training exercises

(First, my apologies for the crummy photos - my digital camera takes really bad close-ups and night shots!)

My beautiful soft merino wool arrived on Friday so I set aside some time on the weekend to get the feel of it and my new dpns through knitting up a gauge swatch like a good person.








Here is the hank all balled up and ready to start (don't know why it looks so blue in this shot.)










Here is my swatch after I finished it last night - you can't really see it very well, but I love the way the pattern comes out, subtle but neat. The needles are a dream to use. I was a bit worried about the small size, but they're really smooth, and the length is just right. If these socks turn out okay it's going to be really hard to give them up!



And finally an awful shot of the blocked swatch. It's slightly out but nothing blocking the hell of it won't fix ;) The yarn was so deliciously soft to wash, buttery like silk.

Now I can't wait to start - coverage of the opening ceremony starts at 7:45am on Saturday!