Over the weekend, I finished my secret project (more on this later) and I came to the point where I didn't have my next project planned and ready to go.  So I decided to look around the stash for inspiration.  Nothing concrete settled in my mind or hands but I did come across this lonely long deserted intarsia project.  It's a Brandon Mably pillow design from the British  magazine "Knitting" (Nov. 2005 Issue 18).  I substituted the suggested yarn (Rowan high dollar and hand wash stuff) and I chose Mission Falls 1824 Cotton.  It's for my son and I'm pushing to get this done for his Valentine's Day gift.  That's the reason I'm using cotton.  Just in case he's gets Cheetos dust or sticky soda on it.  You never know with kids.  They just don't quite understand the effort that goes into a hand knit project (emphasis on intarsia) or the care it needs to keep it clean. 

I cheated with this design.  I shouldn't call it cheating--I simplified it.  The background of the hand print was supposed to be striped but I said, "Yeah, right, more bobbins..." and just made it solid.  You can see only some of the many yarn tails I have yet to weave in.  I generally weave tails in as I go but with so many bobbins on the wrong side I was doing good to remember to twist my yarn as I changed each color.  I give points to those who do this and I give more points to those who do more than one intarsia project a year.  Now its a downhill battle to finish the pillow.  The back will be striped stockinette with some garter stitch edging.  I'll probably have to make the pillow insert since this will be rectangular. 

If you've read the Winter 06/07 issue of Vogue Knitting you've seen the man's sweater version of this intarsia hand by Mably (hey, he recycles, can't be bad).