I love them both, but the second one is probably my favorite. Green is my favorite color, and I see there is light green in there :-)
I understand about needing to do more than one project at a time, or needing more variety. I made a Simple Irish Chain (very basic Carol Doak pattern) and thought about making another one since it was pretty and easy, but I decided against it because I think I would get bored. I always want to push my next project a little further than the last. It keeps my interest peaked and builds on my skill bank.