Ravellenics 2014

Slopestyle snowboarder jumping over the giant Matrushka doll on the slope in Sochi

At the last moment I decided to join in with the Ravellenics! For a while I wasn’t sure whether I was join the Ravellenics this year, because I’m quite busy with school (especially compared to last Ravellenics, which were during the summer holidays), and because the whole event is slightly disorganised on ravelry at the moment. More or less on a whim though, I’ve decided to join the Ravellenics games.

At first I was tempted to make something with a rainbow, just to make a statement. Behind the stage of this edition of the Olympics a lot of nastiness has happened, and the LGBT-community is one of the main victims of Putin’s regime. In the end though, I didn’t want to waste yarn on something that I wasn’t going to wear. I am very proud of those athletes, like Cheryl Maas for example, who use their time in the spotlight to make a statement for LGBT and humanrights.

Colourwork options!

As per tradition (a tradition of one run so far, but traditions have to start somewhere) I decided to go with a Icelandic project. I’m going to make the Riddari sweater, though it is a men’s sweater. I will be making it for myself, and will turn it into a cardigan using a steek. The yarn I’m using is Istex lett-lopi, which I already had in my stash.

I didn’t start my project during the opening ceremony, but the day after. I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to finish this project in just two weeks with all the other obligations I have during these two weeks. But then again, just as the athletes challenge themselves during the Olympic games, we knitters want to challenge ourselves as well during the Ravellenics. It’s not supposed to be easy and I’m excited to see where I will end with this project during this challenge.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the Olympic Games so far. Here In the Netherlands we generally go bananas over long track skating and since we’ve been doing particularly good so far, the whole country is going extra nuts. For me personally long track skating is kind of losing some of its charm. It’s just not very thrilling if the same person or team wins all the time and I’m not particularity fond of the nationalist feelings and ego that come with winning every event. When one country wins everything, other countries slowly lose interest, which is dangerous for the continued existence of the sport in the long run. I do really enjoy watching some of the snowsports like snowbord, cross-country and biathlon, as well as shorttrack , figureskating and luge (I’m particularly fascinated by the fact that they wear gloves…with spikes!)

Shani Davies, one of the succesful American speedskater. Rooting for him to win his third consecutive gold medal on the 1000m, which would be a record.

Do you watch the Olympics? Which sports do you enjoy? Did anyone else spotted the team Finland’s snowboard coach, knitting at the Sochi? Do you “compete” with the Ravellenics? (If so I want project links!). Wish me luck with making the deadline!