Knitting Olympics, pt. 3: Gold medal, please!

Birch (Ravelled) is finished:It does, however, remain unblocked. That undertaking will go down in the next day or two.What an undertaking -- Birch is huge! I was especially thankful for that fourth ball of Kidsilk Night that I picked up just in case, way back when.

I'm so glad that I decided to partake in the Knitting Olympics this year. So where do I pick up my gold medal?

Also:

Listening: Scott Hardkiss -- Technicolor Dreamer

Is it a mild-mannered Tuesday morning or a balmy Friday night in L.A.? Let Scott Hardkiss' Technicolor Dreamer blur the line between the two in the most delicious way possible. Mr. Hardkiss' sense of humour, joy and fun pervade these songs, rendering them inescapable and utterly infectious delights.

Knitting Olympics, pt. 2: Birch (cont'd)

Birch (Ravelled) is growing:I've long since lost track of what number repeat I'm on. What matters is that

a) The stitch-count is under 150 stitches per row (and falling,)
b) I've got the pattern memorized, and
c) I no longer fear Kidsilk anything.

At this point I only have one concern, which is simple and concise -- how the crap am I going to block this thing? Seriously, tips and advice would be appreciated muchly.

Knitting Olympics, pt. 1: Birch 3.0

My Knitting Olympics project, the formidable Birch (Ravelled), is progressing nicely:It's a big, floaty, sparkly, GREY confection and I love it to pieces. The pattern (even when worked in Kidsilk Night,) is strangely more dull than dangerous. I'm somewhere around the end of the...seventh (eighth?) repeat.

This is my third attempt at Birch, for various reasons. The first and second attempts are chronicled in these ancient posts from almost exactly three years ago. I think it's safe to say that I've improved a bit knitting-wise in the meantime.

Decadence mittens are now live!

I know -- I can hardly believe it either -- but the Decadence mittens are finished and the pattern is now live.Indulge some of your favourite 19th century vices with these lushly ornate mittens. Hidden among the Art Nouveau-inspired swirls of foliage (or are those curls of smoke?) are instruments of delicious deviant delights – poppy pods and absinthe spoons.

Get the pattern here on Ravelry. Give it a day or so to appear in my Etsy shop.Now I'm off to go locate my copy of Birch and to wrangle some Kidsilk Night, all because I was lenient enough to get sucked into the whole Knitting Olympics thing. Yep.

If you're looking for me, I'll be the one crying beneath the pile of tangled sparkly mohair.

Getting ready...

...to knit the heel on the current L'Amour et la Morte sock:
...for NaKniMitMo 2010:


...and strangely enough, for the 2010 Knitting Olympics as well:I still can hardly believe that subjecting myself to such a deadline seems like a good idea. The last time it was a total bust (for me, at least,) but 2006 was a long time ago. It might be cliche, but things are different now. Still, fingers crossed. Now all I need is a team that will have me.