nonaKnits

Closing Ceremony

With a moist eye and a proud heart I stand before you as a gold medalist in the 2006 Winter Knitting Olympics.  But it is not the medal I'll most remember from these last 17 days of competition -- no, my fellow knitlettes, it is the thought of the 1000s of knitters coming together in a spirit of goodwill and friendship as we strove to knit "swifter, higher, stronger"!  Many thanks to our Olympic host, The Yarn Harlot!

nona sporting her finished Tubey, gold medal, and
yarn bouquet at tonight's closing ceremony!

Knitting Olympics: Day 12

Thank you, my Olympic Coaches, for providing your opinions and voting in yesterday's viewer's poll.  nona also appreciates your kind euphemisms for "don't accentuate the tummy roll" -- as we all know it's a well documented fact. 

Poll Results
Decision #1: Color

56% were in favor of keeping the body in a single color
38% wanted stripes in some form
2% had other suggestions

Decision #2: Ribbing

82% urged me to keep going with the k3, p1 ribbing
9% favored the change in ribbing
9% had other suggestions

My Executive Decision
I'm going to keep the ribbing the same, but will change colors for the last few rows at the bottom of the sweater.  Knit On!

Racing around the curves -- the finish line is in sight!

Knitting Olympics: Day 11

It's decision time -- time for you, Olympic Viewer, to voice your opinion.  As I spiral round and round the body of my Tubey several thoughts popped into my head.  Should I add color to the bottom of Tubey?  Should I change the scale of the ribbing?

Don't worry, nona's far too old for the mid-drift look, I'm still knitting!

Decision #1: Color

1. Keep the body in one, solid color
2. Continue in the body color until there are about 4-6 inches left and then finish the bottom of the body in the stripe pattern.

Decision #2: Ribbing

1. Knit the entire body in the k3, p1 ribbing
2. Switch to a wider rib -- probably k7, p1 -- for the last 4-6 inches of the body.

The polls are open!

Olympic Village

My official Olympic event, Tubey, was cast aside for a few days as I partied at the Olympic Village -- or as others call it, Stitches West.  Let me clarify "partied".  Saturday was spent working in my LYS's booth -- ringing up sales, meeting lots and lots of knitters, eating chocolate, and having fun.  While Sunday found me roaming the market place with the fiber enthusiast -- who has a natural talent for discovering the unusual  -- and her mom.  Needless to say, nona spent her wad.

Who needs a medal when you can have this!?

I came home from the Olympic Village with:

1. The La Lana Wools booth is always a highlight.  This year I picked up some Phat Silk and Jewels to make the Boa Boa Scarf, which my shopping friend had just finished.   My dream is to take a personal 5 day retreat to Taos where I can visit La Lana and knit.
2. Last year I regretted forgoing Brooks Farm's beautiful yarns, so this year it was high on my list.  Here is a skein of Primero (100% kid mohair), which I plan to knit -- gasp -- Clapotis.  I knew I'd eventually join the bandwagon -- so much for free thinking.
3. I first picked up a pair of these German needles last August in LA and they are by far my favorite circular needle -- the tips come in ebony and rosewood.  I have not found another store who carries them and was thrilled to find them at Stitches.
4. This 100% tencel yarn from Just Our Yarn found its way into my basket just because it was beautiful.  What will I make with it?  Maybe socks, maybe lace, maybe something funky, who knows.  Any ideas?

Knitting Olympics: Day 7

The 7th day of the Knitting Olympics was a transition day.  Today I finished Tubey's first tube -- the tube for the back and sleeves -- and picked up all those pesky stitches to create the second tube for the body.  Half-Tubey makes a great shrug -- I was tempted to wear the half-Tubey around for a few days until the urge for Olympic gold got the better of me.

nona's sporting the half-Tubey

Tubey's instructions for picking up stitches initially sounded a bit daunting.  How the heck can I evenly pickup 98 stitches across the back?  My trick for picking up lots of stitches over a long distance is to break it up into smaller intervals.  Using safety pins I divided the back into 8 small intervals and then pick up about 12 stitches in each.  No problem -- although it would have been a tad easier with a few M&Ms to cheer me on.

I look forward to the next few days and my visits to the Knitting Olympic Village -- aka Stitches West.

Knitting Olympics: Day 6

This evening nona unglued herself from Olympic coverage to watch a high school basketball game -- with knitting in toe, of course.  Look who else was there...

Why it's nona-niece-the-most-patient fashionably decked out in her delinquent Spiral Madness.  The scarf was a hit at school gathering comparisons to noodles, onion rings, jelly fish tentacles, garlic, and last but not least DNA -- a small peek into teenage minds.

Knitting Olympics: Day 5

On this 5th day of the 2006 Olympics, I'd like to share with you -- in the spirit of international friendship -- one of my favorite knitting tips.  It's so simple and seemingly inconsequential that you may scoff at ole nona, but heck it works.

The Problem
When joining stitches in the round it’s hard to create a tight and seamless join even if you knit the first stitch tightly.

The Solution
Imagine yourself poised, ready to join your knitting in the round.  Before placing your stitch marker and knitting the first stitch, swap the first stitches on the left and right needles:

1. Slip the first stitch on the left needle to the right needle.
2. Slip the second stitch on the right needle up and over the first stitch and onto the left needle

Have I told you how much I love this yarn -- Karabella's Aurora 8?!

Knitting Olympics: Day 4

The first sleeve is done -- an excellent accomplishment considering the extra difficulties involved with tonight's Olympic viewing.  Between 9:00 and 10:00pm my attention was focused on the remote control as I artfully and with great prudence oscillated between the Olympics and 24.  Not only was I able to finish my sleeve, but I know the latest scoop on the nerve gas canisters and was able to watch the US chicks -- or is it chyx -- thrash the half pipe.

I've bonded with my half-Tubey.  The yarn -- Karabella's Aurora 8 -- is quickly becoming a favorite.  I also added a jaunty k6, p1 ribbing below the color stripes, which adds just a hint of stretch to the slightly belled sleeve.    Tomorrow I look forward to the women's 500 speed skating and to releasing the crochet chain of my provisional cast on for the second sleeve -- I hope I'll be able to sleep tonight with all the excitement!

Knitting Olympics: Day 3

Dude, I'm busting huge-air on my Olympic Knitting as I chillax and watch some wickedly epic Olympic events.  What a huckfest us knitters are having, it's totally milagro!  My Tubey is sh-moning as I barge the first sleeve -- like I'm really throwing it down.  I decided to go big with major applitude on the sleeve, joining it in the round and adding a tight splash of color.  Okay, okay so nona's a poser -- I'm just stoked about the snowboarding.  Feeling like a hoedad?  This might help.

Knitting Olympics: Day 2

Shhhh! nona-hubby is sleeping and I've got to sneak back into our bedroom -- oh, so quietly and in the dark -- to snag another ball of yarn.  I'm out of yarn and cannot stop knitting, not with my Olympic quest on the line.  Why not take a peak at my progress while I'm gone.  Back in a flash...

Tuby's back is finished!
It's now time to join each end in the round for the sleeves.

Mission accomplished!  Are you impressed that my stash is organized sufficiently -- and only sufficiently -- to allow me to reach a hand in and pull out the proper ball without a light or a struggle?  I think I'll give myself a few Olympic style points.