Victory but not Gold

I knitted my fingers silly: I knitted until well after the flame went out last night. I knitted every free moment, and even some not so free moments. I came within a half a skein of finishing, and I just couldn't go fast enough. So this evening I will knit the rest of the skein, fringe the cast-off edge and I will call it finished!

Lady Eleanor is beautiful--It is the perfect project--the pattern was perfectly written, the yarn was a perfect match for the pattern, the process was enjoyable, and the product is stunning . . . Now that is what victory feels like!

Calculating

10 skeins of Noro Silk Garden = 7.5 used; 1 set aside for fringe (baby triangles with tassels); 45 inches long so far = 31 rows of rectangles; 2.5 skeins to knit with; 1 day and some minutes; add fringe (more knitting, but I did cut the yarn for the tassels); block. I hear the commentators talking about me: "She's a long shot, we'll be right back after we take you to men's curling."

Flying Fingers really does Fly, Now my OWN Fingers Better!

I order the yarn at 10:00 am yesterday, and it is on my doorstep at 5:30 pm this evening! Whoo-hooo! I love that place. My purple heather is lovely, and I quickly cast on and knit a mere 3 rows, and it looks like it will knit fabulously! Okay, enough gushing, I need to work on Lady E. This is a tough situation---I'll either finish it, or be really close to finishing, by closing ceremonies--YIKES.

And One More Thing . . .

I have ordered more yarn--this time from Flying Fingers for the Sunrise Circle Jacket. After careful thinking (and consultations with Sushpi!) I chose the purple tweed karabella. The Flying Fingers people are lovely to talk to--I want to go and visit the store.

In Olympic news, I continue my relationship with Lady E. although she is more demanding than a bad high school boyfriend--my right wrist, thumb and pointer finger ache, and I can hardly lift my coffee cup. I cannot figure out what's up--I have knitted for great lengths of time without any trouble.

Sorry about no photos--my camera will be back on Tuesday--along with Azizam; and barring any excruciating hand pain, I'll be sporting Lady E. at the airport when I pick him up!

I am not a Sock Knitter . . .

But since I just bought two balls of sock yarn (see acquisitions) and have bee perusing Opal Sock Yarn on the web, I guess I may want to be a sock knitter. On top of this, I joined the sock of the month kal, where you knit 1 pair of socks for each month from February--June. This is a mirror image of another situation in my life: I read Cooking light, and each recipe from cover to cover each month, but I can't cook a thing---I burn pizza bagels (yes, the frozen ones) in the oven; the break apart cookies (you know, break them apart, bake them, take them out and eat them) break apart as I transfer them from baking sheet to plate. Yes sir-ee, I am going to knit a pair of socks each month.

I continue to knit away on Lady E., noticing that the nifty little counter has changes from a calm, green to an anxiety producing yellow; undoubtedly it will turn panic-stricken red in a few days.

See that Counter?

Check out that nifty little counter in the sidebar, revealing the time left in the Olympic Games--a fellow knitter's husband made this, and she was nice enough to send it to me! I have been knitting like a crazy person, and still, am only about half way to gold. I need a plan . . . I think I'll knit one up!!!

Acquisitions

It has been quite a week for yarn--as I already reported, my book buddy sent me two beautiful skeins of Manos (yumm!), and then a package from WEBs showed up on the doorstep with Noro Silk Garden (color 226)--11 skeins and Jaeger Chamonix in a twig color --8 skeins. This was my original Lady E and Valentine's Vest yarn. I received an email saying there would be trouble filling the order, and I was so obsessed with starting (AND finishing!) both of these projects, I went to my lys where Barbara saved the day! So, let me re-cap for you: I knitted the vest in cashmerino, and now have 8 balls of yarn for my stash; and I started Lady E. with slik garden in color 201 and now have 11 skeins of color 226.

And if that isn't enough, I purchased a skein of Trekking Sock Yarn in pinks, grays, greens and white, while waiting for a hand dyed skein of sock yarn from Brooklyn Handspun Yarns, in a colourway called Chocolate Covered Cherries. Oh, and I have 10 skeins of Noro, on order, from my lys, so that I can make this cute little shrug which I saw on the sheep in the city blogspot.

I would love to show you a photo of all this yarn, but my darling, who left on a 12 day trip to the Middle East, took the camera!!!

Ask me how my Olympic knitting is going--well, not that great since I am so busy acquiring all kinds of yarn for all kinds of projects!!! I am going to go and knit!

Thank You, Book Buddy!

when I got home this evening, my Valentine's Book Swap Package had arrived from my wonderful Book Buddy. Check this out:

Two skeins of fabulous Manos, in colourway 103, Trader Joe's Chocolate Bars, a pair of size 8 addi's and, of course, a book: Possessions by A.S. Byatt. Thank you, thank you, I feel so special, particularly because it arrived on my birthday!

