The Knitting Olympics

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee over at The Yarn Harlot had a great idea, and it has spread like wildfire throughout the worldwide knitting community. The Knitting Olympics. You can read all about it at the link provided, but basically, you need to cast on during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, and 16 days later when the flame goes out you have to have completed a challenging knitted project.

Then I heard "Episode 8 umm...I mean 9" of the Cast On podcast, and fully decided I was going to try out for Team Wales. I wasn't quite sure I'd make the team, though. After all, Brenda Dayne has some pretty specific criteria in order to join, and I just wasn't sure I'd qualify. Even though it is not listed in the official criteria, I do have one Welsh connection - throughout my childhood, I lived in the last house on the right on Welsh Street. I was beginning to think that was a pretty strong qualifying connection to Wales, and I was about to submit an e-mail query to Brenda hoping for the best.

Then I ran into Beth over at Windsor Button. She asked me to join the Charity Hat Team, and I'm going to have to oblige. Beth's idea is for each athlete to agree to make more hats than you think you're capable of (after all, it is the Olympics, and you do need a challenge), and after the flame goes out, she's going to collect them all and donate them to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans. She's suggesting that 8 would be a good challenging number. That works out to an average of one hat every two days for the duration of the Olympics.

I like the idea. A lot. Not only do I get a challenge, which will hone my speed knitting skills in preparation for next year's Boston Knit-Out, but at least 8 (I hope!) homeless veterans will benefit as well. (You just know I'm going to have to make at least one of the hats out of that camouflage variegated yarn, right? I mean, they are veterans and all.)

The Opening Ceremonies are on Friday. That's three days. I need a couple of new dishcloths, anyway, so over the next couple of nights I'll have to work up a few just to make sure my fingers are nimble and quick and up to the challenge of The Knitting Olympics.

I'll keep you posted.