The Olympic Qualifying Rounds

I am still in the process of cleaning out/up my stash and WIP's.  Last Thursday I plunked my butt down in the middle of the living room and resumed the drudgery and pain neccesary task that is sitting on the floor and having to decide what to keep (it has to have a good reason to stay) and what to give to my Mom.  While torturing myself working hard I found a WIP that I had forgotten about (yes, I have forgotten about most of them).  This one is a pair of argyle socks.  I designed them myself and after finishing the first one realized that I would have to buy more yarn if I wanted them to be identical.  Well, I'm just not that picky and money for yarn is always scarce.  So, I had started the second sock with the colors reversed.  Thus, they became the Funky Fraternal Argyles.

I am cowering in fear of biding my time on starting to work on fixing the red hot mess that is Carter's Zip-up Ski Vest and so when I went to Kathy's for knit night on Friday I took the socks with me.  It took a couple of minutes to get my bearings (since I lost the color chart long ago and now it is just in my head and on the socks).  Once I figured out where I was, it's been smooth sailing.  

I started from where the darning needle is on Friday night.

Tails-a-plenty

The first sock with main colors purple & pink

Sewing up the seam that runs from the top of the heel to the top of the cuff.

Pulled tight together the pattern matches up perfectly (Shame it didn't happen on the FIRST try)

Stitches picked up and heel in progress.  Notice the hole left at the bottom of the seam.  I'll take care of this once I finish the heel.  The tail of the seam is hanging on the inside to finish the seam.

Time to turn the heel.  The three parts of a completed heel (heel flap, turning the heel, and picking up the gusset stitches) are my absolute favorite things to knit.  I can't imagine how anyone ever figured out how to do this but he/she was a freakin' genius!

Heel turned.  All is right with the world (or my sad little corner of it anyway).

Colors switched, gusset decreases done (the trick is to add an extra stitch for the selvage on each side and remembering to do the decrease when there are 4 stitches left instead of the usual 3), all live stitches back on the needles.  All that's left now is a inch or two of the foot, the toe decreases, grafting, sewing the seams on the sides of the foot, and the rest of the tails.

Fits great!  This yarn is Web's brand of Valley Yarn Superwash wool in a worsted weight that I bought the one time I was actually there!  If you are ever in the neighborhood (Mass) you MUST visit this amazing place.  Not to be sacrilegious but it is the equivalent of Mecca for yarn and fiber lovers. The colors are 419 Biscuit, 320 Plum, 522 Teal, 694 Spring Leaf, Black, and I don't see the same pink color there anymore but 913 Mauve would certainly work.

Two seams and the tails to go...

It looks like I am going to sail through this qualifying round.  Then I won't have any more excuses to keep me from getting my ass in gear on that red hot mess....