I am . . . . GOLDEN!

I finished! Ok, so the "real" closing ceremony was hours ago, but it's on the telly right now, and I cast off the last stitch before the last note of "Oh, Canada!" and the flame is still burning. It still has to be steamed, there is some sewing which doesn't involve yarn, and there's lots more work to be done on this project before it's complete, but the knitting part is finished so I'm counting this as a Gold Medal.

Bell Lap

It's down to the final lap and I've got the finish line in sight; the major pieces are knit, steamed, and drying overnight. Good thing my secret knitting isn't the Knitting Olympics' equivalent of speed skating, because if it were, I might wind up sliding across the finish line like Anna Friesinger-Postma. There's one more piece to knit up tonight; it can be steamed tomorrow while I do the sewing up and with a little luck, I'll have an FO by the time the torch goes out tomorrow night. I know we have a Bavarian cowbell in a storage somewhere; I might have to dig it out and have ToolMan ring it just to cheer me on.

Synchronicity

Call it karma or whatever, but for knitters, today is just about as good as it ever gets. The knitting gods have looked down on us and smiled. The universe is in perfect harmony. You can call it Littlewood's Law, or coincidence, or the Butterfly Effect; but today is meant for us! After all, how often do these things occur ALL AT THE SAME TIME?

For starters, today is SuperBowl 798. Sorry; I know the football fans will crucify me for that one. I'm not a fan of the game. Although ToolMan will have it on all day (even though his team isn't playing) I only watch the commercials. Really.

Because B: I knit during the game because I've got serious swatching and sampling to do. See?


I'd tell you more about it, but then I'd have to kill you. It's secret knitting; something I can't even hint at until next fall. This isn't even the yarn I'll be using to make said secret knitting object. This is a blob full of increases, decreases, short rows, stitch patterns, and other various variations. All in prep for said secret knitting which will actually begin during the Knitting Olympics, which coincides with the real Olympics, which start next week.

And 3: it's International Pajama Day. OK, so I know this happens every year on the first weekend in February, and she picked the date three weeks ago, but come on, gimme a break here! Me, I'd have chosen next weekend, which would have totally screwed up the works.

I love it when a plan comes together. *

* Hannibal, played by George Peppard, in "The A-Team"

Let the Games Begin . . .

Originally, I planned on knitting this hat during the Olympics this year, but ToolMan put the kibosh on that idea. And frankly, after the last couple of stranded work hats, I wasn't all that enthusiastic about it anyway.

I needed something to work on during the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night; something I could pick up and put down, something that wouldn't take a great deal of concentration so I could watch the show; something like traveling socks. I've been working on a pair while MAX riding; I've turned the heels on both of them and have picked up the gusset on one. Perfect! Plain stockinette with only the gusset decreases to distract me.

ToolMan and I got the dog fed and walked, dinner made and eaten, drinks filled, snacks assembled, and settled in for the show. And, man, what a show it was! Both of us were glued to our seats. And the socks never left the basket beside my chair. As much as ToolMan and I love the Olympics, we've never felt compelled to buy videos or DVDs of the opening ceremonies or games. Until now. In fact, I've already been surfing the 'net to see if I can find out when they'll be available. I can hardly wait to see the opening ceremonies again.

We stayed up (mostly awake) until the end of the show on Friday night, so we slept late on Saturday. We actually stayed in bed until almost 8:00, and probably wouldn't have gotten up then if we didn't have to feed Andy Rooney and give him his insulin shot. I can't remember the last time we were up that late, or slept in that late! Then we went out to breakfast at our new favorite breakfast place, did some shopping, and hurried home in time for the Games.

I needed something to work on Saturday afternoon while we watched the first day of games. Thank goodness I had those singles to ply for Michelle! I set up my lazy kate with both bobbins of singles and a couple spools of Sulky opalescent that I picked up at Joann's, and started to work.



The color changes in StitchJones' roving are beautiful! This colorway is her "Midnight Meadow"; the colors are simply beautiful. The little bit of shimmer from the opalescent thread really plays up the blue and green. I finished up the plying on Saturday.



And let it rest until Sunday, when I wound it off onto the reel and tied the leases so I could set the twist and finish the yarn.



Here's a close up of the yarn before processing.



I finished it as I do with all my yarns: It's given a nice soaking in VERY hot water with a mild soap (my current favorite is ECOS All Natural, which I use for everything, now); then when it's cooled down to room temperature, it gets actively swished, the rinsed and wrung out repeatedly until the water is clear. Then I take it outside and whack it against the deck steps, rotating after every 5 or 6 whacks. I also put my arms inside the loop and snap it several times, rotate and repeat. Yes, this does make the yarn full slightly so it's less likely to lose its twist, which I want especially for a thin yarn like this, but it also starts the halo, evens out the twist, and relaxes any over twisted areas. By the time I'm done abusing the yarn, it's almost dry. Then I hang it on a plastic hanger in the guest bathroom. If it's twisting a slight amount, I usually let it go, but more than one twist, or if it start to kink up, and I weight it with just enough empty hangers to get it to straighten out. I don't want to take the elasticity out of the yarn, I just want to remove the active twist so it doesn't kink when dry.

Sunday was all Olympics, all day. ToolMan, Andy Rooney, and I spent the whole day in the recliners in front of the telly with the Games on. However, ToolMan and Andy Rooney did get in one rousing round of "The Biscuit Game"; however, I don't think it will ever be an Olympic sport.

The Countdowns Begin

I'm determined to use up my "mass produced" yarns before the end of the year. After all, I have to make room for all the hand spun I've been cranking out and for all the fiber I intend to bring home from OFFF this year.

Most of what I'm knitting will be for Christmas presents; after all, it's only this many days until Christmas. So, I finished the Asherton Scarf and a tam to match. I really did intend this to go into the Christmas present pile. But then I tried it on.



I've let my hair grow out and have it in a short bob now and I like the way the tam sits with the new haircut. But why did I wait until it was 80 degrees outside to try these on???


Why are you wearing that hat and scarf in the middle of summer? Any why don't I get hand-knitted stuff to wear?

The pattern is from Knitty.com, "Three Tams", and was a fun, quick knit. This is the last of the three patterns listed, but I'm going to do the other two, too. Here's a better picture of the brim and back.



And the obligatory picture of the inside; just a nice as the outside.



I also finished a simple cowl.



I didn't use a pattern; I just casted on a bunch of stitches (200, I think), did two rows of purl, 2 rows of knit, 2 rows of purl to separate drop stitch rows and k2tog, yo rows.



I'm going to make another tam to go with this; actually, I casted on for it today while watching the Olympic Trials for diving and gymnastics. I think I'll twist the leftover blue into cords to lace through the yo holes so it will match the hat.

ToolMan liked the fair isle tam and said he'd like an argyle one for winter. I'm thinking this one would be perfect. It's not really an argyle, but I wonder how many people would notice. I might have to put aside the Christmas knitting, since Talk Like A Pirate Day is coming up before then. Hmmm, that might make a good project for the Knitting Olympics. Avast, mateys! I'll be doin' me pirate knitting for the Olympics! Arrr!


I'd totally wear one of these, if you'd make it for me, Mom.

I'm tellin' you when nobody's around, that dog talks up a blue streak!