Sunday, July 29, 2012

My Olympic Quest....


I love the Olympics. Winter or summer, it really doesn't matter; LOVE them all! My Olympic-love started when I was a young mother in 1980, with a toddler and a baby and a husband who was finishing up a residency and moonlighting so we could buy a house, so he was never home. We also lived in a big hockey town, though I would never have considered myself a hockey fan. You know where this is going, don't you? The "Miracle on Ice" that was the 1980 US hockey team. I sooooo got into that, and I have loved the Olympics ever since!


So now, I have an empty nest, and a husband who did not share that experience with me (or the rest of the nation, because he was working.) I sit in the evenings during any Olympic coverage, occasionally joined by my husband if the event is biking or if he has nothing else to do. I cannot sit and watch TV without having busy hands, so I usually start a knitting project.


But this year, I have a warped Mirrix loom, and a cartoon all ready to go, so I have decided my Olympic event will be Olympic Weaving. (I get a Gold medal if I complete the project by the closing ceremonies.)

The warp is about 8"wide, sett at 12 epi. I am using singles, so the going will be slow, but it will only be about 11" long. The top photo shows what I achieved during the Opening Ceremonies. The second photo shows last nights progress, during swimming and men's gymnastic events. I get more woven during things like beach volleyball (not my favorite event) and less done during gymnastics. None is even attempted during biking events, no matter how long they are. So I got about an inch woven each evening. OK, I know that's not much for the 3+ hours of coverage, but I am paying pretty close attention to the TV, too.

The weaver is slow, but determined. She keeps up a steady pace, accelerating during commercials. I believe she will make it; and not only make it, but will medal in this, her only event. The competition (for her attention) is pretty fierce, but she has the experience, the drive, and the endurance to succeed. Will she get her Gold Medal? Will we be hearing her anthem played (Carol King's "Tapestry")? Or will she have to settle for a lesser medal, or even none at all? Stay tuned....We will be watching her closely, and will update you on her progress as her quest proceeds over these next few weeks.


1 comment:

Mary said...

Good luck with your quest. Living in the southern hemisphere, the main events seem to happen in the middle of the night, so I haven't got into the Olympics yet. But I do like hearing the commentary and learning about the venues - and the history of the place. We get to see the morning heats in our evening viewing, so there is still plenty to watch.

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