Monday 22 February 2010

My own olympic challenge

Yay!

Although i haven´t signed up officially for ravelympics, I set myself a knitting challenge - one of my crafting goals for 2010, which was knitting with more than one colour, using stranding as a technique.

On the opening ceremony day and the weekend after, I went away to the seaside in Uruguay and, didn´t get to it - I love knitting but swimming in the sea comes before if I happen to be near the ocean. So, lots of swimming and no knitting at all!

Upon my arrival I had a new prototype for abbrigate* to finish, so all of the previous detours to say that it was only last friday I managed to cast on for my olympic challenge. Knitting two colours the portuguese style (with yarn going around your neck for tension) is just plain easy, there´s no juggling with yarn on the right or left hands, so I highly recommend it as a good technique for this kind of pattern.

I´m knitting a pattern of my own, it will either be a dress/tunic or a short sleeved sweater - let´s see how much yarn I have for it - for one of my nieces (or for both of them, considering the first will outgrow it sometime soon-ish), with a little doll pattern on the yoke and raglan sleeves. I´m using 2.5mm circulars and white yarn is industrial alpaca and the coloured one is my own hand-painted pure wool. The result is a lightweight warm sweater, perfect for end of winter and spring weather.

I know there´s a more than huge chance of not finishing it by the end of the olympics but all in all my challenge was to knit with two colours, a mission that has been accomplished with a high degree of satisfaction. It´s amazing how many new creative knitting-doors it opens!

What are your (knitting related or not) challenges?

Tuesday 9 February 2010

Toasting for another wonderful year

Yesterday was my birthday - I love it when it´s my birthday! I had a wonderful day pampering myself and having fish on every meal (sounds dreamy to me!). I toasted for all my blessings and for my dear friends and family members, and specially for those close to me who are battling against difficult diseases.

Life is good. Here´s to that!

Tuesday 2 February 2010

This is fun

A dear friend of mine sent me this link earlier today and it kicked my day off with laughter. Knitting is fun.