And here's the medal

Great thanks to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee for the idea and to her and everyone on the team for making the whole huge thing possible. I hope I have time to follow all the links to the press coverage!

It was certainly a challenge. I have not completed a lace item before. But I did find that maybe lace is not my favorite. I feel more compelled to work on texture and color...especially color. So my next challenge will be to improve my fair isle, preferably with my handspun. I see socks a-comin'!

And it was nice to surprise my DH with a knitted present when he wasn't next in the queue.

Congratulations to all participants, finishers and non!

I did it! I did it!

Scarf is finished, blocked (77 inches long, thank you) and presented to the DH, who has been very cold at the theater and will wear it proudly on Tuesday, woo-hoo!!

Pictures later!

What a relief!

Update:



Here it is and DH really likes it, yay! He didn't realize it was for him at all!!

So I guess I get my medal, very exciting. Now I can finish the Cul de Sac and find another baby sweater pattern to try and do some dyeing now that the new dyes are here and have some fun!!

I find that I discovered today that I have been really depressed for quite a while but not realizing it. Like, I have so much to do that I can't succomb to it so I do everything, but I haven't been able to think about the future or plan for anything or enjoy anything, not even the knitting these last two weeks.

However, I have also realized why. I kept thinking, "the end is in sight," and then the end event would arrive and...no end. Just a hundred more things.

So as of today, everything that has come before is in one group. Today starts a new group of events and responsibilities (and hopefully fun) that ends on March 24 (opening night of DH's play). I can be happy about being busy that long, right? And then there's a nice quiet week with no freaking out. And then there's SPRING BREAK. Where we will only get out of our pajamas if we have something REALLY FUN to do, not just becuase we have to. That is my plan. Anyone else ever feel like this? I feel reborn. Let's hope it lasts till tomorrow, then I'm free and clear. But today I am happy that we did NOT go ice skating and I get to see the BABY again!!!

Happy knitting, spinning, crafting, everyone!

The Baby Has Arrived!!!

And the photos, as well:





Isn't he a beauty? Don't I wish I knew his name?

Congratulations to my dear, dear friends on their new arrival! I hope you'll let me hold him again today!

Still Branching

Well, my Olympics is going better than Bode Miller's at any rate! I've got about 3 feet (25 repeats out of 36) on my scarf so what did I do? No knitting at all yesterday. Well, no knitting on that. Oops! I needed something brainless so I worked on the Jaywalker socks (shameful!). My problem is if I'm talking or anything, whatever knitting I do on the lace has to be tinked later. Waste of time! Twice!! Today I should have a couple of hours to work on the scarf, though, so I might be five repeats short of finished by bedtime, I can't believe it.

Yesterday I went to DH's rehearsal to teach a very willing student, G, to spin during their lunch break. She's a natural! Now I have to dye some pencil roving in colors that the director liked (no blue). And all G has to do is practice. Very nice, very satisfying. And it was especially nice to get to hang out with them a bit. I'm an actress/singer, too, just not in this show so it's easy to feel out of the loop. But as I was getting ready for the audition (and, mind you, this show is emphatically NOT the kind of show that needs my very particular kind of singing), my 7-year-old threw up. So that was a sign that I did not need to spend the day over there, even though it would have been fun. Then I saw the schedule. If DH and I were both in the show, it would have been 1) a logistical nightmare; 2) traumatizing for my children (not to see hide nor hair of a parent from morning till, well morning); and 3) cause everything I normally do to not get done for three months. Too much! So I'm glad I'm not in it, just happy to be a little bit of help now and then (and provide home baked cookies).

Update: I did get a couple of repeats done, then realized I had made a mistake and they both went away. Still hovering at 25. Maybe during "Project Runway" this evening...

On to Thinking Day!


www.pilgrimla.com

Branching Out

Well, I have achieved ten repeats of the pattern, whew! If only I had all the knitting I've done and not just what is left after tinking, tinking, tinking. But I have hopes of finishing this project before the flame goes out. 26 repeats to go!

And here's a fun new thing to think about: DH's play involves lots of craftspeople wandering about, singing about what they do, etc., in a sort of medieval city. So I said, how about spinning? You should have someone spinning in the city. Otherwise, where are they getting their ribbons and beautiful rich robes and all? So he took some wool, silk, fleece and a spindle to the director today and he bit! If the girl playing the ribbon seller wants to, I get to teach her to spindle so she can do it in the show.

So now I need ideas. I will post this question to the groups also, but what would be the best spindle for this purpose? It must be easy to use, spin long rather than fast and not take a lot of thought once it is started up. She should probably spin either already spun yarn or pencil roving, I suppose, so there's no real drafting to be done. And I think a bottom whorl spindle, medium weight. Any opinions?

I'm going to get in touch with a couple of vendors, too, and see if they would think about sponsoring the spindling in the show, since the budget may not allow for a really nice tool. Or I'll donate it and expect it back someday...with patina!

Happy spinning!

Finally achieved some lace!

After 5 (yes, 5) cast ons, I finally realized that I couldn't see the double decreases (I had printed it out in draft). That's why it wasn't working. So I printed again and HIGHLIGHTED the double decreases and, voila! I now have three and one half repeats done. If I can do five inches a day, I will finish in time to block and dry before the flame is out! Better go and check how long this baby really is supposed to be (although I want it super long).

Many people would say to me, don't knit lace with vareigated yarn, the lace will be obscured. However, I would say in response, so what? I like vareigated yarn, I never knit scarves anyway, these are colors that I like (or DH will quickly co-opt) and by the time I'm done, lace will be no longer intimidating. It's all good.

Now, to avoid other knitting (this is the real Olympic event for me). I have a terrible case of startitis right now, plus nothing to enter in the fair yet for my handspun. I have to really concentrate on it so that I don't get the "uneven plying" type of remarks from the judges. My spinning is pretty even and most of the time I don't worry about it being perfect. But for the fair...after I won the blue last year...gotta try harder!

Sorry, no pictures. Throwing a baby shower with a friend, for a friend today. No time to shoot or upload, but maybe I can get a shot of her with her lovely handknit baby gift!

The Flame is Lit

Well, it is in Torino. So I have begun. And begun again. And again. And now again. This happens to me with lace. That's why this is my Olympic challenge. I WILL NOT abandon this project, no matter how many times I cast on, no matter what other knitting (easier) calls to me, no matter how close the left front of my Cul De Sac vest is from completion, no matter how much I would like to get to the leg patterning of those pesky jaywalkers. I will Branch Out. And I stand by the Knitters' Olympic Pledge. Thanks to Stephanie for the idea!

Could they really vote themselves irrelevant?

Could they? Do they not see? If the Congress decides that the King can unilaterally ignore statutes that they themselves have passed, as prepresentatives of the will of the people, they might as well go home. I cannot believe that even the Republicans want to make themselves irrelevant to the political process just to protect the criminals in power. These are supposed to be equal branches of government. If they vote themselves out, we are truly a monarchy. A tyrannical monarchy at that. And Rove's blacklist makes Rove (appointed, not elected) the most powerful man in America. I didn't vote for him, did you?

I hope that this is the tipping point, since all other tipping points have so far gone past with no outrage by the right wing. But I have little hope that any of them have the gumption to stand up for themselves. After all, they've gotten the American electorate to vote against its best interest already for many years. I'm crossing my fingers.