The Knitting O(para)lympics

So - I was going to do the Knitting Olympics. Really was. Picked out a pattern, yarn, needles - and used things I already had on hand, so I wasn't even spending money. (That took effort - I almost gave in and bought yarn for a new project. But I managed to talk myself out of it.) Did a swatch before the Opening Ceremony. Cast on and started the project during the Opening Ceremony. Knitted away the next morning while I watched the games. Ripped it out and cast on with fewer stitches later that night, while I watched the games. Knitted away and watched the games pretty much all that week and the next. Knitted almost all day the last day, right up until the flame went out.

Didn't finish.

Totally not my fault.

See, I was handicapped. I had another project that had to take first place.

The Birthday present.

This? This is a knitted Dalek. I made it for my brother's 11th birthday (He thinks it's pretty cool, so kudos to the pattern designer). See that 2nd line of Bobbles from the bottom? That's how far I was when the Olympics started. That might seem far, but that was barely a quarter of the way through. (The base wasn't there yet - I knit that last, after stuffing.)

Also, each of those rows of bobbles took me a good 2o minutes. For one row.

I hate bobbles now.

So, needless to say, the birthday present had to be done. No question. So a lot of that Olympic Knitting time was spent on the Dalek. But I didn't finish the Dalek until only a few days before the Closing Ceremony. (alright, it might have been 6 days. Maybe.) So now, I only had a few days to finish my socks. I hadn't even finished the leg on the first one.

Yep, wasn't going to happen. Knew it. Didn't stress about it.

Instead, I'm a Paralympian now. I'm giving myself until the Flame goes out at the Paralympics to get these socks done. That means I have until the 21st. I can handle that.

And yes, I will be working on these socks in between. Honestly, that's not cheating - these socks are a tough project for me. Lots of chart reading and cabling. I'm lucky I haven't dropped stitches more than a couple times so far. And I totally used a life-line on the heel. First time I'd done a heel flap and gusset, too.

So, I don't mind too much that I didn't finish. I am totally in awe of those who did, however. Especially the Yarn Harlot - holy crap did you see what she did?! Total. Awe.

I didn't do that. Can't imagine doing it in a million years. But right now, I'm saying - yes, my project isn't even half done. No, I didn't give the Knitting Olympics my all. But I have a chance to try again, and even though I was handicapped, I can still be a champion.

Isn't that part of the reason we have the Paralympics?

Gold Medal, here I come.