Ravelympics

Creativity, as many of you "creative types" know, cross pollinates. Many quilters I've met started out as cross-stitchers (hardcore or no), and the majority of knitters I've gotten to know have been or are still quilters. So, for those of you who stop by my blog for quilting content (sorry to disappoint you so often), the word "Ravelry" may very well be in your vocab already.

If not, then be enlightened. Ravelry.com is a free, social networking site for knitters, crocheters, & spinners. Although the site is still in beta testing, it is bustling with activity. Members log their projects' progress in their accounts; add and search through patterns of all make, model, and practicality (some, not very...like, knitted seaweed???); join discussion groups that may or may rarely bring up a fiber-related topic, unless it's about grinding your own flour in a Grizzly Adams kind of group (of which I'm a member, so I can say); OR fess up to how much exactly is in one's yarn stash/horde/investment-grade insulation.

Ravelry has also hosted its own olympics these last two weeks. Not as a contest among the membership, per se, but as a personal challenge accepted en masse: cast on a project during or after the opening ceremonies in Beijing and have it bound off before or during the closing ceremonies. You could join one team or more. You could cast on for more than one project; events aptly named Sock Put, Afghan Marathon, Cowl Jump, and Glove Decathlon have been among the choices.

I entered the Scarf Stroke and Shawl Relay. And, more importantly, I crossed the respective finish lines. These glorious emblems are what I received:



...for completing these:



Wavy Scarf

In about a month or so, I'll send this to the Red Scarf Project.



Clapotis (clap-oh-TEE) shawl

This is for me. I'll never work with this yarn again, but I loves its results. I nearly sprang an index finger purling this sucker, but I pressed through the pain. I persevered. I'm a ravthlete.