Faster, Higher, Sock-ier?

Feb 24, 2010

Posted by: John Admin

Bloggers - tlccraftywitches

The Olympics are a time of friendly competition, forging new friendships, overcoming personal challenges, reaching personal bests.

In the deep, dark recesses of the internet, out where everyone can see, we find Ravelry.com which is a knit and crochet community, for anyone who is not familiar with it. And thanks to Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, who started the Knitting Olympics in 2006, we now have the Ravelympics. (Stephanie’s Knitting Olympics still takes place, as a separate Event, completely unrelated to Ravelry).

The Event began as a competition to challenge oneself, to select a challenging project, and complete it, start to finish, from the opening ceremonies to the closing ceremonies. This year, there are over 53,260 entries in over 20 categories, ranging from socks, to sweaters, to kids items to household items. From speed knitting to bead knitting, to colorwork to lace.

This being said, as an active member of the Ravelry community, I took it upon myself to join in the fray, and challenge myself. I have entered the event Sock Hockey and WIPs-Dancing.

As a seasoned knitter ’ I learned when I was five years old¦I can handle garter stitch no problem. I can take on stockinette, seed, sweaters with shaping, sweaters with no shaping. Hats are a no brainer, scarves couldn’t be plainer, but socks? I have never, ever, not on your life, had any desire to create socks. I have this aversion to feet, you see. And anything having to do with feet. I love my own feet, of course, because, I consider myself to have perfect feet. But if I can run down to K-Mart or Kohls and drop six bucks on a three-pack of sport socks, why go to the trouble to make them? Again, I have to give a nod to the Yarn Harlot, and her self-titled book, The Yarn Harlot. What I read from Miss Stephanie, is that hand knit socks can be one of the most luxurious items you ever put on your feet. I learned that socks are a perfect gift to let someone know just how much they mean to you. (Really, I didn’t understand this one at first. How is giving someone something to do with feet remotely affectionate¦in any way???) But I kept reading because Stephanie is a writer, and she entertains. What better way to tell someone you love them than by making something for them, hand knit, that you know will wear out in approximately six months? What I took from it, and really, she may have said this exactly ’ I can’t remember, and I am pretty sure I lent my copy out to a friend ’ I love you, and I am willing to put time an energy into this small item for you to relax your feet into. And even if you wear them down so much that they get holes in them, I will make you another pair. Just because. It’s a nice thought, right? This then, is my major challenge for the Ravelympics. Sock Hockey. I have five days to go until the closing ceremonies, and guess how far I am. About one-third through the first sock. Yup. You read that right. One-third finished with the first sock. So I am adjusting my challenge to be to complete ONE sock. I don’t need the entire pair to prove that I can make a sock. I only need one. And Dobby had the right idea anyway. Who needs pairs of the same sock? I am channeling my inner-Dobby, and will be happy to have an unmatched sock. Can I do it in the next five days?

Not if I expect to complete my other challenge. WIPs-Dancing. This event allows you to actually work on a piece that was not cast on at the opening ceremonies. My WIP (work in progress for those not in the know) is a February Lady Sweater. I took a class last spring, during which we were supposed to complete this viral knit. Viral because at the time, EVERYONE was making it. I started. I got about three-quarters of the way through the body (sleeves not done yet either) and stopped. I just got involved in other projects. Holiday knitting for gifts, baby knitting, birthday knitting, back to school knitting. It all just got in the way, and my FLS fell to the side. So I thought I would use the Ravelympics to complete it.

Guess what. I think I am focusing on Sock Hockey. I like Hockey better than Dancing anyway. And my FLS is still tucked away in the bag it’s been in for the last ten months. One goal. If I can score one goal¦with one completed sock, I think I am well on my way to a pair. I have five days.

Cheers!

Crafty Witch Jo Anne (a.k.a. JavaStix)





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