Red and More Red

Yes, I finished it the evening of the Olympic closing ceremony. It's a relatively simple pattern but it was rejuvinating to knit to deadline. That's something I've not done in a while. It took a while to get it blocked and photographed but it was cast off on February 25.

I used four of the five skeins in the Frabjous Fibers Cheshire Cat, Mini Skein Pack that I purchased in Chicago. Funny story! As I was nearing the end, I held it up and asked my partner if I should continue with the next lighter skein or go back to the darker reds. He chose the darker and he was right! That burgundy edge really frames the lace. Who knew the dude had colour sense?

I like my picot edge which, as I explained on Ravelry, I did because I knew it would be stretchy and fast. I think it defines the edge quite nicely. 

Nearing the Finish Line

I've  only 14 rows left on my unofficial Ravellinic shawl. The problem is, being a top-down triangular scarf (with lace!), each row gets longer and longer. Then there is the cast-off.

I'm working all day tomorrow. Do the Olympics end on Sunday? If so, I may have a chance. If it's tomorrow, there is little hope.

So There's a Sporting Event Going On?

Apparently there is some kind of event on television right now?

Actually, I do enjoy the Winter Games. I watched, as I have for the past 12 years, the opening ceremonies with my knitter friends. I also cast on an unofficial Olympic project. My knitting has been in a rut so I'm taking the opportunity to switch it up and knit one thing exclusively.

It's the Indian Paintbrush Shawl by Vera Sanon. It's not a hugely challenging project but is interesting enough to keep going at a quick pace. Mainly, it's a great opportunity to knit with the Frabjous Fibers Cheshire Cat, Mini Skein Pack I purchased two years ago in Chicago. I'm hoping the graded colour change will look attractive with the simple lace.

As luck would have it, I've come down with a cold so yes, I am watching a lot of television and knitting away. This shawl will be done by Games end for sure.

Sometimes We Say "Meh"

Not all projects are Love, Love, Love. Sometimes they are just OK.  Now the story of how I came by possession of this yarn is an amusing one. Unfortunately it's not a story I can freely share without breaking my rule to never say anything bad about someone on social media. Suffice it to say, the skein was summarily thrown at me in a melodramatic pique. And then I had new yarn.

It's beautiful yarn, this Fibre Company Canopy. Coincidentally, it is also the yarn called for in Ysolda's Veyla, a pattern I've long admired. So I cast on during the Olympics and had my Games project.

My knitting was just not up to par this time. I got terrible ladders and uneven stitches. The fit is funny. The colour is not great with my skin tone. I think maybe the origin of the yarn put bad karma on the project. Alas.

I have discovered however, that I like the project better on me when worn backwards. It's much tidier in appearance this way. So wear it backwards I will.

Fashionably Late

She may have arrived late but what an entrance. My new Hetty went out for its first wear yesterday and I felt great in it all day. It fits beautifully (except for an odd bunchy bit under the arms where I picked up awkwardly) and looks so cute with a dress.

Also, thank goodness for the quality of Cascade 220 yarn. It's not the most glamorous yarn on the market but the sturdy highland wool is very reliable. In my enthusiasm, I overblocked. The poor sweater came off the mats looking limp and misshapen. I thought I had ruined it but a quick dampening and reshaping without pins, and it sprung right back to where it needed to be. Love the shape. Love the colour. Love the lace. I will be wearing this cardigan a lot!

Well I Tried

It was all going so well too!

Sadly, my Ravellinic cardigan came up short. There was a schedule and goals were set that were attainable. Unfortunately life got in the way.

On Sunday we met for brunch, the closing ceremonies, and casting off. We ate a ton and cheered each other's accomplishments. How lovely to sit knitting with the same friends with whom I cast on during the opening ceremonies. How lucky I am to be able to tell them freely that the reason i couldn't finish is that I spent most of last week very ill. My anxiety order flared up big time. My job went south and my hormones went crazy. Whether any of these things was the cause or the effect of any other, the result was the same. I spent much of last week a nervous mess. Knitting is so often the thing that calms me down. You know it's bad when you're too sick to pick up the needles. Oh well. I could still make it to brunch. Being with friends is one of the things I trust when I'm down. As I told a fellow knitter, I know I can be with these people as I am - act like a goof or not say anything at all. It will always be OK.

