Olympic Knitting

Here’s the swatch.  I am following Yarn Harlot rules for the Knitting Olympics and am allowed to swatch because that is like training.  Since I’m designing this sweater myself, I feel charting also falls in that category.  I had planned to knit a traditional gansey just like my first one and did the planning for that using Beth Brown-Reinsel’s magnificent book Knitting Ganseys.I also planned to use the same yarn as before–Cotton Fleece.  Kept the yarn because I love it, but last night I had an epiphany.  Why not design this gansey as a raglan and test my theories about how to shape it to fit the body better and to eliminate that bulk under the arm?  I mean this is really supposed to be a challenge, not just an excuse to knit.  So I slept on it and woke up thinking about it and spent the last 5 hours drawing and thinking and here is where I am today.The first 63 rows!  The front and back will be identical and will have centered maple leaves in knit/purl pattern to honor the host country Canada.  The sleeves will have a snowflake centered down the top of the sleeve.  I may change that large knit area on the sides and put in a pattern, but I have a few rows before I have to decide.

After this, it isn’t yet planned.  Maybe a ski slope like pattern in the middle section, maybe not.  I have 17 days.  And if my theory doesn’t work, I’ll need them all, nights,too, to rip and retry.  I did much more planning than I usually do before I start knitting so I hope that will teach me something else important.

Now I am sitting around waiting for the Opening Ceremony time so I can cast on and try out my ideas.  Wish me luck.

I really hope it doesn’t snow.  I want to go to a basketball game in Georgia tomorrow.