intensive training

has been going on all weekend. our darling stephanie has decreed a Knitting Olympics, and i have signed up. as have a LOT of us. i counted this afternoon, and she had 1025 people signed up!

and what am i doing? well, since i do so much charity crafting, i hated to short that, so i asked, & received permission from her yarniness to do quanitity/speed. i'm knitting 15 12" squares in 15 different patterns, in 16 days. i know, i'm insane. i've been swatching training like mad all weekend, and all i've got is these 3 1/2:
hmmm. maybe, maybe not. the first, in red, is plain garter stitch. the pink is a pattern from the 2005 knitting a day calendar, called jack stitch. the blue pink & green is in seed stitch. the orange in progress is (i think) called broken rib, from the Big Book of Knitting. i've got to find 11 more patterns. and not all of these are going to be in worsted (thank god, lol). i've got plenty of left over chunky wool-ease from mark's sweater, so i'll be doing some in that. however, i can't do the 7" swatch in that, because i'm sending these swatches to the joiner at AC4C for a project. so then i'm doing something constructive with these swatches, and not just ripping them out and starting over. ya hear that Rabbitch? (she made a comment on some one else's blog that she thought swatching was weak (she's on tema canada, lol)).

now granted, progress has been slightly impeded by my continuation of fright zone the jaywalker socks at a slow pace. i still feel like i'm gonna snap those dang needles! they are progressing quite nicely, even if i do say so myself.!
and now for what you've all been waiting for!

you might be a redneck if your favorite hair product is Clorox. (oh dear)
. . . you bought your marriage license and your fishing license on the same day. (oh my)

Knit Bits.
1/20: Learning to knit is one of hte most awkward activities one will ever undertake as an adult. Every digit feels like swollen thumb, your hands don't feel your own to control. You're a four-year-old trying t tie impossible-to-understand shoelaces. - From Zen and the Art of Knitting by Bernadette Murphy.
1/21-22: With computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants, and other technology to juggle, some professionals are unwinding after work by taking up hobbies, like knitting, that are definitley unplugged. The manual repetitiveness puts part of you on idle. You get to stop and think. Best of all you have something to show for it. - Crain's Detroit Business, May 3, 2004

Crochet:
1/16-17: Southwest Inspiration. I thought this was a table runner at first, until i looked and saw "chain 254 loosely". ok, not a table runner. it is pretty, and it's in afghan stitch. nice, but not my cuppa.
1/18-19: Ann's Pincushion. t his is pretty and delicate, and no way in hell am i making it, lol.
1/20: Triple Strand Lace Bookmark. This is very pretty. very. however, it's charted. granted i've been crocheting longer than methusalah's beard, but i've never worked off a crochet chart. maybe later, not now.
1/21-24: Crochet Thread Teddy Bears. These are miniature bears. definitely cute. but in stuff i prefer not to work with unless i'm making snowflakes, lol. (i know, this is the same weight s the stuff i'm using in my jaywalkers. i don't want to hear it)

Knitting:
1/17: Jasper Socks. once again, socks. i love this aspect of the knitting calendar. all this sock yarn, and all these patterns to play with (then why did i download jaywalker? again, don't ask)
1/18: Bev's Baby Rib Hat. i know the designer! she's a major contributor to AC4C! woot! congrats, bev! and it's a nice pattern as well. (even if it is in baby yarn, lol)
1/19: Alison's Scarf. this is done by my favorite designer, Annie Modesitt! this is definitely interesting, and i'm sorely tempted to knit one for myself! it's chunky weight, so i might even use this for the olympics!
1/20: A Warmer World Wristers. also known as arm warmers, fingerless mitts, half mitts, anybody else got names for 'em? this is a nice pattern, and is done on two needles, which makes it easier for those who don't do dpn's. i do, but i don't mind these patterns anyway.
1/21-22: Fluffy Cowl Pullover. the style doens't appeal to me. no shaping that i can see (would help if they put this on a live model rather than a hanger!), and the color they used is hard to see in anything but strong daylight. meh.

What i'm reading:
(i know, i have't said in a long time)
Queen of the Damned (book tape in car) by Anne Rice
The Vampire Armand (book tape in house) by Anne Rice
The Wolves of Calla by Stephen King. i'm having a terrible time trying to get back into this one (i read 2 pages and crash)

have a nice day!