Olympics and knitting

The Olympics have always really held a fascination for me, whether its the Summer or Winter version. So many memories of times past - Allan Wells winning gold in Moscow in 1980, Los Angeles in 1984 with Zola Budd/Mary Decker, Daley Thompson, watching Steve Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent winning so many golds in rowing over the year and lots of late nights watching including the British Women's Curling team winning Gold in 2002. I was born during the Munich Olympics in 1972 in the hours just after the violence affecting those games. My mum tells me it was all everyone was talking about as she was in labour.

For most knitters these days, the Olympics means a knitting challenge of some sort. I was a fairly new knitter in 2006 when the Yarn Harlot had the idea of the Knitting Olympics but it caught my imagination and I finished my project, a Clapotis in Lorna's laces Lion and Lamb.



In 2008, I took part in the first Ravelympics during the Beijing Olympics and challenged myself to knit a pair of Wrist warmers and 2 hats. I didn't manage to finish one of the hats but I did manage to start and finish the other projects.





This time around, the challenge is to knit a pair of socks using the pattern Socktopod by CookieA. Its going well so far.



As you can probably tell from the knitting progress, my hand is recovering well and the possibility of a fracture is thankfully not there. The splint is off and whilst I still have some pain in my thumb and wrist, its so much better. I'm not sure I would have coped very well if it had to stay on longer as I was really struggling with just doing the basics.

Socks and a little hitch

The knitting still continues. At the weekend, I finished a pair of very pink and fluffy socks for my sister.




Unfortunately on Sunday, something else happened.



I managed to fall off my computer chair after it over balanced. I didn't think I had done any damage until my hand got painful on Monday and I started having problems using it. The Doctor I saw doesn't think I have a fracture, just some soft tissue damage. The splint is to stay on until the weekend. If it hasn't settled, I might need a MRI to check for a fracture in a tiny bone at the base of the thumb which can't be seen on X ray. I'm really hoping its going to be okay as not being able to use my right hand is really tricky as I'm right handed plus I'm off sick from work. Plus there is the small matter of not being able to stitch. I can still knit in very short bursts but trying not to do much to make sure I give things the best chance to heal. There is also the whole challenge of getting dressed, cooking, etc with one hand.

January progress and finishes

Since the start of the year, I've been keeping busy with knitting projects. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm working towards a reduction in stash size this year. I'm going to track it in metres of yarn used which will hopefully help me keep track and add it in as I finish projects.

In January, I finished a couple of knitting projects

Cranford mitts for a former colleague



Snapdragon Tam for me



A Shawl in Old Maiden Aunt Merino Cashmere nylon 4ply in the colour Dreich



And finally a case for my Ipod touch to use the yarn left over from my hat



All in all, that meant I used 595 metres of yarn. The only yarn that has arrived in my house this month is my first Knit love club parcel which contained Alchemy Juniper sock yarn. 424 metres of lovely soft golden orangey yarn. So I end up the first month with 169 less metres of yarn. Fairly good for the first month, I think. Hopefully I can keep this up during the year.

All these knitted things have come in handy recently as the weather hasn't been the best this winter. The long cold snap in December has been followed by yet more cold weather in January and its has been snowing today again. I am so ready for Spring now.