Knitting my way through the Winter Olympics.  Gold, silver, bronze accomplishments are witnessed by my addi turbo needles - nordic, aerials, slalom, super G, moguls, snowboarding, not to mention ice dancing events and speed skating!  Sometimes I re-watch the NBC primetime events in the middle of the night!

Having knitted the body of the ocelot, I'm one inch away from beginning the extreme cast-ons for the front right leg.  Took a better look at what I've done so far in daylight, comparing it to the two other ocelots.  I'm liking it a lot better, it looks golden.  Didn't want to risk running out of my background color so ordered more today along with the yarn for the next ocelot.  Thank goodness I was looking ahead to the next project when I was at the Museum ages ago.

I could be on track to finish this cat in the middle of next week, but the Winter Oympics finish this weekend, what am I going to do?!!!

The day before I got my three inches of knitting done.  That's my yardstick for daily accomplishment.  I'm knitting through the back haunches.  I's long enough and not curling any more for me to see how close in value the background color is to the inside of the rosette color.  Good lighting should solve that problem, but I do wish the rosette color was slightly darker, then it would be perfect. 

It was precisely for this reason that I decided to create a series of ocelots.  The variation of color and pattern in these cats coats was immediately apparent after rifling through the museum drawers.  Combining and experimenting with different shades of colored yarns along with the sizes, shapes and flow of rosettes through a series of skins should work together as a cohesive series of works. 

Right now I definitely don't think this piece will work that well hung by itself, but we'll see.  The smaller dots and spots on the haunches aren't really stand out material.  But in the next few days I will be closing in on the more distinct aspects of this pattern - the extremely long and narrow rosettes that run along the sides of the cat.

Now to hit the shower and get three inches done today!

Well I just listened to Lionbrands podcast of my interview and I think Liz and Zontee did a great job editing together my ramblings into something coherent.  I think it turned out well considering the editing I was doing in my head rethinking everything I said and wishing I had said it better, but I definitely feel good about sending this out for people to listen to.  I'd be very curious to see if people who haven't heard anything about my work understand and get the major points I'm trying to get across.  I think so!

Here's the tiny url link!  My interview section begins at 00:13:05.

http://tiny.cc/UxtQk

Completed the two back legs of the ocelot today and joined them up with the tail.  That means I am into the body of the pelt, at least one inch in.  I think that is pretty good going.  I worked in three stages today with hours off in between so even though I started knitting at 9am and now it's after midnight I really don't feel like I've been knitting all day.

Ripped through the ocelot tail today.  Started at 1pm, finished 1 3/4 hours later and it's now on a stitch holder.  11" long and less than 2" wide, and it has four colors in it.

Is it just  coincidence that I start knitting this when the NBC coverage of the winter olympics begin?

Very happy knitting.  Pepsi has already begun to fight for dominance and room in the chair, who can blame her when there is a warm lap and a warm lamp.

Yep, that's what I am, a very bad blogger.  But now that I am about to start knitting my third ocelot I will be urging myself to post some progress.  That being said I was saying to a friend the other day, "Finishing this chart is like pulling teeth."  Which it was.  Week after week I have been telling myself, 'this week I will start knitting', but no, no, no.

I really hit a slump returning from Australia for Christmas and have been struggling to get any work done.  But the only way to get out of a slump is to work your way out.  So bit by bit, day by day, with a lot of useless days in between I have been slogging away on this third ocelot chart.  I mean slogging away mentally too.  Eventually I've been dying to knit so badly this past week I picked up some speed and now at 4:30pm Febuary 12 the chart is FINISHED.  A winter sun is streaming through the window as if in celebration!!  Double yay!

It's funny too cos I heard an email arrive in my inbox but I finished the last coloring in on the chart before I had a look to see what it was, and it was a dear friend of mine telling me that she has been following my blog and is waiting for more posts!  What fantastic timing!!!  Thank-you Rhea!!