Ravellenics 2012

I wasn't planning on competing in the Ravellenics via Ravelry, but then it was like everything lined up and all my reasons for not competing just melted away.  One of my biggest reasons for not taking part in the Ravellenics is the anxiety of knitting something in just two weeks.  Now, can I knit items in two weeks or less? Absolutely.  I've knit many projects that quickly or quicker.  So that excuse is out.  Next up was the excuse that I already had too many projects on the needles, which until last week was true.  I did have a lot of projects on the needles: 2 lace weight shawls, a fingering weight shawl, a cowl and a pair of socks.  Well, I finished up all the shawls and it felt as if I had nothing on my needles.   

I suddenly found myself in a position where I was looking for something extra to cast on for on the week the Olympics were going to start.  Then I'm browsing in my local yarn store's Ravelry group (Park Avenue Yarns) and see a posting about joining a Ravellenic team: Team Clack.  I think you can guess what I did next: I joined! 

I've picked a pretty easy project, maybe too easy, but for my first Ravellenics I wanted to take it easy.  I'm knitting another Brushed Suri Loop Scarf (which is really a cowl).  I'm using stash yarn or more accurately put - yarn that my mom gave me from her stash when she realized she didn't want to knit two things out of Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri yarn.  

I originally intended to knit this project Continental, but I found it extremely difficult and slow to do it that way.  I think that I need more Continental knitting practice before attempting it on this type of yarn.  I'm a little disappointed it that I can't handle knitting this yarn Continental, but it was just too frustrating to knit that way.  I switched back to the English method and felt all my frustrations melting away.  

In addition to this cowl, I have a super secret project I'm may enter into the Ravellenics.  I just started designing a new shawl this week and while I had already cast on for it, it wasn't turning out as I hoped.  I ripped it out completely and after tweaking the math/design, I re-cast on for it last night.  This shawl should knit up pretty quickly and since I already planned to have it knit up in less than two weeks, it's perfect to enter in the Ravellenics.  Since I might be submitting this project somewhere, I'm not sure if I can post photos of it yet (need to check the submission rules).  If I can post photos, then I definitely will AND I'll be able to officially enter it into the Ravellenics.