Dun dun dun da! .... here she is!

My mom would not be happy with me for posting this...but here she is, 77 years old, works full-time still, and managed to knit 32 pairs of slippers for charity during the Knitting Olympics!

Proud daughter

I forgot my cord to my camera at work, but got great pictures of my mom today with her Olympic knitting...she ended up with 32 pairs of slippers for our mitten tree!!! She surprised us and knit an extra 8 pair of tiny slippers for "extra points"! I have really thought today about how much fun it has been to be part of something so great that has stretched us beyond what we were before. Whether we finished or not, there was a lot to be gained just from the experience. I hope to take part in something like this again.

Now, I am slowly working on my other projects...but due to neglect of so many other things, not much knitting today!

The Medal!

We made this medal for my 77 year old mom for her part in the Knitting Olympics. She committed to knit 24 pair of slippers for our local mitten tree and surpassed her goal, not sure of the exact count yet! So several of us had the idea to make her a medal but had quite a time finding something to use. My hubby finally found a drain plate at the hardware store and we wove yarn through the filter in Olympic colors. My sister is going to engrave a small plate with her name on it. I am so proud of her for pushing herself to meet her goal and go for bonus points! We'll give it to her tomorrow morning.

As for me, I am now knitting some Noro Silk Garden socks (cast on 40 on size 2 needles) and am teaching myself intarsia. I really believe that having participated in the Knitting Olympics has increased my confidence and desire to push myself beyond what I have been able to do. I love knitting socks but haven't done much beyond basic socks because I have found so much contentment in that alone. Soooo, thanks Stephanie, for forcing me out of my comfort zone!

Goin' for the Gold!

And here they are:





I made it! Crossed the finish line!

#2 Finished!

Here is my second pair of socks....I had one of them just started a few days before the Olympics. When I finished my original challenge so quickly (which I still can't believe), I pushed myself to get hubby's socks done, too. The first one practically knit itself, the 2nd one was nothing but forwards and backwards. Why is it that when one goes so easily, the other one will inevitably be nothing but trouble?

I want to thank Stephanie for this challenge...I am a better knitter because of it. I realized how much I wander to other things when I am trying to get one thing done, and it was such a good feeling to stick with it until I finished. Thanks Stephanie, I don't think I ever thought I could get 1 3/4 pairs of socks done in 12 days!

Progress!

We had a 4 hour drive yesterday and then the round trip today. Some of the trip I was able to knit...tried in the dark with my little light but that proved disastrous and brought some tinking my way, but I got the first sock done and the 2nd one started before I just could not knit any more in the car. It was a beautiful drive but with the sun shining through the trees, it started feeling like a light show on my knitting and I just got too tense trying to knit. I'll knit tomorrow after I'm unwound a bit, but I have high hopes that hubby's socks will be done before the end of the Olympics! He really likes them!

Olympic project #2

I started these socks for hubby on the Monday before the Olympics started. I am really going to try to get these done before closing ceremonies...we'll see! I do know he deserves these socks more than I needed mine.

I'm using one strand of Kroy sock yarn (black) and one skein of Opal handpaint. They are thicker, which he's wanted...they look kind of like rag socks so that's kind of fun.

Here they are!

FINISHED!

I finished my Olympic knitting tonight and I just love my Simply Lovely Lace Socks! Of course, wouldn't you know that I am having technical difficulties and cannot get a picture on here tonight...but I came in to win the Gold at 10:33 pm and am now picking up hubby's socks to race for the finish line on those also. I am on the gusset decrease on the first sock. Pictures to follow.

The Olympics are 40% over~tinking ahead for me....

Well, I am getting very confident in this pattern and you know what happens then...yep, mistakes! But guess what. After I titled this, I went back to the mistake and tore down and actually fixed it...a yo, sl1, k2tog, yo...and it looks just fine. Now I wouldn't really recommend this method too many times, but it looks ok and I'll be happy with it. I am just getting tired of ripping back many rows of knitting in the back loop and then not getting the stitches all twisted up. These socks are really fun in spite of the little mess ups on the way. I think I'm getting too anxious to get going on hubby's socks again. He's so patient and didn't complain when I dropped his socks to do mine for the Olympics. I plan to knit with Olympic speed to get his done, too...even if they are done after the Olympics are over.

Anyway, I got past the heel and gusset decreases and am now racing down the foot of my sock. I have 2 pattern repeats down and 6 to go before the toe! Woo hoo!!!

oh well.....

I didn't have much time to knit today, but I did manage to get the heel turned on my sock and started the gusset...only to discover that I picked up one of the sides funny so in the true Olympic spirit, I am going to tear it back tomorrow and do it right. If it wasn't for the Olympics, I am sure I would have chosen to ignore it this time. I know I'm going to love these socks, though, so I know I will be happy that I decided to do it right....at some point.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Didn't get a lot of time to knit today, but I did get almost all of the way through the heel flap. 

It was a great Valentine's Day for more reasons than one...God is so encouraging when we need it! 

Simply Lovely Lace Socks

Here is my first new lace sock....and the second one in progress. I am loving knitting these and I think that I may try knitting some more plain colored socks and practice knitting different patterns for awhile. I am so excited that I tried something new for the knitting olympics!

The Knitting Olympics!

I have joined the Knitting Olympics! I decided to knit the Simply Lovely Lace Socks from the newest edition of Interweave magazine. I cast on my socks at 2 pm....and 3 false starts later, was off and running in true Olympic spirit by about 7 pm! I am so surprised that I have completed my first sock...and 4 false starts later, am 3 pattern repeats into the second sock! It is so exciting to be part of something big like this. Since I am making good progress on my socks, I will try to get hubby's socks that I had started earlier in the week done also. Pictures to come soon!