Swatched on 4s and 3s - liked the fabric on the 4s better, but gauge was off so I’m knitting the XS - fingers crossed this works, otherwise I’m going to be on a strict water and air diet :)

3/21: Just finished the left shoulder, tried it on over my clothing - thought it was a little small and that it wouldn’t meet in the middle when the right shoulder is finished. Then went to the office bathroom, took off my top and tried it on again. Fits perfectly, meets exactly halfway across my front.

Ok, and then I second guessed myself and added the four additional rows for the size S. Those 4 extra stitches might come in handy.

Joined fronts. Fits perfectly. Super happy.

3/22: Knit 22 rows after join before starting darts.

Joined back, tried on, yay happy fit!

Started hip increases. Knitting something without a back makes it go much faster.

3/23: Probably no updates for a while cause, well, skirt.

3/25: Finished first ball of yarn. Since one of my skeins is ever so slightly different from the other two, I’m going to pause on the body. I’m going to knit the neckline with the matching skein and then start the arms alternating with the less matching skein. Since I don’t want noticeable striping, I’m going to experiment with varying the number of rows between alternating and see what yields the best results then copy that when I return to the body. P.S. This thing is AWESOME!

3/26: Started second ball of yarn to do neckline. Decided it was not a good enough match and that the difference would really really bother me. Measured how many yards I had used thus far and will unravel the body the number of yards I’ll need to make the neckline using ball #1; the other two balls are close enough that it’s not going to super bother me for the rest of the skirt and sleeves, but I want the neckline to match.

3/27: First sleeve done. Bound off by folding the hem over and knitting together with the matching stitch on the inside. I should mention that I can tell that there’s a difference where I went into the new skeins, but I am alternating them in as haphazard a way as possible so that a pattern doesn’t emerge.

3/30: Second sleeve done. When I look at the two sleeves I can’t see the color shift as much as I thought I would, hoping the skirt looks just as seamless!

4/1: No, I have no progress report, still stockinetting through the skirt. But as I work on this, I’m thinking I might rip out the neck again and I’ll explain why: I think there are two rows too many in the front and not enough rows in the back. Blocking might take care of some of that, but I’m giving some serious consideration to short rows by the back shoulders to allow me to close up the back area a little more, just so the whole dress doesn’t fall off - to this end, I’m also thinking i might go down a needle size or two to tighten it up.

Ok, later in the day and I do have a progress report: I am, amazingly, below my hips on the skirt by a good 2 inches. This might not take as long as I had anticipated!

4/2: Project pic! Ok so yes, we can all tell where the yarn starts to match less but I kinda don’t care!

4/7: Knitting is done. I ripped out the neckline and replaced it as follors:

Using size 2.5 needles I picked up 2 stitches for every three rows to 4” below the armpit, picking up a stitch every other row to the armpit, resuming 2 for 3 to the shoulder; at the shoulder I began picking up 3 sts for every four rows, placing a maker after the 6th stitch past the shoulder and another 6 sts before the other shoulder; mimiced the pickups on the other side, then picking up every stitch along the bottom of the back. I started ribbing to one stitch before the first marker, turned using German short rows - repeated this 5 times before ribbing all the way around for four additional rows. Bound off in rib.

This did EXACTLY what I was hoping which is to tighten up the back so that it didn’t fall off my shoulders while SIMULTANEOUSLY presenting a prettier neckline with a shorter section of ribbing.

Buttons and pressing and photos come next!