Onward. Feeling a little better today. The neckband is the only thing left to do on my lovely cardigan. FO pictures are forthcoming!

The beginnings of brunch. The coffee is on, waffles are being made and the potatoes are in the oven!

Looking Possible

Picture it with another sleeve and a button band. It is starting to look doable.

Ravellinic Update

The body is done and one button band. That leaves most of a button band and two sleeves. Well, that's not impossible and this is a long weekend after all. Unfortunately I kept hitting a wall with my button band cast-off this morning. I've done it three times and can't get it to look nice. So I have taken a break for photos and blogging.
The other problem is that I find myself becoming bored of watching the games. I only really like the speed skating and today is all hockey and curling. I think I'll take a walk, pick up some groceries and rent some DVDs from The Film Buff. Today (and maybe tomorrow) will become movie knitting. Guess I'll need to stay away from subtitles!

To Rip Or Not To Rip

My Olympic sweater  is coming along nicely. I don't know if I'll medal or not, but the knitting is fun and fast. Currently the body is about 75% complete. I suspect the sleeves will slow me down a bit. Experience tells me that I am not quick at the designer's method of cap shaping.
I'll try to get a photo or two up here.

In the meantime, you may recall the Traveling Woman shawl I cast on on Boxing Day? It was finished quite a while back but I haven't posted it here because I'm not sure about it. Having worn it several times now, I can definitely say that I don't like it. My gauge is sloppy, the edge rolls awkwardly and I especially hate the long spindly tails created by increasing on both the wrong and right sides of the garment. (This is also my least favourite element of Color Affection).I want to rip the whole thing out and use the beautiful Sweet Georgia yarn on a different pattern. I'm leaning toward another Leaf and Flower. However, The Daughter has expressed a liking for the shawl "as is" and has requested i give it to her rather than rip it. What to do? I'm just not happy leaving inferior work out there but if she likes it?
I'll let the question stew while I charge ahead toward my 2014 gold medal.

My Efforts Will Be Olympian

The 2014 Games have begun. I spent Friday evening, as I have done for every Olympics since 2006, watching the opening ceremonies with knitters. I really committed to making a full project for the Ravellinics this time around. I chose Andi Satterlund's Hetty cardigan. It really is a realistic goal. I've knitted two of this designer's patterns before and one of those in the same yarn, Cascade 220. I'm familiar with her construction techniques. It is an open work lace on 4.5mm needles so it should knit up quick, right? Unfortunately, a grave error in gauge calculation meant I had to rip out all my work yesterday and I didn't get a chance to restart until this morning. That leaves me two days behind already. Drats!
I'll keep you posted.

Podium Finish?

My lovely shrug is done. Of course it was too hot today to wear it,  but I trotted it out anyway to photograph. It's such a lady-like garment. Simple, elegant design.  Thank you Laura Chau. I must wear this the next time I go to Lettuce Knit and show it off to her.
Details on Ravelry.

Update

I finished my Olympic project yesterday.  Well, sort of.  The edge ribbing looks crappy .It's untidy and comes too far up my neck.  I am going to rip about an inch of it back and cast off again more tightly.  
So, not there yet.

Going For Gold

I made the last minute decision yesterday to cast on an Olympic project. A few friends were getting together at our usual watering hole and it just felt right to throw aside all the current WIPs for two weeks and start something completely new.
I've chosen to knit Laura Chau's Top Down Shoulder Warmer.  The yarn and pattern have been in my stash since Christmas so it was a simple matter of winding up the hank and doing a quick swatch before heading out to watch the opening ceremonies.  I was originally attracted to this pattern last fall when, knitting at Lettuce one evening, I felt a chill and slipped on the store sample. I wore it the rest of the evening and fell in love.  It was so sad when I had to remove it at closing time! I loved it so much in fact that after purchasing the pattern, I went out and bought the same yarn  in the same colour as the sample.  This is something I never do.


Being an easy knit, it's not really in the spirit of  completing a "challenging" project over the course of the games. I just really want that shrug! So maybe this can be a bronze medal sprint rather than a golden marathon. Fine by me.

Photo of the store sample is from Laura Chau's Cosmicpluto site. Click Here to go to the pattern page.