Choices

I recently received two skeins of Noro Transitions as an unexpected gift. This is not the sort of yarn I would buy for myself, so I'm pleased to have the chance to try it out. At the same time, I want to knit something satisfactory out of it -- something I will wear or give away with pride & pleasure. I'm not very sure how to do that with a yarn that changes so drastically throughout the skein. The color is the not-so-evocative #8, a pleasant enough mix of marine blue, olive green, teal, grape, lavender, and brown. The colors work pretty well together, but not so well that straight stripes would look good, IMO. So I'm looking for something that will mix it up a little.

The obvious choice seems a scarf. But (heresy) I don't really wear knit scarves, except for my fabulous Orenburg scarf. In Oklahoma's not very harsh winters I like thin scarves with good drape, and that usually means a woven scarf. It certainly doesn't mean a bulky wool scarf. But if I did choose a scarf, I'd be choosing between the ubiquitous multidirectional diagonal scarf or this pretty one, which has a nice star-stitch pattern that breaks up the stripiness.

I also found a few hat patterns. Again, bulky yarn is not my usual choice, but I like the Topi hat from Knitty. Question -- would I wear a wool hat without ear coverage? Maybe I should make this hat in cotton for summer. Maybe I could leave the crown off and just make the stand and brim. Hmm.

Here's another brimmed hat, this one in crochet. But it isn't a free pattern and don't really want to figure it out myself.

Any other ideas? I've thought about a vest, but I don't have nearly enough and I'm not going to buy more. The colors actually go well with the screaming blue of my Ayany yarn. I could mix the leftovers with it, or I could rip out the vest (which is in timeout right now, while I figure out how to deal with gaping armholes) and redesign to include the Transitions. Hmmm.

Clearly this all needs to percolate a little. Has anyone worked with Transitions? How well does it take ripping out?