Olympics Day 16

The start was promising, but like many a good athlete, I didn't have the talent, drive, or luck to make it to the medal stand. I finished one sleeve in a good, competitive pace, but by Day 3 my energy was pulled elsewhere, and I began to fall short of Olympic performance.

I began the body using TECHknitter's method with a long tail cast-on rather than provisional. That proved to be a mistake. As TECHknitter warns, a hem that is knitted shut, rather than sewn, tends to flip up. Blocking probably would have corrected it, but I knew it would be a perpetual source of irritation with the finished sweater, and since it was clear by Day 11 that I wouldn't cross the finish line in time, I started over.

I'll keep at it, because I'm excited by my vision of the completed sweater, but I fear without the Olympic focus this may end up like so many of my sweaters -- unfinished at the last stage because I just don't like them well enough to follow through.

Olympics Day 1

...and we're off!

The torch is lit in Rio, and this morning I cast on for my sweater. My goal is to make a seamless, saddle shoulder henley out of Wensleydale wool from Triskelion Yarn and Fiber.

A half-assed gauge swatch shows me at 5.5 stitches per inch, which makes my key number 235. I cast on 20% -- 47 stitches -- while waiting for my oil change and tire rotation this morning. I didn't have a second needle with me to pick up the provisional stitches to close the hem, but discovered it's not too difficult to grab those stitches from the back of the crochet chain.

I've never worked a sweater starting with the sleeves, but it seems like a better plan than starting with the body.

More about this "Rio Sweater" project as the Olympics unfold.