Well, this is what I get for completing the Knitting Olympics. I'll have to figure out where to put it on my blog - and how. I think I know. But I have gotten into big trouble starting activities with that statement, so check back soon to see how badly I foul it up. I should also be able to send in my name for a certificate and a chance at winning a non-virtual prize.
To those of you who think that all that effort was completely wasted just to get a paltry little blog button, you couldn't be more mistaken. One, my daughter got a sweater and I got a groovy neck gaiter/cowl. Two, I got to try a REALLY HARD cable for fun. Three, I was knitting synchronously with more than 4,000 other knitters around the world. (I believe 4,055 signed up.) Four, knitting blogger and cartoonist Franklin Habit designed the lovely medal, for which I am truly thankful. And fifth, and very importantly, I got to challenge myself, as did every other participant.
It is enlightening to find out what you can do if you push yourself hard in a limited amount of time. I've done that once before with a month-long challenge from a local knitting group. We had to see what we could get done in 30 days - I designed and knit a tunic-length lace top to cover tank tops. Granted, this time I only FINISHED a sweater, but it was a challenging sweater. Tiny yarn, tiny needles, tiny attention span. I also only made a cowl, but I also designed it, and I'd never designed anything with major cables before. It was refreshing to participate in a knitting challenge where participants got to set their own goals. I will admit to trying to be somewhat realistic in what I could achieve with two young children, one teething, and one incidentally getting the flu, I think. But that's a really healthy step for me - and a challenge itself. Good on me. And good on all of the other knitters who participated and finished their projects.