Now the big question: who is this person from Portland?????????? Reveal yourself so I can thank you! xoxo

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Vest and Simple but Effective Shawl---My Valentine Gifts for two of my favorite people who will be leaving me for a trip, half way across the world, later this week.
Smooches to all of you! xoxoxoxxo

And so the Games Began . . . Over and over!

Okay, I'll make the story short: I casted on, knitted, frogged, re-casted on, knitted, ripped, grabbed a new ball of Noro (thinking that would make a difference!), casted on, knitted, frogged, re-casted on, knitted and produced the base triangles, tier 1 and half of tier 2. The judges certainly wouldn't be picking me as a favorite in the lady E. Competition. But being the underdog may be just fine!!!!

Do you hear the Olympic theme?

I have finally entered the Olympic Village: I picked up my 10 skeins of Noro yesterday (the UPS man dropped it off at my lys at 2:45, and I was there at 3:10!) and I am ready for tonight's opening ceremonies--well, as ready as I am going to be! I haven't practiced the entrelac, as I wanted to, and I haven't swatched; I am going to have complete faith that I will pick up entrelac as I go through this project and I have read enough blogs to hope that the Silk Garden on size 8s will be fine! My goal for tonight is modest: knit the base triangles as well as tier 1 and 2. Since we could cast-on at 2:00 pm anyone's time, I will sneak my 56 stitches on my addi's at 2:00, to participate with my fellow Olympians. However the remainder of the knitting will take place this evening!
This was posted on the Harlot's Page . . .
The Knitting Olympics Athletes Pledge
I, a knitter of able hands and quick wits, to hereby swear that over the course of these Olympics I will uphold the highest standard of knitterly excellence.

I will be deft of hand and sure of pattern, I will overcome troubles of yarn overs and misplaced decreases. I will use the gifts of intelligence and persistence (as well as caffeine and chocolate) and I will execute my art to the highest form, carrying with me the hope for excellence known to every knitter.

I strive to win. To do my best, and to approach the needles with my own best effort in mind, without comparing myself to my fellow knitters, for they have challenges unique to them.

While I engage in this pursuit of excellence and my own personal, individual best, I also swear that I will continue to engage with my family in conversation, care for my pets, speak kindly with those who would ask me to do something other than knit, and above all, above every stitch thrown or picked, above every cable, every heel stitch, every change of colour, I swear this:

That I will remember that this is not the real Olympics, that I'm supposed to be having fun and that my happiness and self-worth ride not on my success....

but on my trying

Package on Route, Vest still in Progress

My Book Buddy's package is on its way today: I tried to time it so she would receive it as close to Valentine's Day as possible. A copy of The Great Gatsby, 2 skeins of lovely mohair (with a pattern!), some pink candy corn, Hershey kisses, a box of cards with love sayings, a photo frame (in pink!) and a gift for her little one are traveling across the country!
Still no Noro . . But the Valentine's Vest is keeping me plenty busy-- I had to frog the back twice last night. Yikes.

Well, I haven't knitted any i-cords (how did you know?!), but the Simple But Effective Shawl has been knitted, washed and blocked, drying as I type. I had intended to add ruffles along the garter ridges, however I wasn't crazy about the way it looked. So now, I am trying to think of how I can "sshhhnooker-it" up a bit . . .
The Valentine Vest (aka "Petrol") is moving right along--as you can see from the photo below, I added the stripe back in (my original plan was to leave it out, but when I thought I might not have enough of the cashmerino, I added a stripe of charcoal Brown Sheep from my stash) and I am ready to knit the back top of the vest. The knit 5, Purl 2 round + knit round make for a fabulous ribbing! The difficult part of this has been knitting it when Azizam isn't around!
The Olympics are days away, and my yarn hasn't arrived . . . ahahahaahahahaahahahahaahahaha!

I Love February!

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday--it is all about candy hearts and loving everybody. You can do so many love-ly things to make the people you care about feel adored. Everything's red and pink . . . and I love all the xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo. February is also Knit like You Have Nothing Else to Do month:
I want to continue to work on the Color on Color Scarf, as I am beginning section 17. I had hoped to have this completed by the 16th, so I could wear it when I took Azizam to the airport, but based on the trillion i-cords which still have yet to be knitted, I don't think that will be happening anytime soon!
Goal: Finish up all the i-cords (yikes!).
I am almost finished with The Simple Yet Effective Shawl, which I am doing in Brown Sheep Bulky and adding little lines of ruffles throughout.
Goal: finish and bind off and block by the end of the weekend.
I cast on and knitted the button band on my Valentine's Vest, which is really the Knitty Petrol Pattern. I've changed it a bit: added a button band (2 x 2), deleted the big stripe around the chest, and knitting it in a cashmere blend, even though I love manos (which would be to itchy for the man).
Goal: finish and block by the 9th.
The Knitting Olympics = Lady Eleanor: need I say more?! After the Olympics, if Sushpi and I have any energy left, and while we are both basking in our gold medal status, we are going to knit the Nicky Floral Purse . . . finally!
And so the month begins!