Ravellenics Closing Ceremony

My camera came back from the repair shop yesterday with a brand-new lens, so I thought I'd use the rare appearance of sunshine to play hooky for a few hours and go to the beach.

Look at that sky! It's gorgeous. The 'washed out' effect that used to be in my photos is gone,

 which makes me think it wasn't a setting but a problem with the lens.

I am so lucky that this view is at the end of my street! I do love living near the beach - looking at these photos makes me happy.

I took my knitting with me to the beach and, well, let's just say that I won't be getting a medal for my performance this Games.

This combined with four rows on the front panels of the cardy is the sum total of knitting I've done on my Ravellenics challenge. I am the knitting Olympics Steve Hooker! The truth is I just don't really like knitting jumpers. The thicker yarn feels really unwieldy and I find cabling stupid and boring and even though I want the jumper I most certainly do not want to take the time to finish it. If I wasn't so poor I would seriously pay someone to finish this because it's so close I can taste it yet so very very far away.  Bleurgh! Does anyone have a shawl or a pair of socks languishing away somewhere that they don't want to finish? I'll swap with you and I finish your wanted-but-unfinished project and you finish mine...? Well, a girl can dream.

Ravellenics Challenge: CHP

I did say yesterday that today I would post a new FO, but I forgot one important fact...today is the first day of the Olympics! Or, more specifically, the Ravellenic Games (previously the Ravelympics, but due to a brouhaha with the USOC, called something different this time). For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, each knitter challenges themselves to complete certain tasks that must be completed between the opening and closing ceremony of the Olympics. Some people chose to start and finish a project, but since I have bucketloads of unfinished objects lying around, it seems ridiculously silly to start another one, so my challenge is to finish a project I've already started. I'm going to finish my Central Park Hoodie!

I started this jumper on 15 April 2008. More than five years ago! It is well and truly time it got finished and off my UFO list. I participated somewhat half-heartedly in the last Ravelympics, with limited success. This time I'm competing for gold - wish me luck!