A Good Day

It was Very Good Day. Today N and I went to Target, on the usual get-all-the-soap-trip, and also to get several thousand cotton balls. Apparently someone else has to put 1300 tiny mouse skulls in vials, because they were all sold out.
Then we went to Red Lobster for lunch, because I am a crab junkie . . .

ANYWAY, when we got back I had my Yarnmarket package waiting--the stuff from the gift certificate from P&P (Like my clever code-names for privacy?) Admire the lovely Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, the nifty hemp pattern, the magnetic snaps for purses, and the new Chibi darning needles.

But, wait! It gets better. The Summer IK was in the mailbox, which was fantastic because I got some Rowan 4-ply soft with my other birthday money. (It's my last birthday, btw, until some progress is made. No, I'm not all Ally-McBeal-OMG!!!111!! I'm 30 and NOT MARRIED!! Perish the thought. It's about professional goals. And I'm not 30. Yet.)
The new yarn is to make the very interesting Annie Modesitt Bias Corset. It has some new shaping techniques for me to try out. I am going to try to add some straps, so I can wear it with a regular bra. I don't want to buy a strapless bra, because it would cut into the yarn budget . . .
I should add, the color is "Victoria," which is kind of an eggplant. I could be classy and say "aubergine," but I'm not sure how to spell it, and spelling it wrong would be declasse, thus cancelling out my attempted poshness.

After 2 attempts at Picovoli, I'm going to have to call it a day on the top-down raglan. It's a very well-written pattern, with lovely tables and diagrams and suggested measurements and
everything my sciency mind appreciates, but the
plain fact is that Petitification works better bottom-up. It's easier to guess (until one gets the
perfect measurement figured out) and knit 1.5" less to the underarm, and mess with the neckline at the end. Top-down, it's all got to be re-done if the bra straps show. Version 1.0 resulted in a very over-sized neckline. Version 2.0 was better, but still a bit too much slack around the neck and a new strange problem appeared with the waist decreases--some bulges in the back. I probably need to do different increase rates at back and front. . .
The picture does not do the color justice. It's Creative Focus cotton, and sky blue-almost periwinkle. I'll have to hunt up some photo editing freewear that lets me adjust brightness.

Jaywalker, on the other hand, is coming out nicely once I hit on the correct needle size--the ball band and I had a rare falling out. I did learn Magic Loop while making a ginormous sock. I've got some Southwest Trading Co bamboo in a lovely shade of ruby red and a cute Hemp for Knitting pattern until I feel ready to face the cotton again, but the bamboo looks a bit snaggy and I'll need some patience to cast-on the 207 sts (it's bottom-up in-the-round).


I think I'll do a page of fit tips for short knitters. I'm a fit nazi.