Whistler 2010 Sweater: an overview

Rob had a few hours off this morning, so we snatched the chance for a properly modelled photoshoot. I'll go through the motifs and the meaning behind them one by one over the coming days, but I thought I'd start with the overall effect. 

You have already seen the downhill skiing tracks on the yoke - they are followed by bear claws and then a herringbone pattern to represent the cross country disciplines. The front body features snowflakes, evergreen trees, and flaming torches:

The back body of the sweater features multiple examples of the inukshuk, raven tracks, and the word Whistler (gotta fix that wonky H!).

The left sleeve features a scale map of the Whistler sliding track:

The right sleeve features a representation of the ski jump:

Both sleeves have sneaky representations of the five rings - separately on the cuffs, and interlocking on either side of the central motif.

Overall, I'm really really pleased with the sweater.  There are things I wouldn't do the same way if I had it to do over, a bit of fudging and embroidery on the back to compensate for technical problems I didn't solve in time for my self-imposed deadline, but I also tapped into a white-hot river of inspiration and innovation I haven't felt in far too long.  I created tricky motifs and unvented unorthodox knitting maneuvers on the fly to serve the vision in my head; I swatched yards of solutions that didn't pan out, and learned an incredible amount in the process. 

The sweater also represented an important psychological turning point. (I don't know if you noticed, but I've been going through a smidge of existential angst over the last several months.) I'll talk more about that another day, but I will say that designing and completing such an ambitious project in the tight timeline I set for myself was a way of staking out a bit of sorely lacking personal space, and proving to myself that there is hope that I won't always and forever have to give up and settle. 

The hat, I whipped up during the first days of the Games... I think it works pretty well with the ensemble. Matching fingerless mitts are on the needles - I need my fingers for photography, and the sweater is so warm that I think fingerless will be just right.

Comments

[CuddleDemon]

Hooray!! Way to go! Gold medal sweater all the way. It's great!!!!!

[dclulu]

It is truly amazing! Wowsers.

[mamacate]

That is one fantastic sweater, my dear! Gold!

[Sandra]

Be proud. Your sweater is just stunning. I love the event motifs you've worked into the sleeves. Please keep posting photos as you find time. The give us an insider view into the going's on.

[angie]

i'm not a canadian, not a knitter, not much of an olymics-spectator, but THAT is the most awesome sweater i have ever seen.

I will come back and read the meanings later. I only looked at the pictures to begin with.

angie-in-texas

[Deb from Kingston]

I am just catchiing up with my reading, but WOW!!!!! I am going to email you now with what I think you should do with thast pattern!