Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Knitting Olympics :: A Debt of Honor


Cobblestone sleeve #1
Originally uploaded by spinnity
Hi knitters, How's your winter going? I've been pretty scattered, dividing my energy into too many things to do any of them really well. (As anyone who looked at my UFO Smackdown photo could have told you. Final score: 3 of 8. Not a passing grade. And the Fiber Fiend's Corsica [Rav link] is moving into the final stages slowly, slowly.)

I see two issues holding me back from actually finishing stuff: "judging" my work to be less than what I want and plain old follow-through. I get these ideas, but then they don't turn into action. I think that's why I got such a thrill when I saw that the Yarn Harlot is running her Olympic challenge again this year.

For you non-knitters, the idea is to take on a personal challenge that will be tough for you to complete in the 17 days of the 2010 Winter Olympics and then work intensely on that one thing until it is done. Great chance to really sink into one thing and make it happen. And the timeline means you have to get past the judging and just *do* it .

I had planned to knit a sweater for myself - and I had a couple of patterns picked out as possible candidates. But two weeks ago, I realized that I could use this challenge to honor the man who encourages me in everything I do. I am knitting a Brooklyn Tweed [Rav link] for my dearest husband. Because there is no one in the universe who appreciates a hand-knitted gift more than Bill.

I have a total of 17 days to finish the challenge - 12 left after today. Cobblestone will take 13 balls of yarn to finish and I've knit three so far, using the long holiday weekend to make a good start on the project. The Cobblestone starts with manageable sleeves, which are small tubes knit on DPNs, and I'm nearly done with that bit. [And Bill has enthusiastically tried those sleeves on over and over again. So far, they fit!]

Tomorrow I'll be moving into the long rows in the middle of the project, where I expect slower progress for about 4 or 5 days until I get into the yoke part, where the shorter and shorter rows will send me rushing towards the finish line. I still think I can hit the mark and finish in time for Olympic gold, but even if this sweater stretches on past the closing ceremonies, the finished object will be loved by the recipient and I will have discharged at least part of my debt of honor to my beloved.

1 Comments:

Blogger Bogie said...

I realized that I could use this challenge to honor the man who encourages me in everything I do.

I love that. Go Spinnity Go!

February 23, 2010 11:58 AM  

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