Unraveling, As it Were

I'm one of those people who uses Ravelry to good effect. When you click on my profile, you see just about everything I've ever knit with details, a fairly complete list of favourites, a well-stocked library and now, since yesterday, a catalog of yarns, with photos, indicating my stash and which things are queued up to be used with specific stash yarn. The lengths I'll go to to avoid finishing the Bettie Pullover...

If you love being organized like, to the nth degree, this site is for you.

At any rate, I've opted to take a brief break on the Gauge the Situation series (until Xmas, likely) as I will be occupied by knitting the following:

1. The Sisika, knit for me:

Photos from Designer Yarns

In the Amitola colourway 106 (far left):

Yeah, I know, I succumbed to the craziest (for me) choice ever - a totally variegated nubby wool/silk blend that looks fingering weight but actually knits up like a DK (or worsted, if you double it). I went for the most subdued of the shades - I think it's the one used in the promotion photo but there are a few others, on other swatches, that look kind of similar. It's soft, but with a vaguely hairy halo that undercuts the softness. We've got to hope it blocks nicely, which is to say much less natural-seeming than it appears to be right now.

You know, I make a lot of sweaters, but the things I wear most are the cowls, scarves and shawls (because they work on top of outerwear or with inside clothing). If this scarf works, I think it could become well-traveled in my wardrobe.

2. The Madeleine Cowl also for me - It's important to aim to make simple things that really work and are worn often (try to ignore the overkill of the beret):

I do find the yarn this pattern calls for to be fairly horrible. It's got "wool-blend chainette yarn" "accented by diamond-like silver medallions". Um, no.

So, I'll make the cowl (more like a shawl, really) in Zara Plus, colourway 448 (Taupe):

Photo from Royal Yarns Intl.

The taupe is actually much more green (like khaki) than this photo shows.

3. For M, for Xmas, another Rondeur Pullover, in the 1628 colourway of Zara DK, again, the photo makes it look more blue than the green, highly saturated shade that it actually is:

Photo from here

Please be advised that I intend to knit them one at a time, like a "sensible person". At least as of right now.

So, today's questions:

• Whatcha think of these patterns and yarns?? Have you used any of them?
• Now you can see all of my crazy yarn stash. Do you think this is excessive? Be honest.