3d 23h to go

Hard to believe I started out at the Opening Ceremonies barely able to hold my knitting needles but with the help of this book I am now able to do a reasonable knit and purl as well as a multitude of other knitting techniques that many knitters have never tried. I would encourage any beginning knitter to work through the sampler in The Sweater Workshop to gain some worthwhile insights on the ins and outs of knitting construction.

A quick review of the various 'events' in my Knitting Olympics included:

Garter & stockinette Stiches
Changing yarn of the same or different color
Three types of ribbings
Making stripes
Short rows
Chain selvedges & cardigan borders
Buttonholes [intentional ones!]
Sweatshirt pocket
Bar increases
Three types of stripes
Six types of raglan seamline decreases
Two color knitting & weaving & Swiss darning
Knitted cords as well as knitted belts
Lots of ways to end; using a knitted cord, lacing and ribbing plus a hem with initials
Let's not forget the afterthought pocket with grafting
And finally what to do with all those ends.

My special thanks to two people - -

1. My friend Merna who taught me how to hold my knitting needles and lent me the book The Sweater Workshop by Jacqueline Fee,

and

2. the Yarnharlot who created the concept of the Knitting Olympics. Without the tight timeframe and pressure of documenting progress in a public way, I doubt I would have ever finished this piece.

I'm done with three days and 23 hours left in the Olympics. Time to turn the TV on and catch some of the remaining events...or I could knit...