Building Blocks: Block #9

I finished up Building Block #9 last week but just finally blocked it yesterday.

I love this checkerboard look of this block.

Some squares of the checkerboard are created by purl stitches on the right side of the block. The pattern designer got fancy with the other squares. She included left twists which give the appearance of left-leaning diagonal lines in the other checkerboard squares. I wish my left twists were a little more tidy looking.  A left twist stitch is worked over two stitches: skip the first stitch, knit into the back of the stitch of the second stitch but leave it on the left needle, then knit the first stitch into the front of the stitch, and then move both stitches to the right needle.

I love that in Michelle Hunter's patterns she incorporates a lot of twisted stitches. You get the appearance of cable stitches without having to trouble with a cable needle. 

I did have my very first Building Blocks Afghan Class last week.  We had a snow storm that day, so I few ladies were unable to attend. I will be having a "make up" class today.  I have completed Block #10, so I'll post about that very soon.