The Flame is Lit

The Olypmic Flame was finally lit at 2135 hrs. I was getting really impatient to cast on but, nevertheless, I enjoyed the Opening Ceremony which was spectacular with its futuristic tableaux and theatrical representations of baroque images of excess (ladies in crinolines and lavish ornamentation, etc) to the avante garde ballet illustrating futurism. The choreography was brilliant and I particularly liked the culmination of the choreographed dove to illustrate the symbol of peace. Yoko Ono then said a few words before introducing Peter Gabriel who sang "Imagine" and then the Flame (photo below taken from the TV) was lit.


At last I cast on the stitches for the lace shawl on my 3.25mm needles and how much do you think I got done?

Four B----y Rows!!!

DH was watching Commercial Breakdown on BBC1 and I just couldn't concentrate with all the noise, laughter and pandemonium that was being registered on my poor protesting eardrums. It didn't help that, for some reason, I decided I didn't need stitchmarkers and it was one of those rare occasions when I'd resorted to taking an antihistamine (which always makes me feel groggy) due to a flare up of eczema!

Anyway after doing a few rows and frogging it twice while Scruffy looked on in disgust, DH was very kind and came up with the idea of listening to it via a set of headphones. Ah, peace at last! I did four rows, decided to cut my losses, and went to bed.

Oh well, I can't let Team GB down so I shall have to make up for lost time. Talking of Team GB, thanks go to Pixeldiva who has set up a Wordpress Blog for us here so we can check on what's going on with one another without having to spend valuable knitting time checking all the blogs.

On other news, today is the second meeting of Maidstone Knitters. We've had a few enquiries since last time and, one of our new members, Sharon, will be bringing along some bobbin lace to show us with a view to giving us a demo next meeting. I'm looking forward to that. One thing I know for sure though is that I'm not taking my Olympic knitting with me. I shall take something that I don't need to concentrate on so that I don't end up having to frog the whole thing yet again!!!

And before I go, just to say that I've sworn the Knitting Olympics Athletes pledge as follows:

I, a knitter of able hands and quick wits, do hereby swear that over the course of these Olympics I will uphold the highest standard of knitterly excellence.

I will be deft of hand and sure of pattern, I will overcome troubles of yarn overs and misplaced decreases. I will use the gifts of intelligence and persistence (as well as caffeine and chocolate) and I will execute my art to the highest form, carrying with me the hope for excellence known to every knitter. I strive to win. To do my best, and to approach the needles with my own best effort in mind, without comparing myself to my fellow knitters, for they have challenges unique to them.

While I engage in this pursuit of excellence and my own personal, individual best, I also swear that I will continue to engage with my family in conversation, care for my pets, speak kindly with those who would ask me to do something other than knit, and above all, above every stitch thrown or picked, above every cable, every heel stitch, every change of colour, I swear this:

That I will remember that this is not the real Olympics, that I'm supposed to be having fun and that my happiness and self-worth ride not on my success....

but on my trying.