According to the Miriam-Webster Dictionary – Main Entry: 2felt. Function: transitive verb. Date: 14th Century. 1: To make out of or cover with felt. 2: To cause to adhere or mat together. 3: To make into felt or similar substance. From About.com: Felting is the matting of wool fibers caused by a combination of heat, moisture, and … More Definitions

Meg Swansen: Aaaand we’re back to the 2010 Knitting Olympics, where we have first-time U.S. Olympian Rebecca Osborn in the Beading Biatholon. When we left Osborn, she was struggling through some supply issues, not to mention some serious arguments with basic geometry. Stephanie Pearl McPhee: Thursday, our competitor suffered a serious setback when she arrived … More Commentary 2

Stephanie Pearl McPhee: “So, what are we looking at here, Meg?” Meg Swansen: “Well, Steph, we have young American Rebecca Osborn with a daring first attempt at gold for the U.S. She’s chosen an adventurous project for her first Olympics, the Shipwreck Shawl, and was off to an excellent start.” Steph: “Yes, it looks like … More Commentary

It’s day 6 of the Winter Olympics, and my going slower, weaker, and… well, slower. That’s not saying much, though. I felt like a speed demon yesterday afternoon as we set out from our weekend in PA; I was nearly at the end of the lace center of Serra, and had graduated to the longest … More Stronger, Faster, Higher

My Knitting Olympics project has a name: “Serra.” Points for you if you can figure out why. Hint: it has to do with the Ravelympics team I am on (see previous post). I am finding myself confused by the relative surface area of circles of expanding radius. Why? It’s three days into the Knitting olympics, … More Day 3

Ready, set, KNIT! This is an official log of my entries into the Knitting Olympics/Ravelympics. Entry #1: Shipwreck Shawl. (Photo from pattern.) Pattern: “Shipwreck Shawl” by Bethany Kok, a variant on the “Pi Shawl” by Elizabeth Zimmerman. Published in Knitty: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTshipwreck.php Yarn: Berroco’s Ultra Alpaca Fine, color 1282, “Boysenberry Mix”, a heathered purple fingering weight yarn … More Green Flag

Report from the underground: Tolerance for video games at an all-time low. Need exercise. Boiling 1.5-year-old clams smell like boiling dog chow… or like an overheated long-haired dog who lives in a mud pit. Hopes still high for clam chowder. White-out conditions outside. Car still not dug out. Wouldn’t matter – my car on the … More Diary of a Snow Day, Part Trois

I finally have all five pieces of my purple sweater completed: Two sleeves (their stripiness matches so well! Is it not pleasing?!), one back, one large front, and one small front. However, I still have a rather serious problem: See the notable lack of neckline on the large front? I still haven’t fixed it. If … More Moment of Truth

Saturday, February 6th, 15:35 hours: Dear Blog, we finally got out of the house. Our “benchmark” was still there, if only barely. Time for a more reliable measurement. We don’t actually own a yardstick, so I got clever with my measuring tape, scotch tape, and my tube of blocking wires. The verdict: Rather speaks for … More Diary of a Snow Day, Part Deux

Friday, February 5th, 2009. 19:15 hours: It’s been a long, headachy day. We kept the shop open until 4:30, when the snow finally started sticking on the roads, and got a surprising number of customers up through 3 p.m. I suppose people are stocking up for the storm, just like at the grocery store, at which … More Diary of a Snow Day