Knitting and the Olympics

February 10, 2014 by Sarah White

There’s no question that knitters love the Olympics, if for no other reason than that they allow us to sit for hours in front of the television, knitting, in the name of patriotism. But knitting and the Games are connected in other ways.

One of the most shared images from the first full day of the Games (for fiber lovers, anyway) was the picture of the Finnish snowboard slopeside coach knitting at the top of the course. Word has it the coach and players are working on a scarf that will be handed off to Finland’s Summer Olympic team when it heads to Rio in 2016. How cool is that?

I’ve been told there are a few knitters among the contenders for Team USA (and no doubt for other countries as well. Figure skater Gracie Gold knits and snowboarder Jamie Anderson crochets (check out a piece with her from Interweave Crochet), as well as 2010 Olympics gold medal winner in women’s moguls, Hannah Kearney, who I actually interviewed before the Games last time around.

Another fun knitting and sport connection comes through Jimmy Beans Wool and Coats & Clark, which are the official yarn suppliers to the U.S. snowboarding and freeskiing teams, which means they get yarn, needles and patterns. At some ski events there’s even a tent where spectators and competitors alike can learn to knit.

And of course there’s the Ravellenic Winter Games, a challenge that has competitors knitting (or crocheting, spinning, whatever) a project between the time the Opening Ceremony happens and the end of the Games. I always want to participate and then have a million other things going on at the time, but I’m doing book knitting right now so the odds are good I’ll start and finish a project or two in this time frame.

How are you celebrating the Olympics? Do you watch and knit? I’d love to know what you’re working on!

Comments

Ann Devine says
February 11, 2014 at 9:36 am
My Ravellenics event is Finishing — as in, getting the WIPs out of hibernation and doing whatever it takes to get them done, and as many of them as I can! I’ve washed & blocked two pieces, and woven in the ends, and completed the first of a pair of armwarmers (elbow length — what was I thinking?) and started the second. Tonite I’ll wash & block a wrap, so I can get the buttons on it before the Closing. And I’ll get out the sewing machine (!!!) to apply a ribbon facing to a cardigan so I can put snaps on it. Whew!

Have you read?

Book Review: Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond

When I discovered Kate Atherley’s book Circular Knitting for Beginners and Beyond, I wasn’t sure there was enough to say about circular knitting to fill a book. It’s a pretty short book (144 pages) and includes 10 patterns to practice working in the round on small projects, and it provides a decent introduction to the various ways of working in the round.

The book covers using double pointed knitting needles, flexible double points and circular knitting needles with cables. It talks about working using the full circumference of a circular needle and various ways to work smaller circumference projects, such as using DPNs, magic loop and knitting with two circular knitting needles.

In addition there’s a discussion of preventing problems like twists and ladders, swatching in the round without actually swatching in the round, grafting, blocking and weaving in ends.

More specialized techniques likes knitting from the center out, stranded colorwork, helical knitting and jogless stripes are also explored, as well as working pieces like socks or mitts two at a time.

There’s also some information about seamless sweaters, including the different sweater designs that can be worked seamlessly (and why you might want seams in your sweaters) and how they are worked from the top down or the bottom up.

There are 10 patterns in the book, including a basic stockinette stitch cowl and one with a deliberate twist, wrist warmers, mitts and a pair of colorwork mittens, a hat worked in a solid color or in helical stripes, toe up and top down socks and a beret. It would have been nice to have a basic sweater pattern, too, since the book does talk about working larger garments with circular needles, but it’s still a nice collection of basic patterns worked in the round.

If you’re already comfortable working in the round in different ways, I’m not sure there’s much for you to learn in this book, but it is a good reference for people learning circular knitting or who maybe haven’t tried all the techniques yet or need skill building projects to try.

About the book: 144 pages, paperback, 10 patterns. Published 2026 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.