So Far

Canada has 3 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze medals.

I have this:

So Glad

That I have the option of staying in the house all day if I so choose. With a rather respectable snow storm outside, and no school, it was easy to stay indoors today. The kids were eventually booted out to shovel the drive when they wouldn't stop fighting with each other, and hubby did drive to the post office. Me? I stayed in and finished reading Rough Country by John Sandford, puttered around a bit, and after supper picked up my knitting. This is today's progress so far and I'm quitting early for the night. These late nights are taking their toll on me.

Another Gold!

Yeah, Canada rocks! Another gold, plus a shutout (8-0) in men's Hockey after an unimpressive start. But I ask you: curling an Olympic sport? I don't buy it. Whatever happened to "Faster Higher Stronger"? Curling faster, higher, stronger? Not so much. But it did provide me with perfect knitting time, during which I may have glanced at the TV less than a dozen times. Watching the hockey and knitting on the other hand? Not an ideal situation. Too much action.

Here is how far I got before I decided it would be wise to set the knitting aside...you know, before the knitting didn't resemble the pattern any longer. (Ignore the date stamp...hubby changed batteries in the camera and obviously didn't set the right date. I'd adjust it and take another picture, but it's late and I'm calling it quits for the night.)

Slow Progress

First a confession. Although 600 stitches sounds like a great deal of those itty bitty stitches, it only equals to two rounds. Seriously. Thanks for the life line tips, but I am definitely not putting them in every row. Each round has 303 stitches if I don't count the four stitches that mark my steeking line. Missing one yarn over was purely accidental and I chalk that up to trying to knit too late at night, trying to knit "just one more row". Dumb. I don't plan on doing that again unless we're at the final couple days. As for the colour work goof up? That was my mistake of not reading the chart carefully enough. I assumed that the colour change happened every five stitches which is what I knit, instead of alternating between five and seven stitches. At least I caught early enough before it caused me a major headache, as the stitches didn't line up on the second colour work row.

Anyway, although I didn't make major progress today (totally slacked off), I love watching the pattern develop. I love colour work. Honest! Much more so than cables.

As for the Olympics, I was overjoyed watch the medal ceremonies tonight and Alex being awarded his gold medal. GO CANADA! On the other hand, I swear Begg-Smith has ice water coursing through his veins. (So glad he didn't win gold, the traitor!) And must I point out what a huge disappointment the pairs figure skating has been. Bleh! Falling at the Olympics level? Seriously??

After Several Set Backs

I'm back on track, having suffered time penalties during the tinking. I missed a yarn over early on that threw the count off and so I tinked back over 600 stitches. Not that I counted or anything. Heh. Then into the second round of colour work I realized that I didn't pay close enough attention to the chart and ripping was in order to set up the colour work row again. Hopefully there won't be too much more ripping back in my future as it's terribly time consuming and the Melody is proving laborious to get back on the needles without splitting. Also discovered that these darker colours are harder to work after the sun goes down.

I'll have to work on this sweater more during daylight hours if I want to make any progress and of course to achieve my Gold! Have you guys been watching the Olympics? I loved the Moguls. Admittedly the men's were much more exciting than the women's for the sheer speed!

Cast On Complete!

Let the Games Begin!

Let the Games Begin!

Just waiting for the Opening Ceremonies to begin. Have all my knitting equipment, drinks to keep hydrated (Rum Runner and water!), and camera to record my progress.

On a very sad note, I was devastated to hear about the Georgian Luger, Nordar Kumaritashvili, that lost his life in a training run earlier today. I was extremely angered that TSN and CTV chose to televise footage of his final moments. To say it was graphic and highly disturbing is an understatement. May he rest in peace.

Olympic fare assembled by Brianna and Hubby, we loaded up our plates and headed down to the family room and positioned ourselves in front of the TV for the pre-ceremonies show.

GO CANADA!!!

Officially Registered

I am now an honest-to-goodness Knitting Olympian. At the time of my registration, 1624 other knitters had already committed themselves to this grand challenge. So very thrilling!

Now let me share a most pleasant surprise:

Olympic Warm-Ups

What better way to warm up for the great Knitting Olympics than knit with the intended supplies. Sock knitting qualifies nicely for me.

I finished socks for Hubby on Monday, recorded for posterity with a goodly portion of sock yarn stash. Here is a sock I started this morning for myself. Nice, light, spring-like colours. Surely all those groundhogs didn't know what they were talking about. 6 weeks more of winter? I hope not!

And finally evidence of my masterful avoidance of the Fisherman Sweater Knit-Along. I am so not in the mood for cables. Always could use another hat though.

Movie watched while sock knitting: Sunshine Cleaning. Very good.

Current book being devoured: Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster.

Indulgence: Pie!

Another Round of Training

Olympic swatching took place today after another round of stash diving. Turns out that a lot of my sock yarn stash logs in at a gauge of 28 sts over 10cm on 3mm needles. Who knew? It's not like I've ever checked gauge before knitting socks. Seriously.

Anyhoo, after a desperate call to my dear friend and advisor, the AliP, I saw the light at the end of my tunnel. She provided advice. I listened. I swatched (a real swatch with actual pattern!). I had success. She was 100% right.

Pandora approves and agrees.