A quickie..........

.....just to prove I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, although from the lack of posts this week I may as well have done.
I've been getting well stuck in to the dreaded aran chair cover and can confidently predict that the end is in sight (no photos though, battery's gone dead). I've also done loads of swatches for MIL's top. As it's being knitted from some very fine cotton on the machine there is no way I could avoid doing a swatch. I have designed the pattern myself using Knitware Sweaters version 2.5 - it's just a Vee-neck, three-quarter length sleeve straight up and down top with a band of lace around the bottom edge and the sleeves. The lace is proving a bit tricky though - I don't really understand how punchcards work so the finished product is not quite how I imagined it to be. Also, when I'm doing the lacy bits, stitches keep dropping off and it's a real pain to catch them. If anyone has any handy hints on how to avoid this happening, I would be very grateful.
I haven't done any more to the sailmaker top, which is the only other WIP at present, as I really want to finish the DACC (see above); this hasn't stopped me pondering what to make with the HipKnits cashmere I got at Ally Pally, favourite so far is a pair of gloves. I can't help feeling that cashmere is too good for socks - if I make gloves, I'll be able to feel them and see them (and rub them against my face whenever I like, which would be pretty hard to do with socks).
Trouble is, I don't seem to be able to get as much knitting done as I would like. I used to take my knitting to work with me and fit in a few rows in the car whilst waiting for my appointments, but we've changed the way our appointments are organised and I no longer have gaps. I can't believe the difference it makes, my progress is so slow now.
Anyway, that's enough for now, I should have been in bed ages ago. Night, night x x x