The power of 3 is a strange and mystical thing - beloved of marketers and writers alike. It is a well known fact that the human brain is wired to group things naturally into 3's. We talk about levels of achievement being gold, silver and bronze (or 1st, 2nd and 3rd places). The Golden Ratio which forms the basis of so many elements of design and composition essentially breaks an image down into thirds to create something which the human eye is naturally drawn to.

As a knitter I'm pleased to see that this theory also holds true when it comes to yarn. A quick glance at the Ravelry 'Hot Right Now' page will usually yield a fair number of wildly popular 3 colour shawls. When browsing in a yarn store it feels entirely natural to pick up a skein of yarn, admire it and then start browsing for complimentary colours and shades. Sometimes you have a specific project in mind but other times you find yourself doing it for the sheer joy of playing with colour. Holding colours against each other and marvelling as each new pairing somehow manages to bring something else to the party.

Sure, one skein by itself is pretty but look how a complimentary skein next to it makes those little pops of blue really stand out. Doesn't it really make the whole thing sing?

And so it was on a recent trip to Loop, London. A skein of very pretty Madelaine Tosh jumped out at me from the shelves and before I knew it I was merrily selecting a few more to keep it company on the way home.

As to what they will become I have no idea yet. Knowing my track record I think it's a safe bet that stripes and garter stitch might feature heavily but other than that I have no idea. For now I'm quite happy to welcome them onto my 'yarn pet' shelf and let them rest for a while.