Its hard to believe that its almost a week since I got back from Sydney... where does the time go, its getting scary how fast things move sometimes. Then other times 5 O'clock just wont roll around.

Anyway we had some really great meals in Sydney and did a lot of walking but not a lot of shopping. Unfortunately my older colleagues were more interesting in finding a nice bar and having a few drinks... but i wanted to go shopping and I didn't feel comfortable enough to leave the group. Maybe next time... Yup I think there will be a next time in around June :D!

Anyway I've finally gotten through fixing up my blue bolero, I re-did that right side THREE TIMES! First I just guessed at the length and Oh gee it was still too short, Then i actually measured and kept increasing to an appropriate length. Then when i was seaming up i noticed that the edges didn't line up... that's because the red lines on each side need to be the same length and my increasing stuffed that up. Not to mention that my arm circumference wasn't big enough either (that's the green lines).

The red lines don't look like they're the same in this pic but that's probably due to my dodgy pinning and photography, i seamed up one side last night and they were fine :)

After all that debacle I decided to leave the right side and start working on the left to hopefully curb my frustration.... that's when I noticed a distinctive difference between what I had knitted previously on the left side to what I was now knitting.

I WAS USING THE WRONG SIZE NEEDLE - DAMMIT!!

I swear I wanted to just break down and cry... cos I knew it meant i had to do the right side A. G. A. I. N

Right - so I calmly ripped what I'd done back, got the right size needle and started again.

This time I actually thought about the fit, I measured around the top of my arm and knew that i had to keep knitting the arm until the green line area was equal to my arm measurement... while doing that I kept increasing at the neck area (the pattern only calls for 9 increase row repeats).

This allowed me to have a bigger front incline which will cover my chest more. Then I was able to follow the pattern for the curved front edge and still end up with the right amount of stitches in the red areas.


I'd DONE IT!!!





I cannot tell you how relieved I am... and how much I realised that I'm not destined to be a designer :) - or maybe that's the easy part... modifying to fit is the hard part!

Now I've just got to seam up the other side and start working on the edging. The pattern actually says to do that before seaming up, but i hate that idea... sure its like 300 odd stitches to go around the outside but at least that way i know they're all going to be even.

I must say that the Lion Brand Cotton Ease has held up respectively well to the repeated frogging and knitting... although i suspect after a few washes that it will start to pill, particularly under my arms ;(

In other news, I'm eagerly anticipating some packages to arrive sometime soon :)

One is a package from my KnittingHelp.com 2008 swap Buddie... which I'm actually hoping will be waiting for me when I get home today.

The second is equally as exciting... 4 hanks of Malabrigo SILKY merino. That's their new line of merino wool blended with silk = SQUEEEEEE!! I got colourway Smoke, which I'm hoping will be a dark grey. I cant find any piccies of it - oh well I'll have to take lots when it arrives :)

oh and I alsmost forgot, yesterday I ordered Knit Fix book from Amazon.com after it being recommended by Sani who does the Knitting Daily blog at interweave. I'm such a sucker :) but really every knitter should have a fix it book... see i can see all the heads nodding out there! That wont rock up for a good two weeks tho.

Please God Hurry It UP !!

:-)