPM waffle patterned socks (1 complete)
• shades of lime green Fixation fast Florida footies (1 1/2 complete)
• green Opal magic plain 3x1 ribbed socks (1 complete)
• charcoal Regia linien plain 3x1 ribbed socks (1 complete)
• petrol colors Match spiral ribbed socks (1 complete)
• stained glass Kroy socks 2x2 ribbed socks (1/2 done)
• unknown (for now) mexico-type colors 3x1 ribbed socks (1 done)
• apricot Opal Royal socks in waving lace pattern (1/2 done)
• olive, coral, brown twisted rib Opal socks (1 complete)
• Sockotta in zinnia colors, feather and fan pattern (1/2 done)
• gold and brown Opal handpaint, ribbing done, pattern undecided

I think that's it for socks!

Other items on the needles:

• Ken's afghan - 10 rows to go! It's huge and heavy, and very, very gray!
• Viking Turid in purple Sensuwool for my sister, Marcia
• Relationships sweater in coral Cotton Fleece for my s-i-l Jena
• Bookworm vest in rust wool tweed (?) for me
• Yellow Salsa and white cotton summer sweater for me
• Angelina Jacket (whiteliesdesigns.com) in cream mohair - stuck on the ribbing - for me

There's probably more. This is what I remember, off the top of my head.

It was a marginally good knitting long weekend! Much hotter than normal here: our average summer high is 78, it was 90 Monday, and that was the coolest of the 3 days. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Willows, at Thunderhill Raceway for AFM Motorcycle races, and it was even hotter there. About 2 pm it's just too hot to knit because the yarn sticks to sweaty hands. Still, I made some good progress on 3 of the socks.

A QUESTION:

Why don't the major knitting magazines show their designs on real people models? Everything looks good on a tall slender figure, but for those of us who are height challenged and getting rubensesque too boot, it can be a real guessing game. I'd love to know where the hem hits on a shorter model; my size 0 (yes, that's zero) sister who is also short would like to know if the proportions of sleeves, collars and such are going to overpower her, and it's often impossible to tell from the perfect picture.