Ravellenic Games 2014: Training, Events and Opening Ceremonies

With the Olympics comes the Ravellenic Games on Ravelry. I wasn't planning anything for this year because I'm a bit conflicted about them. Letting Russia host, what Russia's been up to lately, the waste, expense, the annoying coverage on NBC...was it worth getting excited about?

Then a couple months ago it occurred to me that I could participate but make my own statement by making this rainbow cowl for the Ravellenic Games:

It was one I made three years ago for a cowl exchange at Red Purl and I had always intended to make another one for myself. It's not a big or difficult project, although it's tricky on my dpns because the stitches barely fit and like to jump off the ends. (Every other row you are wrapping the yarn around three times for each stitch, so the stitches are three times as "thick" on the needle too. Doesn't help.)

For an extra challenge I would modify the pattern to make myself a matching hat. I thought that would be something manageable in the two weeks of the Games.

I had my rainbow colours ready,

and I thought I was set.

Then the Games got closer and there was more and more excitement on Ravelry for our own games and then they added a new event: Aerial Unwind. Previously this was an event in which you could only rip out projects or WIPs that you had made. But this year they are allowing raveling of commercial sweaters to reclaim/upcycle the yarn. Well, I do that anyway!

I had two sweaters I purchased recently and saved them for the Ravellenic Games. Why not?

I really like these green and mustard yellow colours. I'm planning to make baby stuff out of them. Not too cutesy and lots of fun.

Then I noticed there's a dyeing event. I have a project in mind that needs some green and white yarn. I have this wool/angora mix,

that I used for my Elephant Socks, so I know it's good for colourwork. And I thought, well, I could dye some of it green and see how it goes. (This is only one sleeve of the sweater; I have the whole rest of the sweater to use if it doesn't work out.) Why not?

Then while sorting and organizing my yarn recently, I found some fiber I've had for quite some time but have never gotten the courage to try spinning.

I bought this lovely spindle at the Red Purl "Green Sale" a couple years ago:

Maybe I should let it do more than look pretty on the shelf...

And then recently I saw a project on the Squam site that interested me. I won't get into details now but it could use some woven bands. So Thursday night I got out the loom and tried some "swatching" to see how it would work out.

I got mixed results but I think I found out enough that I can move forward. So, why not?

And then last Sunday a baby shower was just announced for this coming Saturday. I got one bib started before the games, but I have another one to knit this week. May as well count it. (Why not?)

So let's sum up:

1. Rainbow Cowl: Event Cross Cowling with side events:

• Cable Cross-Country (for cables or any kind of twisted/out-of-order stitches)
• Nordic Colourwork Combined (any kind of colourwork)
• Stash Skeleton (for project using stash more than six months old), and
• Rainbowllenics Exhibition Parade (non-medaling event)

2. Rainbow Hat: Event Hat Half-Pipe with side events:

• Cable Cross-Country
• Nordic Colourwork Combined
• Stash Skeleton, and
• Rainbowllenics Exhibition Parade

3. & 4. Ravel Sweater 1 and Sweater 2: Event Aerial Unwind

5. Dye Green Yarn: Event Downhill Dyeing with side event:

• Stash Skeleton

6. Spin Some Yarn: Event Flying Camel Spin with side event:

• Stash Skeleton

7. Woven Strap: Event Alpine Abode Enhancement (since it will hang on a wall) with side events

• Labyrinth Weaving
• Nordic Colourwork Combined, and
• Stash Skeleton

8. Baby Bib: Event Free Dance (didn't really fit into one of the categories), with side events:

• Junior Ravellenics (stuff for babies/kids)
• Nordic Colourwork Combined, and
• Stash Skeleton

So much for taking it easy, right!! If I think about it all at once it makes my head spin and I wonder if I will get any of it done. But last night I went to friends' for the opening ceremonies and did get the cowl cast on.

I'm currently on the third colour--almost half way. One thing at a time, right?

I didn't do enough to prepare for the games, so this morning I spent two hours trying to get my computer to pretend it's in Canada so I can get the CBC online coverage. Once I got it done, I set it up to play on my TV while I attempted to write this post. My internet kept crapping out (it doesn't play well when I display on a second monitor--don't ask me why, although it's more likely my old laptop than my router) so I have the coverage off while I work on this. As soon as this is done, it's back to the men's snowboard slopestyle semifinal and some knitting, or spinning, or dyeing, or raveling! (Oh my!)

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Postscript for those of you who encouraged me to work on the second purple mitten: I did get it started and got the band finished. (The worst part.) I remembered to reverse it so that it would mirror the first mitten. But then when I picked up the stitches along the side of the band, I didn't reverse the pattern for the rest of the mitten and the band is going to look like it's in the wrong place.

So I have to rip it out and pick up stitches again and reverse all the instructions. And then I needed the needles I was using for the rainbow cowl. Guess what...this mitten is in time out again. I'll catch up with it later...