CatsEye: Olympics

FO: Callisto Gloves

Details on Ravelry here ...

11:35 PM in Knitting, Olympics | Permalink | Comments (0)

As usual, I expected that I would blog magnificently about my entry in the Knitting Olympics (and as per usual, the blogging just. didn't. happen). Hey, I was busy knitting! Good thing it wasn't the Blogging Olympics, eh?!

So now, to catch up on the back(b)log:

Day 1: For the first time ever, I sat and watched an Olympic opening ceremony. And cast on and did the little triangle border and the eight prep rows ... three times. Maybe all the colours and the fireworks and songs were just a little too distracting? Finally after three hours (three hours?!), I had this much completed.

Not an overly impressive start. I went to bed trying to figure out whether I stood the faintest chance of finishing this in 16 days. Especially when I realised that though those 16 days included three whole weekends, I was knitting lace, which have to be blocked (so say goodbye to that last weekend).

Day 2: I couldn't do the math in my head, so Saturday morning, instead of knitting I made myself a chart/schedule kinda thing.

I spent 6 hours knitting time on Saturday, and I'd nearly completed the top half of my schedule ... but it's a triangular shawl whose rows just keeps getting longer and longer, so to note that I was 20% done made me feel somewhat more realistic.

Days 3-14: The main thing that I hoped the KOs would teach me (and it did) was Focus. I can concentrate on one thing ... for two or three hours an evening, every day except one ... and get something finished. Deep down I probably did know this about me - it's just too easy to be seduced by something new and exciting and different. It's more fun. So anyway, here's a finished object (blocked on Day 16, with three hours to spare).

I had a real phobia about the whole blocking thing(why? ... it was so easy!).

Pure Elfin Gold. I didn't do the heart border - I decided it would be a bit twee for my mum. Also, she's quite petite and it really wasn't necessary for the length/width.

Lessons learned? Well, I found the colours, erm, REPULSIVE. (I'll try not to mention that to her when I gift it for Mother's Day). But really, pink and blue and green = bleughhh! If it wasn't for the Olympic challenge (and the knowledge that I won't ever have to wear it) the hideous thing would have been frogged after Day 1.

Don't get me wrong, I like the pattern and I may just knit me one, one day. But not in this colourway. And the bad news is ... I probably only used a third of the "skank", so I have loads left.

Maybe my next challenge is to learn to knit with my eyes closed ... I've got four years right?!

09:42 PM in Knitting, Olympics | Permalink | Comments (1)

2006 Knitting Olympics

Knittingolympics1 I temporarily misplaced my sanity and signed up for the 2006 Knitting Olympics.

It's certain that I don't need any more pressure in my life. What with year-end at work (which may last until April ...), and the growing list of things that "need doing" around the house, I believe I'm getting my fair share of stress.

So why would I volunteer to add to that - by stepping up to the challenge of starting a project (no probs there) and completing it in sixteen days? Ah, to actually finish something ... that's why.

I have started three lace shawls in the last two months - two got frogged and the other is stalled. My participation in this amazing event will cover knitting an Elfin Lace Shawl (Cherry Tree Hill) in Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace (Somerset colourway) as a gift for Mother's Day (sometime in March in the UK) .

Knitting it. Finishing it. Blocking it (yikes!). Today I wound the skein into a whopping great big ball, and swatched. My training is complete. Bring it on.

Gbr PS. Not only have I blogged two days in a row ... but I made a button. For all those who need a Great Britain team button, here it is. Please take a copy and don't link here (blah blah blah). I'm happy to take requests for specific events ... anything to avoid cleaning the house!