Knitting

I spent quite a while this afternoon looking at other people's blogs because I couldn't think of anything to write about. I could write about my knitting, I suppose, but it's not all that interesting at present; on the needles is a..................well,.......................... a collection of loops is probably the most accurate description. It's knitted in this in the greeny-blue colourway and will hopefully turn out like this

only without the peculiar "thing" hanging down at the front. (Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2005) It's for Bethany and was, according to her, the only decent thing in all my magazines and knitting books (of which there are many, many, many - is it possible to have a stash of books as well as yarn?) Although it is a simple pattern, it has been quite a challenge to knit because of the combination of fine yarn and large (12.75mm) needles. It hasn't been helped by the fact that the needles have a habit of falling out at most inopportune moments - on Sunday, the yarn and one of the needles went rolling off down MIL's driveway and then again down the hill where we live. There's only a few more rows left to do, but then I have to join it all together. The pattern says to use slip-stitch crochet and have the seams showing on the outside. Sewing is definitely not an option - how do you sew spaces? Hopefully there will be a photo of the finished article by the week-end.
Apart from the above object, I have been fiddling around with a bit of free-form knitting and crochet. I saw Prudence Mapstone at Ally Pally and was so impressed that I bought her book. I've only made a small "scrumble" so far but the results are promising. The key to a successful freeform is colour, in my humble opinion. Although it seems like an excellent way of using up stash and all those annoying leftovers from colour work, I think that to make anything that you would actually want to be seen in, you need to choose the colours very carefully. The beauty of it is that if there is a very very expensive yarn that you've been dying to try, one skein can be enough if it's mixed in with lots of others. I have an idea forming at the back of my mind that would involve a skein of really beautiful hand-painted yumminess which could then be used as the basis for a colour-palette........................... maybe I should stick to something small to start with, at least until I have more of an idea about what I'm supposed to be doing.
The aran chair-cover is still ongoing - it will be subject to some intense attention as soon as Bethany's loopy thing is finished and I also have a new project to start (well, actually, there's about ten new projects waiting in the wings, but this is the one I most want to knit). It's a "Sailmaker" top from Elle yarns, bought at a bargain price from Scarf-o-matic during her de-stashing sale. I've wanted this kit for ages but couldn't really justify spending fifty quid, but half price.......well, honestly, how was I meant to resist?
Must go now, I'm on hairdressing duty; Lucy has finally decided on her new look....................