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Applied I-Cord Bind-Off:

CO 3 sts
K2, K2togtbl, Sl3 (from right needle to left needle)
* K2, K2togtbl, Sl3 (from right needle to left needle) *

repeat from * to *

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I went with poeticknits to Wool 'N Things Thursday. She was doing a yarn run and I had some yarn shopping to do as well, so it was great to both go to an awesome LYS as well as hang out with an awesome person. She's a riot.

I successfully picked up the missing yarn for Arbor, and finished off the bottom of the piece at home that evening. Picking up the stitches along the neckline is taking FOREVER but it'll be worth it. Once I finished off the bottom, the rest of it fit better, so I was much less worried about how the bodice would fit. I did do an extra decrease row since I have pretty narrow shoulders. I shouldn't have worried, the neckline ended up WAY too small. I ripped it out once and did it again, and I'm thinking I may rip it out a second time too *sigh* At least it's wearable in the mean-time, just not as open as I would like.. Learning the I-Cord bind off was a bonus though! I must have glazed over that part when I read the pattern the first time through. One complaint about the pattern (though, not bad if there's only one) is that she doesn't mention how much the i-cord bind off pulls in the neckline. It's ridiculous.



I also managed to pick up some sock yarn for christmas slippers at the yarn store, as well as some cool toys for the swap I'm participating in. All-on-all a very successful day!



Friday I had a job interview. I think it went pretty well. I don't talk about what I do much here, mostly out of respect for fellow employers/co-workers. Since moving to Ottawa I've had a lot of different jobs in my field, but recently have really enjoyed contracting out to firms, rather than full time employment. Full-time is still my end-goal, but I'm happy with how things are going right now (even if that means I'm broke). Regardless, maybe this interview will turn into something, maybe not, but I'm trying to be flexible about it. No stress!

Back to the knitting! Not much progress has been made on the sock. I did turn the heel, and though it's quite tight, I think it's wearable. I think if I do this pattern again, I'll have to adjust the numbers a bit, make the sock a little bigger. Anyway, here's a progress pic.



I'm very excited about finishing Arbor. I'll be able to start something else. I've had some projects that I've wanted to do for awhile, and I have all these possibilities going around my head. I love this hobby ^_^

This first photo demonstrates the tight neckline



Another from the front, after a day of wearing (it hasn't stretched at all, which is awesome!)



And one from the back, where there might have been some slight stretching, but I'm not overly concerned. I still think it wore very well.



I was able to wear it Saturday for the first time. It wore well. I was happy with the amount of stretch over the course of the day; not too much, but a little in all the right ways. I stand by the fact that the neckline is still too tight. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but I need to rip it out. Again. I'm very happy otherwise. I'm glad I decided to make the arm holes smaller, since they're perfect now. I'm happy I decided to lengthen the twisted rib by 2 inches, and think another inch wouldn't have been a bad thing. I think after opening up the neckline, I will have a near perfect item of clothing. What a fantastic experience!

Last month was some close friends of ours' first wedding Anniversary. To celebrate, I wanted to take them out for dinner. They suggested a movie as well, so we went to see Kung Fu Panda. It was a riot. You should all go see it if you haven't already! It was well above my expectations, and one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. On that note, if you can find a smaller theatre showing it, BenX is another fantastic movie that isn't getting nealry enough attention. It's Finnish with English subtitles and is one of the first movies I've even seen address bullying in a realistic light.

Look at this picture again



Verrry tight on the heel. Do I keep telling myself they're fine and keep going? Or do I rip them out and start again? They're wearable (most likely?), just tight. Please take this poll.