No Gold

The time has come to finally admit it to myself: I am not going to finish Blanche-Neige by the end of the Olympics. In fact, if we want to be totally accurate, in real time the closing ceremonies have already concluded; the Olympic flame has been been extinguished; and I am one sleeve, two front/collar borders, and much seaming short of completion. So there will be no gold for me. I am choosing to think of myself as the Michelle Kwan of the Knitting Olympics, bowing out gracefully after admitting that yes, I probably was overly ambitious and tried to push myself further than I could realistically go (especially considering I work two jobs, was away one weekend, and have a wonderfully supportive boyfriend who nevertheless was none too fond of the knitting needles getting in the way of togetherness time).

Although part of me is disappointed that I didn't finish, most of me is very proud for making the attempt in the first place. I had admired this pattern for a while, but without the challenge inherent in the event I likely would never have actually knitted it. This is also the very first sweater I've ever knit, and I'm proud of myself for choosing a pattern I loved, but one that wasn't so simple that I was ever bored or complacent. I am really pleased with how all the pieces have turned out thus far, and I'm really looking forward to wearing the finished project.

For those who are keeping track, by the end of the Olympics I finished the back, the two fronts (sans borders, which will be picked up and knit after these pieces are sewn to the back), and -- just this evening -- one sleeve. Here is the latter, blocking (don't you think it looks like the same shape as an ice cream float?):

Now that I'm no longer under a time crunch, I am not in a rush to finish the other sleeve; in fact, I'm not even going to cast on for it tonight. I've decided to take a short break and give myself some (nearly) immediate gratification by knitting myself a hat before I pick up the Addis and move on to the final piece. I am still worried I don't have enough yarn, and if that's the case I'll need to wait until 3/17 for Knit Picks to get more in stock before I can finish.

To all of you Olympic Knitters out there, whether or not you finished your projects, I hope you're feeling as satisfied and content as I am this evening. We may not be athletes, who wow the world with feats of great strength or endurance or style, but we certainly showed that we are worthy competitors. I think we all really embodied the true spirit of the Olympics -- that of unity and mutual celebration of something we love. Knit on!