. . . So it helps if you read the pattern. . .

It really, really does.

Remember my tension fail I wrote about last week?

Well, it's not so much that my tension got screwed up, it's that I didn't actually read the pattern.   I thought it was supposed to be 6 repeats of the colour-work chart.

No, it's 1 repeat of the chart all the way around with the rest of the sock in the stripe pattern.

. . . .

Well, don't I feel stupid.

On the plus side, I've frogged right back on this sock, and I'm taking the opportunity to learn two-at-a-time socks. I tried once before, but Magic Loop left me with a headache and a horrible tangle. 

But, as usual, with so many tutorials out there, finally something 'clicked.'   In this case, it was Silver's Sock Class' Two Toe-Up Socks on One Circular Needle Tutorial, which has been absurdly helpful, and finally made sense to my head. 

I'm hoping doing my socks (and sleeves, and gloves) two-at-a-time, will eliminate second sock/mitten/sleeve syndrome, which I have in spades.  I have very few finished socks and many socks without mates. 

I'm actually really excited about the idea two-at-a-time.  So far it's been really interesting. 

Test Knit Socks and a Tension Fail

Ok, so I finished the first of the Colour-work socks.

However. . . I had a tension fail.

As you can probably see, the tension on the second set of the stitch pattern is very different then the set on the first stitch pattern.  And I have absolutely no clue why that happened.  It's the same stitch pattern, same needles, so the fault isn't in the written pattern, just that my tension varied.

Now yes, your knitting tension can vary during the day, or even longer.  But this is a more extreme example of that!

Well, suffice to say, even blocking didn't save it.  While yes, I finished the test-knit, I'm still going to have to frog back to the heel and re-knit that part on larger needles.

Colourwork Test-Knit Socks and KAL Progress

So I have yet another pair of test-knit socks.

The colour-work socks don't have a pattern live yet on Ravelry, but they're progressing along ok.

I'm using the Blue Moon BFL Fingering I got at Lettuce Knit a while ago, and then Knit Picks Stroll Solids in White.    It'll be interesting to see how they turn out.

Also, I'm further along with my entries in the Sweet Georgia KAL.

My River Runs Through It Mittens:

And the Glacier Sweep Shawl:

Things are progressing well on the knitting front, it looks like!  I'm hoping to have some more things finished up soon.