Finished...but no medal

Well, I severely misjudged the amount of time I would have to finish the little shawlette. It was quite a nail biting (if only I could have stopped to bite a nail or two) race to finish. In fact, I had to finish knitting the day before the Closing Ceremonies. On the last day I had plans in place to spend time with (non-knitting) friends in the City. No way would I be home in time to knit a row, much less bind off a few hundred stitches.

I bound off the last stitch and wove in the ends at 10:59 on Saturday night. Then I fired up the old computer and waited ... and waited ... as every other Ravellenic athlete logged on to cross the finish line. By the time I got to post on my project page and hit the finish line tab, it was well nigh midnight. But finish I did. Unfortunately, there was this other little thing, a form of some kind that I was supposed to fill out. But, in my dazed and frazzled state, I missed it. So, no medal... no invitation to the podium....

Well, as the shawlette is not yet blocked, I'm not quibbling too loud. I feel I met the challenges I set for myself: 1. Use small needles (US5) that are interchangeable. They stayed together until almost the last day when they began to unscrew themselves. Soooo many, little stitches on the cord by then. Nerves frayed with yet another malfunction, I found the teeny tiny wire tool to tighten the needles. 2. Use up stash: Yes! A whole skein of Malabrigo Arbol made into a useful garment. 3. Lace work. I love lace, but it does not like me. I would have been done days before, if only I were good at counting, expert in keeping yarn overs on the needle, and reading the pattern chart accurately. In fact, that's #4: working with a lace chart. How did I not notice that it was a little abbreviated? But, by jolly, I seem to have leapt over the gaps of white space and knitted the thing correctly.

Hmmm, I have another skein of Malabrigo sock yarn that would be just enough for another little shawlette. Perhaps, I'll save that for the Winter Games....

The crowd cheered....

After an epic attempt to master Row One of the lace border, success! The crowd was ecstatic and cheered. The only flags they had to wave were Union Jacks, but we're not complaining.

Row 2 was a cinch. (K3, purl to last 3, Knit to end)

Row 3 is still being negotiated under the lights tonight.