Are you as excited for the Olympics as we are? At CustomFit HQ, we’re all gearing up to knit sweaters for the Ravellenic Games.
If you’re not familiar with the Games, you can read up on the Ravelry group here. There’s a lot of information there, but here’s the basics:
- Cast on a knitting project on the day the Olympics begin.
- Knit like the wind.
- Finish by the closing ceremony!
It’s pretty simple, when it comes down to it, but that doesn’t make it easy!
Join Our Team!
All you need to do to join the CustomFit team is to:
- Make a CustomFit sweater, of course!
- Cast on any time on February 7th, and (try to) finish any time before midnight (your local time) on the 23rd.
- Tag your Ravelry project using the tags teamcustomfit2014 and ravellenic2014.
- Come join us on the Ravelry thread!
There’s more information in the thread on how to join up with the official Ravellenics group. Once the games start, there will be a thread to post your FO pictures in to be eligible for prizes.
… yes, of course there are prizes! We’ll award two prizes to folks who finish their sweaters in time for the deadline, and one prize amongst all those who participate on Team CustomFit. (More details to come after we get started!) If you have questions about any of this, email us or post in the team thread!
And now, the fun part. What are we knitting for our Ravellenics projects?
Jackie
I’ve been excited about the new Watershed yarn by Harrisville ever since I saw it at Rhinebeck this past fall. It’s got a bit more twist than SHELTER, while still retaining the benefits of a woolen spun yarn — warmth & lightness.
I imagine this yarn wants to be a casual but stylish sweater that can be worn for drinks around the fireplace with friends, or for a stroll through the woods. I picked up the perfect buttons in New York for the cuff / hem detail, and I can’t wait to start working on it.
I’ll be swatching during the Opening Ceremonies and (if all goes well) I plan on releasing the design as a CustomFit recipe. So, here goes!
Tweedy, casual, stylish.
Lauren
It was love at first squish when I laid hands on Woolen Rabbit’s Worsted Weight Opal. And swatching was even better! This yarn is smooth, silky, and luxurious — a bit of a departure for me. I’ve never met a shawl collar I didn’t like, so I’ll be making a simple, average-fit pullover with a cozy garter stitch shawl collar. The color I’ve chosen is an elegant eggplant color called Figgy Pudding, and I can’t wait to get started and play with this yarn all day long.
I’m an Olympics junkie (even though Summer is more my thing), so even if I don’t finish during the Olympics, you can bet I’ll be watching every last ice dancer, curler, ski jumper, and biathlete in their quest to be faster, higher, and stronger. Hopefully I’ll win my own medal in Happy Sweater Facing!
I’m hoping to finish early, in time for Stitches West, to show off my sweater there. More information about our booth at Stitches is coming later this week!
From our instagram — follow us at @makewearlove if you want to see more!
Amy
I grew up in a sports-loving family. And I
do love all sports … just not equally! Growing up in
a pretty cold place gave me an intense and fierce personal love for winter sports above all others. So the Winter Olympics is a pinnacle, for me. I’m in front of the tv, glued to the action, for as much of the games as I can muster.
(Which, with a book deadline looming and a stunning lack of official desk job, is likely to be quite a lot this time around.) Like Jackie, I’ll be working with Harrisville Watershed, from Rhinebeck this fall. It’s a lovely rust color, and I’m thinking about a number of different sweaters:
Which one to choose?
I guess I’d better figure that out soon, since the games start in just two days!
Amy Herzog Designs