Calling All Reinforcements

Dear Cynthia,
First, I just want to mention how much I have appreciated the comments which people have left on our blog! In response to the question about the skirts, I was using an existing booklet called "Sassy Skirts", by Cindy Taylor Oates. I followed the basic instructions for skirt construction, and used the pattern for the top tier, but the remaining tiers are just long rectangular strips which I sized based on how much fabric I had in my stash. My goal was "no new fabric". It sounds a lot like my knitting mantra for the summer: "no new yarn". And to "anonymous", I just want to say, "Thank you for your kind comment!"

Regarding the more angst-causing thing in my life right now: Summer in Kansas, I actually made positive progress (which I have not had to frog yet a fourth time...so far) in the knit-on-border arena. I credit invoking all forms of "reinforcements". Notice the following in this photo:

• Stitch markers on the needle between every ten stitches so that I can more easily make sure that I'm using up the "live stitches" at the rate the pattern calls for
  
• An Excel chart having 36 rows and 10 columns, for me to put an "x" in each box after knitting one row. The most insane part of this is that once I fill up this chart, I am only just approaching the center point, and after the center point, I get to fill up this entire 360 square chart AGAIN
• It might be difficult to spot, but I put lifelines in a few border rows, just to insure that I never in this lifetime have to go back and re-start the #%&)*ing border again.
• I switched from my circular needle to a straight needle, which is just easier for me to maneuver

My original goal was to have this done by June 25th. Since the border has 890 rows in it, I must knit 50 rows per day, which is very workable as long as I stop doing laundry and keep the de-cluttering in the house to a minimum. We'll see.....

I'm glad to see you are starting your lace so that we may comiserate, I mean share in each other's victories. Your post made me feel less like a moron.... Or, perhaps it just means we are both morons? I've been called worse....

Warm regards,
Laura (YarnThrower)
P.S. I've got to try that Russian join you mentioned. It looks quicker and easier than unraveling plies and using spit to try to attach ends together.