Knitting Olympics Medal wrap up

I cast on J's jumper on 14/2/10 and it was a case of knitting down to the wire. I managed to get the back completed in one night and then took a week to knit the sleeve around work commitments.

I finally managed to finish the first sleeve on 20/02/10 while in the pictures. Of course I had enough time to cast on the next piece but I had left the pattern at home and the wool for the next piece at home. So I sat through the movie without any knitting Talk about going cold turkey!

I got the next piece cast on on the 21/02/10 but somehow I did not managed to get the piece finished in one day it took another night in front of the TV watching the games before I managed to finish the front. Again I took another working week to finish the next sleeve and for a while there I felt that I was having a ground hog moment. 26/02/10 front and back seamed and then started the neck band and hood . Completed all piece work and started the sewing up of this project. All I can say is that this man has huge arms and a long body to match what to do you expect when he is 4XL (XXXXL)

Finished the sewing this project late on the 26th or early in the morning of the 27th.

I then cast on the group hat project for Team PISS DRUNK. I have knitted a binary message in it which just tickles my fancy.... This object was cast off in time to watch the Canada vs USA men's hockey game. Camera as died so it is time to get camera repair via the first aid tent. I had thought it was batteries but nope it was dead as a dodo .

Opening Ceremony

So I stayed up and restarted the knitting on my elegant baby jacket while watching the Opening ceremony. I managed to get to an almost completed second sleeve. This project is my warm up event and is entered into the Works in Progress Dancing. I thought that this event would be a good warm up event for the big daddy of them all the Sweaterboard Cross event ie knitting a sweater.

So as preparation for the opening ceremony I was pulled out this stalled WIP and managed to work out were I was in the pattern it took a while and a lot of head scratching. I ended up taking the WIP and a reprint of the pattern (I had lost it - What do you expect? Organisation?) to knit night so that I could get a more experience eye to check that I was reading my pattern and knitting. You know when you get cold feet I needed some hand holding - Thanks Sue!

After not knitting for the last couple of days I was itching for it. I was so desperate to get knitting..... I got myself all set up with a hot water bottle, doona, chocolates, hot coffee and a toddy of rum, laptop, dog, pattern and needles at the ready. Crack of the fireworks and we were off.

During the ceremony I managed to get from the armhole separation point where I had stalled over a month ago to an almost completed second sleeve.

After rolling into bed at about 5:30 I managed to get a short nap until about 8am. I finished the second sleeve before heading out to a busy day at work at 9am. On my return from for I managed to finish the collar and sewed all the ends in. All it needs now is a photo but that means I need light and a camera that works. Camera needs batteries and it is now late at night so that will have to wait for another day.

Black Saturday 1 year on

Well it is one year on since we lived through the terror of the Black Saturday Fires and the desperation of not being in the same state let alone the same country and waiting for news from the Flowerdale and Maryville family members. Today I was quiet glum I could not seem to get into my happy place.

So as part of my insanity due to my gloominess I ended up signing up for the Yarn Harlot's Winter Olympic Challenge. Is it pure hope or absolute desperation that my participation in this international event will resolve my emotional issues. Could it be that I am looking to a extreme form of escapism through my total disregard for the realities of knitting a 4 XL sweater for my hubby, J, who sometimes could be described as a silver back gorilla (especially when you consider his arm measurements). Oh well this one way I could get J's Birthday present & Christmas request done in time for his Birthday in March.

Tango BSJ Story and the continuing saga of Dissertations

Well I am still in the hole which is better known as the saga of Dissertations. I have now calmed down about what happened with the BSJ last week so I have included the project notes that I have on Ravelry for this project.

The story of the Tango BSJ

This one was a bit of drag queen event as it was knitted twice. Yes you heard or read that right.

The first time I was down to the last six rows and a certain dog in this house decided to have a discussion with the cats in the household - of course he lost big time. He ended up wearing a BSJ circular needle restraint and the hubby rescued him via a frogging exercise.Hubby was most apologetic when he was telling me that he had rescued my knitting and lovely yarn.

The next version of this one started well and everything was going swimmingly but thanks to the insanity of work hours it just was never getting there. It took a week to knit including a weekend when I have previously managed to knock one of these babies out in two tv nights.

I got the basic BSJ finished but again the two time hoodoo got to the collar which I like to add on to boy styled BSJ. I stuffed it up and only realised as I was starting to cast off.

Rip Rip wood chip and a lot of swear words later the second attempt of the collar was started I got to one row before cast off and it took three days before I managed to get any further just through that horrible infliction called paid work. Have you heard of it?

I now have to do something about buttons and get this sucker blocked and photographed. Will I have to do that two times? I hope not.

PS. I ended up having to have a second attempt for the photo as when trying to get the photo the first time I some how managed to stuff it up yet again.