olympic update #1

thank goodness that figure skating has been on. my stitches seem to get tighter when they are catapulting down Whistler mountain on -skis-snowboards-their backs! i've been reminded of the wide world of sports opening with 'the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat' i'm sure that dates me.

the chinese pairs skaters have been such a joy to watch, i'm glad that got the gold. i'm almost to my 14.5 inches and ready to split for the top. i know my weekend knitting will be limited, so i'm trying to make up time!

updates

valentines' wishes to all. i'm happy to report that my gifting was a success. i don't know if it's my stealth knitting skills or his absolute non-interest in fibery things, but my valentine was surprised! knew not that the yarn was spun and neck warmer was knit. quite striking....

here were my lovelies.... posies and a woolie dear friend...

yes, she is sporting a pearl bracelet on her neck. my valentine thought i needed a little something sparkly on my wrists as i knit.

now for my olympic update: there was a false start on friday. after all the excitement, build up, knitting through the opening ceremonies, i realized yesterday that an incorrect number of stitches had been cast on. can you believe it!! what knucklehead waits with such great anticipation and then makes a huge error at the very start? well, that would be me. so i ripped it all out, cast on the correct number and spent yesterday making time. i'm through the bottom band on my way in the body.

2010 olympics

i've been following the yarn harlot's musings regarding the winter olympics. at the last winter games, she set forth a challenge to all fiber enthusiast's, to complete a project that is a challenge to you starting with the lighting of the flame to be completed when the flame is extinguished. i was a newbie knitter with absolutely no clue that there were things beyond my scope. i remember participating, but can't find any record of what i did. it was pre-blogger/ravelry, so i thumbed through an old knitting journal. found lots of interesting stuff, but not what my olympiad feat was. i do know that my participation in those games catapulted me into my first fair-isle project with jessica and ann. we did a lopi sweater and that i do have posted on ravelry. i was done in under a month, finishing just as the weather became balmy. i pulled that sweater out to wear today as i pick up the torch again.

i love participating in the harlot's olympics for a number of reasons, and this time i did register (so i'll have a record of my feat) i chose to do the leftovers vest that was in knitty2004. i've long admired this and wanted to do it, but never moved it onto the needles. part of my dilema was a lack of matching 'leftover' yarn. so i am using brooks farm solo that i purchased on my first visit to rhinebeck in 2007. i and clearly remember standing in the booth with jessica (it was such a tight fit that cc refused to even try to get to us) debating all the pros and cons to the yarn. at that time my yarn purchasing was always done with a project/pattern in mind. thankfully, jessica soon shoved me out of that mindset (and i've got several stash items to prove it) this yarn was just waiting for a momentous occasion, so here it is..... my olympic challenge.

let the games begin

clemence

i just can't seem to get enough of this pattern! i know, i know.... i'm so like that. when it tickles me, i seem to do a gizzilion of them. i wanted to gift it to a gal i work with. she has been there for decades and made my first few years easier. consistently pleasant and kind, she always asks about me and my family with sincere interest. the other day she noticed a sweater i was wearing. as she oohed and aahed she wondered if it was hand made. my reply was yes and by my hands. she was captivated that anyone could take yarn and work it into a garment. with that response, i knew that she needed something from my hands. voila.... clemence.
the yarn is jo sharp aran tweed. initially i was concerned the the tweed would be too busy with the pattern, but it works great. as much as i need to cast on another, i'm afraid that my time will be absorbed by my latest adventure!

nothing says romance....

like a fiber gift! here is the darkside cowl in the mountain colors targhee. i love it! the project came together just as i had envisioned.... blocks of color, aran weight, soft but sturdy and definitely not scratchy!

i'm even brave enough to show a close up of my stitches. there was not a wobbler in the lot, so must be my tensions were all in harmony. it is wrapped and bagged (along with some sweets) just waiting for the 14th. the real challenge will be remembering where i hid it.

keeping necks warm

i'm afraid that obsession has reared her ugly head. i can't seem to stop searching, downloading, stash diving, spinning, knitting..... neck warmers! immediately after emptying my needles with the wool/alpaca, i cast this on..

it was a free download from ravelry, the clemence. i love the swirls, the lace, the.... well, everything. i had some left over malabrigo worsted in the colorway vetiver. wasn't sure if it was enough, but i had plenty. it literally took me two evenings to make. the idea was that it would help me decide what pattern i needed to use for the gator exchange, the result was that i just want to make more! i'm trudging my way through the lupine. it really seems like a struggle because i can only have it out when the recipient is not around. lately it seems like he is always popping into whatever room i'm in! hope to finish it tonight so that i can cast on..... another clemence!

lupine

remember lupine? this was my dizzy sheep purchase of targhee top roving. the one that my family started arguing over? i've been having a fascinating time with it. i actually spent some time thinking about how to approach this.... what i wanted to accomplish and how i thought i could get there. this is a new spinning path for me. it was interesting to research the breed, think about the spongy aspects of this fiber and how that was perfectly suited to the project that i had in mind.

i opened the roving into one long piece. i then started dividing it, in half, half again, half again until i had eight strips. i tied a cotton thread on the 'top' end of each so that i would spin them in order. i carefully drafted each long piece then started spinning. i wanted to keep the blocks of color, so i knew i had to navajo ply. i also was looking for a nice round yarn without a lot of halo-ing, again the navajo plying would accomplish this. i used my woolee winder (must get more bobbins) i am in love with my ww.

i found that i needed to put a fair amount of twist into the single to spin it thin. i let the fiber rest on the bobbin overnight, then took off onto my ball winder. this was the challenge, to then ply from the ball. i found that with the dark colors ( and my aging eyes) i needed to do this in the light of day to keep my color bands in tack. i wedged the ball in a basket to keep it steady while i was plying.

the yarn is lovely. soft to touch, still lofty with all the twist and plies!

it is going to be another dark side cowl as a valentine's gift for my honey. wearing the last one i made ensured that the next one was his!

off to cast on!