Skip to main content

Ravelympics

Perhaps this story wasn't a part of your news this week, but I can tell you every knitting-related blog, website and social media group was talking about it.  So let me give you a quick overview.


Ravelry, an online yarn crafting community that I have referred to with some regularity,  has been around for 5 years.  During that time they have 3 times challenged members to push themselves beyond their normal yarn skills set and try something new or difficult or both in support of Olympians.  However on Wednesday, June 20, the group was asked to cease and desist by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).  The USOC said that by using the name "Ravelympics" for a competition that involves an afghan marathon, scarf hockey and sweater triathlon, among others, tends to denigrate the true nature of the Olympic Games. In a sense, it is disrespectful to our country's finest athletes and fails to recognize or appreciate their hard work."
  
Ravelympic-gate  Yarn versus the USOC


The USOC found out it was pushing against the wrong group, one with sharp, pointy sticks.  Ravelry members found the implication that somehow individuals who aren't involved in the yarn world would confuse Ravelympics with the Olympics to be ridiculous.  Knitting and yarn crafting social media lit up about this topic and frankly the indignant outrage was, in my humble opinion, about as ridiculous as the USOC initial communication.  Some pointed out Ravelympics raises funds for the Special Olympics, something that is wholesome and useful.  Others attacked the USOC in overextending its reach in order to protect its trademark name.  And then there was the general outrage all crafters seem to have of being misunderstood about  their hobby.  Note to self, beware when attacking crafters, they turn ugly and mean-spirited very, very quickly.


On Thursday, June 21, the day after the cease and desist letter, the USOC sent the following:  
Again this did not fully satisfy many yarn crafters.  The statement was found to be insincere and the invitation to donate handmade items insulting.  I found this controversy totally amusing.  It seems to me the USOC and Ravelry members deserve one another's indignation.   Although, some like myself continue to talk about this controversy, the events of this week seem to be moving into history.  Hopefully now the knitting blogosphere can go back to talking about more important things like stitch types, yarns and which company makes the best needles. 


P.S. Should you wish to read a reasoned and well-research post about this see Yarn Harlot's post.   Stephanie proves again why she is one of the most read knitting blogs around.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ode to the Cat

It has been six months since Mike, the cat's, passing.  I think of him every day and miss him especially when Paul is away.  Mike was a being in the house with me and we were close.  Grieving his death has been muddled with my Dad's passing and sometimes I feel guilty about that happening.  As time passes the ache becomes less hurtful for both and I am starting to get mostly good memories in its place. Recently I helped celebrate Pablo Neruda's birthday with Jami, my poet and overall very creative friend.  Guests were asked to select one poem written by Neruda to read to the small group who gathered for the celebration.  I picked this one: Ode To The Cat -- Pablo Neruda There was something wrong with the animals: their tails were too long, and they had unfortunate heads. Then they started coming together, little by little fitting together to make a landscape, developing birthmarks, grace, flight. But the cat, only the cat turned out finished, and
1 comment
Read more

Anatomy of a Sock

I've been knitting socks for a relatively short time.  One of the disconcerting things for me as I started following patterns for socks is the pattern designer assumes the knitter (in this case that would be me) knows all the parts of a sock.  So I thought I'd devote a post to improve my own knowledge about the anatomy of a sock and maybe some of you will learn something about the humble yet necessary sock as well. Here's the names of the parts of the foot as I know them. #49 ankle, #50 heel, #51, instep, #52 ball, #53 big toe, #54 toe, #55 little toe, #56 toenail. There are some parts more important for this discussion; first the heel of a foot is generally used to refer to the entire C-shape from the ankle to the instep.  Speaking of the instep, it refers to that curve near the bottom of the foot.  And what seems to be missing in the design above is the sole which generally refers to the bottom of the foot in total or plantar aspect in more technical terms.  (BTW
1 comment
Read more

Yarn Barf

It's back to quirkiness and time to step away again from the cuteness for a while.  But as you see I'm someone who slips from one to the other without much effort so anticipate this back and forth to be my new normal. A dramatization of me in the midst of my startitist frenzy Yarn barf .  I'm willing to bet you hadn't thought of putting those two words together, had you?  It just so happens yarn barf can be a reoccurring pain for those of us who use yarns that come in a skein instead of a hank.  (No pun intended regarding the current Noro virus, well maybe a little pun.) Skeins of yarn wound by the manufacturer These are hanks which need to be wound into balls  If you look closely at the picture on the right you'll see the start on the millet yellow skein at the centre right of the photo.  Its start can easily be seen coming from the centre of the skein onto the violet skein to the left.  Easy to find, right!  Sure but what about the remaining 4
5 comments
Read more