Seven skeins and seven swatches: no. 1

In conversation with Ms M the other day, I raised the issue of ufo's. I reported something that I've noticed about myself. I like to get right near the end of a project and then leave it aside and do something else for a while. Later, I'll come back and finish it up. I earned myself a funny look with that. For a long time I thought this had to do with savouring a project, not wanting it to end, or liking variety or some such nonsense. Of course, it's actually nervousness about the thing not working out. Sweaters not fitting, for example. So there. Nothing more to say about that.

My current distraction is swatching the seven skeins of Koigu that I purchased the other week. Here's the first...

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Madeira Mesh from Barbara Walker's First Treasury, page 151.

25 stitches, no. of rows uncertain. 4.25x4,25" (11x11 cm)
3.25 mm needles

Don't you think it would be beautiful for a scarf or shawl? Not for a cardigan though, which is what I have in mind, although perhaps in a tighter gauge it might work. It consists of two rows, each of which you repeat 6 times. A drawback is that you have a p3tog every 6 stitches in every row. That's asking for trouble if you want my opinion. You have to watch carefully to make sure you're really purling through all 3 stitches and if you don't, well - big holes appear later on. Not that easy to recover from.

And here it is hanging...

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