Botheration (and other less ladylike words that begin with B)

Well, for those knitters/crocheters not members of Ravelry (and why not? You're missing a lot!), it's Ravelympics time again. The idea is that you cast on as the torch is lit (in the real Olympics), and you finish as many projects as you can before the closing ceremony.

The machine knitting team aka "Rise of the Machines" has our first ever specific event - "Machine skate samalog", and I've been desperately trying to make something half-decent as my contribution to the team effort. As there was no way I was staying up 'till 2am to cast on I did mine at about 8am Saturday morning - and discovered some trans-atlantic ravellers had already made some stuff - darned over-achievers! :)

So far? I've managed to make one lousy hat, which is a bit on the big side for the Cog and looks a bit, well, Smurf-like at the back.

I cast on happily enough, the chenille afghan. It became clear quite quickly that there was nowhere near enough yarn, and I only had the one cone of it, so I cast on again the whole width of the bed and just knit until it ran out. I dunno what it is, but it's not what I hoped I'd make. We're supposed to be challenging ourselves. Pity I didn't challenge myself to do some frickin' maths beforehand.

I'm rapidly running out of free time now - I've only really got this weekend and a couple more evenings I can possibly knit in. I "lost" half hour tonight giving blood, and of course work's now sending me to Holland for a day's work next week - no biggy in itself, but it loses me two evenings I could have used (because the flight out is the afternoon before, and the flight home means I don't usually get home until 9pm, by which time all I want to do is go to bed!). Yes, I know I could hand-knit something. That isn't the point. I wanted to support my team! Typical luck that it would fall in this fortnight!

Tonight I'm just about ready to launch the dratted machines out of the window - I've just told them all that there are cheaper, simpler hobbies in the hopes they'll buck their ideas up. Give them a sporting event and they all get performance anxiety! :) Spent the last three hours trying to make "accordian rib" from the Brother Ribber techs handbook. The beautiful blue wool I had hoped to use snaps constantly, regardless of how I might cast it on (including a WY cast on). The acrylic fared slightly better but I discovered some interesting and unexpected ladders when it was removed from the machine. Not the look I was going for.

Guess I'll just have to stick to making stuff I'm good at - charity tees and socks. My dreams of a beautiful pleated skirt (where the pleats are automatically knitted in) are dying a death, and I'm really bloody cross!