Olympics colorway

Earlier this week, I went up to Vancouver to check out the Olympic scene. We didn't go to any events, just walked around downtown. We saw a bit more of downtown by foot than we'd planned, since I read in a local paper that the torch (or rather, cauldron now that it's stationary, which explains why I couldn't find anything online about where the darned thing was at) was at BC Place. We were near Canada Place, so we walked across downtown for, I don't know, 30 minutes with an increasingly whiny 5-year-old. Got to BC Place, asked a volunteer where the torch was, and she said, "Oh, it's at Canada Place." ARGH. We had to appease the Whiny One with a cookie stop halfway back.

Still, it was worth it when we did finally get there. The cauldron is a very cool structure that looks alternately like basalt columns and pillars of ice. This photo isn't too bad for a cameraphone stuck through a fence, I think.



Overall, it was a bit of a thrill to see Olympics banners everywhere, and team members and fans from all over the world, and to sense the holiday atmosphere. I hear that some people go to every Olympics, no matter where they're held, and I can see why! I'd love to be able to do that.

And I got an inspiration for a colorway. I've been toying with various ideas for the March yarn club selection, but nothing really grabbed me. Then I saw Vancouver's 2010 color scheme--frosty blues and turquoises, fresh greens--and I thought, this is it. In a souvenir shop, I showed my husband a T-shirt, and he said, "You're getting that for a colorway, aren't you?" The man knows me well.

I dyed it up this afternoon, and I can't tell you how inordinately pleased I am that I got what I wanted on the first try. I've been working on other colorways that are going to take a few iterations to get what I'm looking for--but this one, I nailed.

Now to think of a name that won't bring the IOC down on me for copyright infringement, but that still reflects its inspiration. Hmmm.