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What a stressful week it was - it included a trip to the ER (meth addicts included in the waiting room).  I got some free time this morning and decided to start “The Pattern at the Top” on the Mason Dixon After Dark Nightie.  I spent about a half hour trying to figure out was SK2P, and kept ending up with knitting messes and “No, that can’t be right” kept going through my head with every attemtpt.  Then the light bulb went off and it was time to Google SK2P.  The first hit led to a plea for help from another knitter (hey I’m not alone!) and another knitter recommend this sight http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-glossary.  It had a handy video of how to do the stitch.  Like most people I have a hard time understanding how to do something and the directions, to quote another knitting friend, all seem to be translated from Sanskrit to Chinese, and then to English.  In other words it seems like a lot gets lost in translation.  That in itself is a whole rant.  Anyway, once I figured out how to Sk2P I was able to determine that I need to put stitch markers every 6 stitches.  I have 2 sets of the pattern done and need to do another.  I am getting closer to the end!

Last night I met my good knitter friend, RR, at the Barley Mill.  We brought our projects and made a resolution to knit from our stashes for the next 6 months.  No new yarn. That means no more Rubber Made containers for yarn and unfinished projects. Here is my plan -  after I finish the nightie I am going to make a vest out some camel yarn I got on sale, rip a-part this sweater that has been sitting in bag in the closet for over two years and finally finish it, make a bunch of  felted flowers out of that Rubber Maid container of Lambs Pride (Yes, I have an entire Rubber Made container of Lambs Pride) and finish the steering wheel cover and dice that I saw on Knitty on Gritty.  Being true knitters we spent the next hour looking through the “Knitting Lingerie Style” book trying to decide which project we want to start on - either the boy shorts and halter set or leggings and racer back top.  Such decisions!!!  Then I opened the daily e-mail from Interweave Press and ended up downloading the free pattern for hand towels.  This resolution may be harder than I thought.

The false seam is one of the better knitting tricks.  It’s going to keep the dress from fitting like a tube, and it gives some definition to the garmet. I knitted a skirt in the round several years ago and didn’t do a false seam (I didn’t know about it them), and when I walked in the skirt it swirled (I’m  not sure if that the right word) around and would get bunched up between my legs.  Not a pretty sight and rather difficult.  The false seam is rather daunting because you are basically ripping a stitch all the way to the bottom and picking it up.  I don’t know about you, but I have spent the last 20 years trying not to drop stitches and it’s never easy to go and pick them up - it never seems to look quite right too.  Anyway, I pulled down the first stitch on the side for 35 inches.  Yes, it was tedious and took a long time and I was trying not to freak out.  Once  I started picking the stitches up, one stitch, then two stitches (see the pattern for “Blu” for great directions) it wasn’t so bad. I got the first side done,  knitted around the other and got it done.   Now it’s time to start on the last 4 1/2 inches!  The goal is to have this project completed by Valentins day.