Ravelympics: A News Update

We see the Ravelthetes enter the stadium for the mid-way parade.  Proudly carrying not one, but two, Ravelympic finishing medals is Amy, representing Team Rubberneckers.

Both medals were won in the Work In Progress Wrestling event.

The first medal was awarded on the first day of competition for the featherweight finishing of the Strawberry Joe hat, pictured here:

The second medal was won in much more trying circumstances and can truly be considered a marathon.

Over a year after it was started, the knitting was completed at 03:30 on the 16th of August, the blocking (pictured below) was finished at 08:30 on the same day, the Swan Lake Stole is at an end!

Colour is way off - taken at 08:30 on my MacBook camera = not the best photo in the world!

Better modelled photos to follow once it stops raining (so sometime in June next year, by the looks of it).

I’ve moved on to the Anniversary shawl, but I seriously doubt I’ll finish this before the end of the Olympics.  I can knit a maximum of 6 rounds in one day (2 rounds taking 1 hour to complete) and I’m not even halfway through the penultimate clue!  You don’t need to be a mathematics genius to work out I can’t complete Clue 4, plus the edging before Sunday!

Motivation

This Ravelympics thingy was just the kick up the knit I needed to get going on those languishing projects.

I have a tendancy to start new projects without finishing the old ones - a case of “ooh, shiny!” - and I seem to think that the older stuff will somehow get completed.  By whom?  The magic knitting faries I employed have gone on strike (something about poor conditions and not enough “good” yarn) so I’m guessing it’s down to me!

Having finished my Strawberry Joe hat (thanks for the compliments, by the way) I decided to concentrate on my Swan Lake Stole.

For those will long enough memories, you may recall that this started out last year as the Mystery Stole 3 Knitalong.  To MrsDrWho it’s known as “The Stinky Grey Thing” because of it’s oft-blogged machine-oiled aroma.  To me, it’s been the albatross around my neck!

If I’d know that I just need a little motivation to get this thing on it’s way to being finished I’d have picked it up sooner!  Probably!

I’m charting my progress on a(n almost) daily basis on my Ravelympics 2008 page, but here’s a quick summary:

• 09/08/08: 3 rows completed on Swan Lake Stole (220 sts in total, 6628 sts remaining)
• 10/08/08: Swan Lake Stole - 21 rows completed (1914 sts in total, 4714 sts remaining)
• 11/08/08: Swan Lake Stole - Rows 9 (Sts. 1030, Sts. rem. 3684)
• 12/08/08: Swan Lake Stole - 12 rows, 1368 sts, 2316 sts rem.
• 13/08/08: Swan Lake Stole - 3 rows, 364 sts, 1952 sts rem.
• 14/08/08: nothing knit
• 15/08/08: (initial progress) Swan Lake Stole - 7 rows, 886 sts, 1066 sts rem.

Apologies for the flash-only photos here. My sleep pattern has been very disturbed due to less-well-health than I normally “enjoy” and by the time I’m up it’s afternoon and raining!

Progress up to the 11th:

Progress as of about 3 a.m. on the 15th:

As you can see I’m nearly there.  If I can stay awake the whole night, like I’m planning on doing to try and get my sleep pattern right, I should have it finished on Saturday.

If you’re in the Ravelympics, how are your efforts going?  And even if you’re not, how’s the crafting going at this point in the summer/winter?

Ready, Set, Go!

Watching the Olympic opening ceremony and the first Work In Progress has it’s dust blown off it.

I only had 2 repeats of 22 rows to do, but I managed to finish the knitting part at 16:30 BST (British Summer Time) on the 8th of August.

The temporary cast on was removed (note to self - there is a reason they tell you to use smooth yarn for this)

Grafting was quick and painless, following the excellent instructions in Woollywormhead’s book.

Even if I did run out yarn towards the end!

Panic-stations!  I turned the hat around and grafted from the other end and just made it!

Everything was finished at 23:30 and the hat got a good blocking overnight

And is now read to wear!

Pattern: Strawberry Joe by WoollyWormhead from “Going Straight” [Ravelry Project Page]

Yarn and needle size: King Cole Fashion Aran knit on 4.5 mm straight bamboo needles.

Size knit: Medium (20-21 inches head circumference)

Notes and modifications: No mods - none needed!  Lovely, easy to understand pattern.

