In need of some bliss

Ever have those times when you want something exciting to knit along-side the numerous projects you already have going on? You know the knitted item that allows you to fall in love with it and that when you finish it, it is just like you dreamed it would be. The colors are heaven, the yarn behaves, and the pattern allows it to be exactly what it was meant to be. My sisters socks did that for me. I loved them. Since then I've been working on gifts, knitted items we need (=socks for the boys), and other little things. But I've been craving that love-affair again.
So I cast on some socks for me. But I didn't use the pattern that I used for my sister, because that would just be too easy, right? And I did not like any patterns I have tried so far. (and believe me I'm sparing you the many ones I tried and frogged). The patterns are nice, but they are not mixing with the yarn in the way I wanted. (to all you non-knitters: you probably will just never understand this, it's a knitter's thing).
Here are 2 examples of non-knitting bliss:

The yarn is gorgeous, the patterns great, but yet they are just not doing the magic thing. So sad.
Then during my weekly visit to the library, I discovered this:

I never thought I was a vest person, but now I want to knit all the vests in this book. They are gorgeous and as a history-freak, I love their stories. I narrowed my first choice down to the Bookworm vest. (Let's just say that I've probably gotten my brothers to seriously consider disowning me with the number of books they've had to move for me on my various moving days in my life.). I love this vest (sorry I can't find a pic of it on-line). I tried a little bit in some green encore I have and then a little swatch in this tweedy-type encore. I'm not sure about the colors. The green encore should be saved and be made into a sweater for one of the boys. And there is something about the colors of the tweedy encore, they just don't seem right. I think it should be an afghan or something. Which leaves me still hanging for the right yarn for this.
I'll just keep working on socks (sockapoolza and ones for the boys). My knitters bliss will hopefully find me soon.