Elizabeth vs. the Jaywalker

Ever since Ack posted a bunch of links to her favorite knitting sites I have been obsessed with making a pair of Jaywalkers.
Months went by as I finished other projects, attempted new sock knitting techniques, and plotted my yarn purchases.
I received some KnitPicks Essential in Meadow Multi

I read the pattern. I realized that 76 sts on size 2 needles would be huh-uge. I spent some time swatching and adjusting. I came up with this.
A Drunken Jaywalker sock...
Now while I do find the pooling interesting, I knew this was not quite right. I put the sock an a holder and set it aside. For two months...
Over Christmas break I purchase some Adrafil Knitcol. This, I thought, would be perfect for Jaywalkers.
I grabbed my Harmony size 1's/32"circular and cast on. I was sick in bed with a cold. So I got down to the heel rather quickly.At this point problems arise:
1. I'm at a place in my knitting career where I know the basic sock recipe. Even in my medicated haze I could see the heel flap was extraordinarily large for me. So I ripped back and tried again. Better in length, but still to wide which means the sock in general is just too...damn...big. I could rip back and put in a fiddly decrease, but that would look weird. Nothing for it but to order some 0's from Knit Picks, rip all the way out, and try again.
2. Sirius has managed to chew off the end of one of the 1's forcing me to sand it down to a somewhat serviceable point and refinish it with nail polish. The needle is still usable if I keep the stunted needle in my left hand, but I ordered a new one anyway.
3. There will not be enough yarn. I can see the amount I have left in the ball after the heel flap is not enough for the foot. I only have two balls. I need three. I head back to the LYS of purchase. No Yarn. None left in that color. We looked thoroughly, trust me.
I immediately went home and checked on WEBS. There was, and I'm not kidding, one ball left in color #45. I bought it. I don't care about the dye lot, at this point finishing the socks and making them fit is a vendetta. Color is irrelevant.

Meanwhile the Drunken Jaywalker has fallen down and landed in the frog pond. I'm still keeping the picture up on Ravelry because I really do enjoy that funky pooling.

So I wait for the three-legged mule that delivers the mail to bring me needles and yarn.

The needles and yarn arrive-on the same day no less. I cast on the size 0's. I cast on two at once thinking to expedite the process. I realize when I get to the end of the ribbing I have only 72 stitches per sock. I should have 76. This mistake is because I cast on the Jaywalkers immediately after the Secret of the Stole cast on-which is 71 inches. (I don't really get the logic either-please don't ask me.) I increase to the right amount. I knit 2 inches. I measure the socks. Even going down a needle size, even tightening my tension as much as possible, it is still 9" around. Too.. Damn... Big!
So I rip out again.
This time I swatch the zig zag pattern and I take out 1 stitch from each panel so I am casting on a total of 68 stitches instead of 76. At this point I am one with the zig zag pattern so I can comfortably adjust the amount of stitches. I cast on 34 sts for my swatch, when completed the swatch should be half the size of the sock-4 inches. I knit for 2 inches in my loose-ish style. (I am lazy about swatching and on socks at least I can adjust the length as I go.) I steam blocked the swatch. (Again-lazy. Or maybe impatient?) It is 4 inches wide.
I've cast on again. At 68 sts I am only knitting 6 sts between the decreases and increases, everything else is the same. I can proportionally adjust the rest of the pattern as I go. I'm up to 2" now and everything is going OK. So far, I will not be lulled into a false sense of security. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! People at work keep looking at me funny as they have noticed I'm always knitting yet never seem to be making any progress on these socks. That's OK, when they are finished I may wear them for the entire day at work without shoes. Including my appearance on stage for the intermission shift. The 250 people in the Yale Rep audience can admire my f-ing cool socks that took some serious blood, sweat, and tears to make.