It's not The Monkey, it's Me

I started The Monkey a few times. I wasn't convinced about the fit of the cast on and over-thought my response to the Claudia yarn's tendency to pool in this the Chocolate Cherry version. I tried a second time on a needle a size up, but then I thought the lace was too loose. Third time, I had a plan. I would alternate yarn by row. That's what people do, or so I read. Perfect plan. And I doubled up on the yarn in the cast on, a strategy borrowed from the IK Rib and Cable sock. Liked the way the colors alternated in the ribbing.

Not surprisingly, the yarn continued to artfully elude my attempts to control it. I unleashed pooling in a broad swath. Really thought it was pretty, though. The tone on tone variations were really pretty as pooled.

Soldiered on alternating skeins by row and started to puzzle over how the other sock WOULD look. Would I get that synchronous pooling from the alternating skeins? I realized at the heel I would need to stop alternating, particularly as the spot for alternating was dead center back. No worries. Tackled the heel. Marched onto the foot and resumed alternating from the two skeins. Discovered that I was creating a more visible ridge in the foot than I'd noticed in the leg.

Tried it on. Sure enough, that visual ridge was also a nice firm one underfoot. Rats.

The fourth time will be the charm.