Norwegian Knits-Along: Week 16
Here are your Norwegian Knits-Along updates! The list is getting smaller and smaller as people finish their projects. We've got two more months to go, so if you feel like it, please don't hesitate to join.
Socks & Stockings
◊ Kerry has swatched for her stockings using white and peach yarn. They'll be the first pair of light-colored stockings I've seen, Kerry.
◊ Kelly of Drago[knit]fly is making those Norwegian Stockings from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks. Take a look at her progress.
Hats & Headbands
◊ Pixie of Pixie Purls has joined us! She'll be knitting Adrian's awesome We Be Pirates hat!
◊ Eva can see the pattern emerging on her hat. Looking good, Eva!
Terri found this YouTube video on folding t-shirts, "secret Japanese method". Sweet!
In Olympic news, who makes the brooms for curling? The Shoe Company (you know who I'm talking about, they've got their logo plastered everywhere)? Or are they commercial products? Just wondering.
Rock climbing is being shown as a demonstration sport in Bardonecchia, Italy. This is one of the competitors' journals. Huh. I'm not sure I like the idea of a dirtbag sport such as rock climbing (specifically, sport, ice, and bouldering) being in the Olympics.
Surfing and snowboarding succumbed and look at the clusterf*ck on the slopes or in the water nowadays.
Here is a case where its popularity can be harmful to the sport. First of all, climbing is dangerous. You must know this before you do it; you fall, it's your fault. You could fall hard and have a serious injury, even on a rope. I've dislocated an elbow falling 4 feet off a boulder (my bad, I didn't land on my feet). Someone falls hard and has this illusion that it's the rope's fault, or the shoes', or their gear's, or even the rock's (translate: NPS or BLM) and they sue. Hello, climbing restrictions.
Secondly, most climbing cliffs in the U.S. are either in national parks or BLM land, both of which can be monitored for land abuse, and both of which can restrict access. This has happened at destination crags such as Hueco Tanks in Texas, and Mount Williamson in the Angeles Forest, here in L.A. The reasons? Littering, going off-trail, and disturbing wildlife. I've seen people just throw their ClifBar wrappers into bushes, and others go into the bushes with tp and no baggy. Or even others uprooting plants because they're in the way.
Third, there's money. If a sport such as climbing becomes commercial, everything will become even more expensive than they already are. Climbing shoes? On average they cost $100 (and I've got 8 pairs of them). Rope? The base price is $100. Gear? You'll need at least 10-16 quickdraws at $20-30 per. Belay equipment and miscellaneous carabiners, loops, chalkbag, chalk, etc.? $200. It's already an expensive sport. Figure if the parks start charging $20/day (the way Red Rocks in Nevada does), the dirtbags--not the gym rats--will be breaking laws just to climb.
So. Down with climbing in the Olympics! Boo! Hiss! (And if you read this far into the post, congratulations. Now I'll back off.)
Sounds like a hobby that makes spinning look quite cheap.
On the one Martha Stewart talk show episode I saw, she demonstrated folding shirts that way. It made no sense to me, but the video is clearer.
that video is awesome - love it. my older sister worked at the gap over a decade ago and i still fold my jeans like she was taught. !
i ordered a fair isle kit today to make an adorable bag - that'll be #2 for me in the kal. ;)
Actually, I'm not using those colors for the stockings--I was originally going to use the cream for the cuff motif, light peach for the leg motif, and silver for the background color. But the motifs were getting lost since it was all so light-colored; I ordered a darker peach, and am using that for the main motif color. It's a lot brighter and shows up better on the silver background. I started the cuff last night--pictures will come soon!
I don't know anything about rock climbing, but I have to say - does everything HAVE to be an Olympic sport to gain legitimacy? We have tons of conversations about this in my house, but mainly because G has very specific ideas about what is a "sport." Basically he throws out anything with judging. Also, Rock Climbing seems to me one of those compete against yourself sports, rather than compete against others. Does that make sense? Anyway, for your sake, I hope it stays OUT of the Olympics! ;-)
So true about Rock Climbing - I did it for a long time (indoors and out) and it was expensive then. Make it an olympic event (I'm wondering if competitive eating will be next?) and the already high prices of stuff will soar....ick. I want to join the KAL, but my project is a bit in the future....
I'm with Cara on this one. Enough with the new Olympic events, already! Not everything is meant to be competition, and there are plenty of events currently.
where does everyone find these nifty patterns? i'd love to take on a bigger stranded project (bigger than mittens) so I can join in! but I'm curious, is there a no-fail pattern book to find a lot of scandinavian sorts of patterns in?
Thanks!
Also, the use of 'dirtbag' to describe rock climbing made me laugh like and evil villain.