Olympic Knitting

With the advent of the Summer Olympics, there came almost equally, the debate about the relevance of being Made in America.  Ralph Lauren made what many considered a huge mistake, even a slap in the face, in manufacturing the American athletic team uniforms in China.

I love watching the Olympics and surprise myself at what I get sucked into – weight lifting, hammer throwing, synchronized swimming, it’s all on the table and ready for my viewing thanks to DVR because after all – it’s the Olympics!  Admittedly one of the biggest reasons I watched the opening ceremonies came down to seeing these not Made in America uniforms that had created such a brew ha-ha on the backs of American athletes. 

Now I have to back up a little and say that anyone who knows me knows that I am not a huge TV watching gal but….it’s the Olympics!  My friends and family also know that I would need a project to keep my hands busy while I glue myself to the amazing talent, speed and bodily contortions the likes of which I will never possess.  I am talented enough in the rapid eye movement up down over method that enables TV viewing while knitting however, this is not yet an Olympic sport. 

For years (that is not an exaggeration) I have been eyeing a knit skirt pattern by American designer Kat Coyle so I set my sights on finding yarn Made in America to honor my impending Olympic TV viewing.  I’ve been a label looker for years and I continue to develop my brand around the distinction that Jilly Bean is a Made in America Company.  Still I had to admit I have never paid much attention to the label on my yarn other than to size up care instructions.   With a little searching I discovered the Brown Sheep Company in Mitchell, Nebraska.  They have an extensive selection of products and I settled on a beautiful 80/20 Cotton/Wool Fleece available in almost every color imaginable.  I am a new fan of the Brown Sheep Company and I am happy to say I will be perusing their product line often in the future.

The t-shirt pictured is made by All American Clothing Company – coincidentally the same company I have purchased Jilly Bean Tee's from and you can also check out the Made in the USA: The 30 Day Journey film trailer.  This is one film I hope to be seeing on the big screen in the near future. 

Now….let’s see if I complete my skirt project prior to the 2014 Winter Games!  Stay tuned…..