Round 2 Begins

What the ????

We actually got some snow today, but as it was about 35 F while it was falling, it didn't stick.

It just make the higher elevations slushy and slippery so that we had to cancel our Eastside Stitchers Fiber Friday.

I had so much stitching to do today.  I got up at about 6:30am and got right to work on my Transfiguration OWL Afghan.  I have one more square to finish (well 1/2 of one now) and a border to hook, and it is all done.  Well, I have to sew in the last 4 squares.

Sock Madness Teams were named yesterday, so I was expecting the Round 2 pattern to be released today, and indeed it was.  I got my email with the pattern at about 9:00 am, but I made myself finish the afghan square round I was hooking.

The pattern is by Caoua Coffee, and is really interesting.  It has intarsia in the round.  I have never done intarsia.  I am learning as I go.  It isn't tough, but I am not sure if my tension is the most even.  I hope it all evens up in the wash.

I am using 2 yarns from my stash, a pretty purple (plum) from Cascade Heritage Socks, and a nice delicate pink from Spud and Chloe.

We cast on with the dark color and ribbed for a bit, so I started mine 2-at-a-time.  The cast on wasn't specified, so I used the Slip Knot Cast On from the book, Cast On Bind Off: 54 Step by Step Methods by Leslie Ann Bestor.  I have used this before, and it is stretchier than the long tail cast on, but it is a bit fiddly.  The hardest part of this cast on for me is keeping the slip knots close together so the top of the sock looks neat.  This was a bit of a problem today, but I think they look fine.  It took me quite a while to get both socks cast on, though.  I am definitely feeling a bit of time pressure.

I knit through the cuffs,

then had to separate the sock to 2 different circular needles (I am using my 2 new Chiao Goo Red Lace size 0) to work on the intarsia.  My son, Pookie, came home after school, and realizing that It Had Begun, he brought me the apple snack, and did the dishes for me so the kitchen was clean.

I kept up my strength with healthy snacks.

When the Doc got home, he also realized that the Round had begun, so he made a frozen pizza for dinner.  What good sports I have.

 I have finished the intarsia pattern on the first sock, and just begun it on the 2nd.  I had to stop checking the progress thread as it is just too intimidating to see how fast the other knitters are.  I took this progress photo at about 4 pm as I wanted  to have decent light.

Yes, it is supposed to look like that.  The intarsia is very subtle.  Wait until you see the finished design.  It is really cool.

It is now after midnight so I am going to get some sleep and get back to work when I wake up.

Peace,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with somewhat stiff shoulders.