Wednesday 4 July 2012

Ravellenic Games 2012

Knitwits Yarns knitwitspenzance.co.uk

So - London 2012 is almost upon us and I decided that, for the first time, I should enter the fray and attempt a knitting challenge (for those not familiar with this concept, the basic idea is that you pick a challenging project, cast on after the flame has been lit and finish the project before the flame goes out).  Swatching in advance is allowed as that comes under "training".  Don't think this is an easy thing to do - many have tried and failed!

For the last couple of Olympics the whole concept has taken on a life of its own through the wonder of Ravelry but this year there has been something of a furore over the event as those of you who are also on Ravelry are no doubt aware.  (For those of you not on Ravelry or who haven't been on any knitting blogs over the past week or have been on the planet Zog - here is a brief synopsis: the event was previously known as the Ravelympics.  The United States Olympic Committee (in their lack of wisdom) wrote to the guys at Ravelry and told them they couldn't use the word "Olympics" as they owned the copyright [how they claim to own this copyright is still a mystery and what the Greeks have to say about it is unknown].  Furthermore they went on to suggest that the concept of the Ravelympics denigrated the real athletes and all their hard work (as one knitter put it, "because running 40 yards is so much harder then knitting a sweater!)).

Suffice to say - the furore has died down, the USOC has had to issue 2 letters of apology (their first wasn't good enough and, remember, many knitters are lawyers and writers and really quite intelligent people {they read complex knitting patterns, after all!} and they told the USOC that their first letter wasn't good enough in no uncertain terms and the USOC apologised again) and, finally, the event was re-named the Ravellenic Games.

Today, I have joined up, nailed my flag to the mast and entered Team GB in the eventlace, eventoneskein, eventshawl and evenstash categories.  Don't panic!  I'm not entering 4 items - that, clearly, would be ridiculous!  My one skein, lace shawl from my stash is ready and waiting.  I am attempting to knit this beautiful shawl (Cotswold Leaves by Val Turner):










using this one skein of Filigran lace (which I have been assured is enough yarn):


















from my stash.

What are you knitting for Team GB?!

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