The Medal Count

So, Friday evening as young Mr. Ohno was skating the 500m Short Track sprint, I was completing my own sprint, binding off my Olympic Gansey Socks in beautiful blue Arauncania. Saturday morning I was horrified by the devastation that hit overnight in Chile, the home of this wonderful yarn I had been working with. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile; I know the same could happen here at any time, with no warning.


But let's not dwell on this right now. As I am writing, Canada has just won the Gold Medal in Hockey. Now, I'm not such a fan of hockey — it moves too fast for me to understand or even see what is going on — but wow, what a fierce game that was! And I find myself torn, thrilled of course for my countrymen to have won the Gold, but also sad for my adopted countrymen who looked so utterly dejected at their loss.


Oh well, that's why they call them Games, eh?


My own personal knitting Olympics have been moving along at a pretty hectic pace these past couple of weeks. The Blue Gansey Socks are finished (and keeping my feet warm right now). A second pair, to tweak the pattern, this time in Knit Picks Stroll Tweed, is on the needles.

I've worked up the right half of my Leafy Lacy Gloves, using Dream in Color Smooshy left from my Strange Harvest Socks. Wasn't sure I'd have enough — two small balls of yarn, on ever so slightly larger than the other. Working from the smaller ball, and frogging my first attempt, I was able to complete the right glove with about two yards of yarn remaining. So I'm pretty sure I can finish the left glove with the rest of the yarn. Hm-m-m, maybe I could've made the cuff a little longer.

And the Wedding Shawl is progressing as well. Did another lace repeat this morning (6 down, 4 more to go before starting the border). Am really happy with the way this is turning out. And on the needles it looks a little like a heart, don't you think?

Yesterday afternoon I took advantage of the warmer temps and got outside to do a little yard clean-up. Put down some bone meal (now, that's some funky stuff!) for the daffodils, raked some leftover leaves, moved a few pansies, and pruned the roses in the side yard. Oh yes, gardening season is starting. Better stock up on BenGay.


Today I even squeezed in a little painting time, although it had to be cut short to watch the hockey match. Here's a small preview of A Romance with Pearls, still quite a distance from the finish line. 

I'm really going to miss these Olympic Games. They've given me time to — ironically — slow down a bit, to knit, to reflect on the beauty of ice and snow, the warm comfort of my home and wool socks, and my loving husband's patience with my fanaticism.


And that in itself is worth a medal.

Olympic Speed Knitting

What is it about the Winter Olympic games that I find so fascinating? I'm not really a big fan of snow and ice, and I hate being cold. As a child I loved winter, and spent many hours playing in the snow. And let's face it, in Canada if you didn't have your skates with you, you may as well not even go to school. Recesses and lunch hours were always spent on the ice.

Every evening of this past week has found me in front of the television, captivated by the artistry of the figure skaters, breathless as the skiers flew down the impossibly steep slopes, and gasping at the acrobatics of the snowboarders. And let's not forget beautiful Apolo Ohno. Sigh.

Oh yes, and knitting. All that snow and ice has made me really happy for my sock addiction. I cast on my next socks with a beautiful blue mix Arauncania during the opening ceremonies; a couple nights ago I turned the heels, so now I'm in the home stretch up to the cuff. Lovely soft yarn, in my first interpretation of a gansey pattern — a mix of purl stitch chevrons, lace ribs and cables. Will probably do these again in a more solid color, but I like the way these are looking. And they feel really good too.

I've tried to compile my own "medal count" of projects I completed last year, hoping to match or exceed that number this year. Here's the list:

11 pairs of socks (all but the first 2 of my own design)

12 helmet liners

1 1/2 lace scarves (the 1/2 is still on my needles)

1 lace shawlette

9 hats and 3 scarves for a charity group in Canada

2 more hats for Christmas presents

and 2 paintings in my "Color Still Life" series (but more on that later)

So far this year:

Dude, Where'd You Get That Hat in green and blue
Cable Hat in white
1 Helmet Liner
Garter Stitch Scarf in white

Blue Cable Cashmere Socks

Grey Lace Socks

Blue Gansey Socks in progress

Wedding Shawl in progress

Leafy Lace Fingerless Gloves in progress

And one more painting in progress. 

Whew! Maybe it's a good thing the Winter Games come 'round only once every four years.

Starting Musing

So I thought that perhaps writing a blog might be fun, a good way to tell more people about my knitting and yarn obsessions, and cheaper than therapy. Maybe serve as a venue to show my paintings to the world as well. We'll see.

First let me tell you that I have never fancied myself as a writer. Or as I have frequently said, "Words are not my friends." I am a visual person who, while I certainly appreciate a good turn of phrase, gets really turned on by color and texture and shape. And the incredible softness of cashmere yarn, or a good merino. And socks. Yes, wool socks. Lacy wool socks.

But I digress. A couple days ago I started my next couple of knitting projects, a pair of socks of course (a new pattern, but more on that later) and a wedding shawl for my friend Amy. I have knit this pattern before, the Aeolian shawl by Elizabeth Freeman that appeared in the Spring 2009 issue of Knitty. It's lovely, one of the prettiest shawls I've come across. I made it up last year in Brown Sheep Fingering in a deep rich blue. But for Amy's shawl I wanted a really special yarn, and found the perfect lace-weight cashmere on eBay (a great source for yarn, I've learned). It's whisper-light, very fine, the color of whipped cream (that's actually how it was listed), and I'm working little pearl beads into the lace pattern.

The other evening I picked up a copy of "Knitted Lace of Estonia" — a fabulous book! — and learned that the women who created these amazing pieces used straight needles hand-made of beech or lilac wood, never metal needles. As I plunged into my new shawl project, I realized why. The stitches kept sliding off my favorite Addi Turbo Lace circular. So I switched to a bamboo needle, and ta-dah! Problem solved.

I've spent this past weekend doing two of my favorite things, knitting and watching the Olympic games (go Canada!). But now it's Monday, and a new holiday for my office, and I really must go and work on the painting that's been on my easel for a few weeks now, "A Romance With Pearls". Isn't it funny how it always comes back around to pearls?