Skirting the Line

I was going to write about Troy's lined hat which now is not only finished but also photographed, but my zig zag skirt just up and butted in line. Ok, ok, so I might have shoved the hat out of the way to make room. I'm allowed; I'm the bouncer of my own blog and the hat just didn't cut it today!

So on to the skirt which has just sashayed its way into the VIP lounge.

I had stopped knitting on it at least a week ago because I knew it was getting close to the right length but couldn't tell for sure until I did the waistband. Late this past week, I finally got to it and over a few days got the waistband sewn down with a Kitchener like stitch. (It's exactly like Kitchener except I sew it to a previous row instead of live stitches.)

Once that was done except for a 2 inch gap, I inserted a piece of 3/8" elastic. (I found a random piece just the right length in a box full of miscellaneous notions!) It has tamed the waistband nicely and I don't think I will need a drawstring, which I was considering.

The skirt before I tackled the waistband.
You can see how loose the waistband (on top)
was without the elastic and how narrow
the bottom was with the needle still inserted.

I finished inserting the elastic last night just minutes before I had to leave for the evening. I tried to put the skirt on "just to see" and quickly learned that both my legs would not fit through the end where I had the knitting needle still inserted. Gah!

Not caring at that point if it would making me late (and thinking it probably wouldn't anyway), I threaded a cotton crochet thread through the hole in the end of the circular needle and pulled the needle out. This got my live stitches on the cotton thread and, most important, I was able to try it on. I didn't have a mirror, but it looked and felt like success. I then jumped out of the skirt, back into my jeans and out the door. (And I was still two minutes early even though I had to turn around after getting a mile down the road to come back for my bowling ball, which I had forgotten.)

Anyway, before putting the stitches back on the needle and getting back to knitting, I had to try it on again today and look in a mirror. And I had to take some pictures:

The length is getting pretty close but I think it can stand a couple more inches before I do the final garter stitch band. I also hope to block it so that it hangs straight down from my hips and doesn't give such a mermaid look. (That's a euphemism for not making my hips look so huge!)

This will stretch the skirt width-wise, which will steal some of the length. So I need to knit it a little longer than it looks like it needs.

I feel obliged to explain that I did not dress up for this photoshoot, but happened to still be hosed and booted up from my church outfit. My only proof is that I would never pair brown argyle tights with a grey striped skirt. QED.