Unusually for me, I found it easier to knit from the written instructions as opposed to the charts.  The hat is shaped with short rows and I think the chart confused me a bit.  For the next hat I make from this book, I may read the chart in unison with the written version and see if it “clicks” with me.

First finished item for The Ravelympics 2008 (Team Rubberneckers, Event WIP Wrestling).

Bookworm

Hmmm … new book smell.

Old book smell.

Any book smell.

Love it!

I especially love “Books on Sale” smell!

Courtesy of the Interweave Hurt Books Sale, I got:

Limbering Up

If it’s a year divisible by 4, it must mean it’s the Olympics!

Sport not do it for you?  How about the Ravelympics instead?

Thought so!

I’ve signed myself up for the WIP Wrestling in the hope I can actually finish one or two things (yeah, right!).  I’ve put forth the Swan Lake Stole, the Strawberry Joe hat and the Anniversary Shawl.  I’m most realistic about finishing the hat (only 3 repeats and some grafting to do) but I’ll have a good go at the lace.

In preparation for 1 p.m. BST on the 8th of August I’ve been trying to finish the sock I’ve designed

I’m now on to the leg.

And I’ve also managed to continue my crocheting adventures

Two finished squares and one in progress.

I’m also fitting in some charity knitting for Caring Hands in Yorkshire

I’ve got some turquoise yarn that I know is OK for premature babies, but I’m not sure about the yellow.  I seem to remember something about yellow making the babies look jaundiced, even if they’re not.

For historical reference, this was how far I’d got on the Anniversary Shawl before it went into timeout.

Progress on Clue 4 Chart B.

Finally, thanks for the compliments on the new hair! I’m getting used to it and I really like it! I think it makes me look more French. Whether this is a good or a bad thing, I’m not sure!

Not a boy

Tradtionally we have the before and the after:

So, here’s what I look like now (more or less)

With reading glasses and without.

Taken with my MacBook camera so really poor quality, and also reversed, so it looks alright to me because I’m used to seeing my self in the mirror, but it’s actually backwards from how I look to everyone else. OK?

I think I look better with the glasses than without (at least in these photos) but unfortunately I can’t wear them all the time!

I wanted a shorter hairstyle because I was bored, I was finding it difficult to “deal” with my hair as it was and I was also inspired by Mandy (Yarnageddon) and Rosemary (1 half of Craft Borg).

And to make up for having to see my ugly mug, here is a frog I found in a water-filled margarine tub.

See how cute?!

No gherkin, no cake

Sorry for the confusion about the stealth pickle.  It was my off-the-wall sense of humour evidently falling flat on it’s unfunny face.  (Wow, that was more alliterative than I’d intended!)

Anyway, somehow, I seem to have been busy in the past week, although I don’t remember anything actually happening.  Curious.  On with the crafting!

Crochet:

I can haz progress?  Yes, I can!

Flushed with my previous success, I cast on for another scarf!  It was Zen and the Art of Stash Diving.  I made it through the first repeat with hardly any problems at all.  Put it down and went to sleep (it was 2 a.m.).  Picked it up the next morning to do the second repeat and could not for the life of me remember what to do.

It was ripped, and I decided to try something a little easier.

Success!  Again!  This giant square will be part of a blanket of other giant squares and will hopefully be a gift to my mum.  I’m not committing myself to date because, lets be honest, this is me!

Knitting:

Nothing but the Anniversary shawl for me.

Made it up to row 30 (of 96) on Clue 4, with the edging of Clue 5 to do.

I’m knitting Clues 4 and 5 on 4 mm needles and I was thinking that Clue 4, especially, will be larger than it should if I’d planned ahead and used the same needle size for the whole thing.

To demonstrate, the Worlds Worst Schematic (TM):

So, that’s what I’m thinking it’ll be like.  Maybe.  Possibly best to concentrate on the nail varnish!

Photos of the new hairdo will be forthcoming once I decide if it’s cute or makes me look like a boy!

Beware the stealth-pickle

Apparently (and this is really odd to me) some people don’t like pickles in their food.  Why not?  The addition of a gherkin can really perk up a chocolate cake!

My point?  Oh, yes.

The Scarf [Ravel it].

I have made something out of crochet!

Not only is it crochet, but it’s my own hand spun yarn.  I know!