Developing a Project

Trying to decide what to knit these days usually involves trying to figure what yarn I have in my sizable stash.  I've been collecting yarn for years, and I own sheep and slowly spin their gorgeous fleeces into yarn, so I have a lot to work with.  Every once in a while though, I find a pattern that has to be made immediately and I have to buy the yarn to do so.

Here are two projects, one currently on the needles and one finished and warming my MiMBY Girl's head. First, the Lucy Hat:

I decided to use the recommended yarn, MadTosh Vintage in Dahlia and Byzantine.  The yarn seemed shockingly expensive until I realized that I would probably be able to get two hats out of it.  Having completed one, I am now certain that a second is possible, making this a cost effective gift.  Plus, It's beautiful:

The second project has a more convoluted history.  It began with a Pinterest picture.  

A beautiful dress the model made, presumably during those interminable photo shoots, out of Noro yarn.  No details anywhere about the pattern, so I filed it away as a someday project.  Then one day I stumbled upon this pattern from Jo Sharp, an Australian designer whose patterns I have knit before.  Suddenly, I have something to work from and an idea of how much yarn I'll need. 

I find myself looking for quantities of Noro Silk Garden, which isn't a perfect match guage-wise, but I'm willing to play a little to make it work.  I've got about 4 inches knit in the round, so the striping works out, and I've added a false seam on the sides.  I'll post a picture when the light is better since it's black, gray, green and blue stripes.

And that is how I decide on a pattern.