We Knitters Are a Competitive Bunch

 

 

The Knitting Olympics Athletes Pledge
(from The Yarn Harlot Stephanie Pearl-McPhee)

I, a knitter of able hands and quick wits, to hereby swear that over the course of these Olympics I will uphold the highest standard of knitterly excellence.

I will be deft of hand and sure of pattern, I will overcome troubles of yarn overs and misplaced decreases. I will use the gifts of intelligence and persistence (as well as caffeine and chocolate) and I will execute my art to the highest form, carrying with me the hope for excellence known to every knitter.

I strive to win. To do my best, and to approach the needles with my own best effort in mind, without comparing myself to my fellow knitters, for they have challenges unique to them.

While I engage in this pursuit of excellence and my own personal, individual best, I also swear that I will continue to engage with my family in conversation, care for my pets, speak kindly with those who would ask me to do something other than knit, and above all, above every stitch thrown or picked, above every cable, every heel stitch, every change of colour, I swear this:

That I will remember that this is not the real Olympics, that I'm supposed to be having fun and that my happiness and self-worth ride not on my success....
but on my trying.

Let the games begin!

The Olympics began last night, if you missed it. And that means that Ravelympics, Knitting Olympics for the uninitiated, also began at 9p precisely. Tri-County Knitaholics (the knitting peeps) have been anticipating this for weeks. We have been gathering yarn and looking at patterns and winding center pull balls and swatching all in anticipation.

The anticipation builds as we gathered at Bonnie’s house for the opening ceremonies. Can you feel the tension in the room as we all worked on alternate projects. No casting on until 9p sharp!
You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Don’t we all look on edge?

We don’t? Really? That must be because we all have knitting needles in our hands, and that means that we are all calm and collected and….Yeah right.
We filled the time prior to the opening ceremonies by, what else, eating. Desserts, stuffed mushrooms (my contribution), chips, coffee and always…Oreos! We can’t meet without Oreos. I didn’t bring Pico de Gallo this time so there was no putting it on top of Oreos. But we managed.
What did I work on before the big cast on? Why socks of course. What did you expect?
For Ravelympics I will be working on this little gem, my first sweater. I love the yarn, a wonderful blue color that I found at the close out sale for Miss Chickpeas. I didn’t have quite enough but Barb the Magnificent found me two more skeins at another store she was visiting so now I am good to go. I have never knit a sweater before. I am terribly nervous about it.

I might not be able to sleep thinking about it.

But darn it, if I can knit socks then I can knit a sweater!
We are a diverse group of knitters, all the way from very experienced down to the newest of new. Here is Tara working on her first sock. Good for you!!!
And we are casting on! Jess is a wicked swift knitter. I am writing this the day after we cast on and she has already finished her first project. Jess did you sleep at all last night?
  It isn’t all seriousness, despite what you might be thinking. Ah yes the old “taking a picture of the person taking a picture picture”.
And then Erika and I had to spend time admiring our handmade socks and engaging in sock wars.

Yes we are adults! Why do you ask?

And then it was down to serious knitting….

Oh, you believed me when I said that? Really? Because, I guess we did do some serious knitting but I can tell you we did some serious laughing as well. We are a rather, hmmmmm, irreverent bunch sometimes. But then, we play with pointy sticks.

We live dangerously…..

On the edge…..

Viva Knitting!