Knitting of Olympic Proportions
The Knitting Olympics asks knitters to challenge themselves with a project that will stretch their limits and test their mettle as a knitter. Or cause a repetitive stress injury, whichever might come first.
I chose Tonk's Snow Peacock for my project because I knew that long rows in natural colored yarn was a recipe for a project that stalled out and dragged on if left to my own devices. I don't normally knit anything in natural colored yarn because I am 1. very pale and 2. very clumsy and the combination makes me look like a ghostly ragamuffin. However, the recipient of this shawl requested a warm white shawl since it will be her wedding veil. I'm all too happy to comply if it means that I get to play a role in outfitting a lovely person as she legally defines her relationship with the man she loves in front of all their friends and family.
So far things are moving fairly smoothly, I cast on as the torch was lit in Vancouver last Friday evening and have knit varying amounts every day since then. I've had a few upsets, including discovering that the garage needed to be totally rearranged due to a leaky roof. I'm just a few hundred stitches shy of halfway done so I'm feeling quite confident that I will be able to finish the knitting--if not the blocking and photographing--of the project before the Olympic torch is extinguished on the 28th.
*yes, 51,000. That's a lot of stitches. Every stitch is full of love and good wishes for the couple, that they may be as strong and happy a couple as my husband and I are.
Verdaia, or Testy McTesterson
I've been doing some more test knitting. This time, I test knit ViolinJodie's new shawl pattern Verdaia (ravelry.com link).
I ended up taking an impromptu trip east to stay with my mother for a week, which saved me a little money on postage as this was a gift for her. We got a little bit of snow while I was there, which is the perfect backdrop for this lovely shawl.
I knit this one in Madeleinetosh Tosh Sock yarn in the color Malachite and used less than one skein. The pattern is easy, and the main body stitch pattern is extremely easy to memorize. In fact, I liked knitting it so much that I started a second one, in red, for myself.