"The Games That Must Not Be Named"

Knitting + Sports 

By now, we are all more than familiar with the drama that unraveled (har har) in 2012 between the official Summer games committee and the Ravelry group that hosted a knitting competition of a similar name to the official name. Yes, that sentence was confusing but due to intellectual property law, using the official name of the winter and summer games can be considered taboo. Therefore, from here on out, we will refer to them as "The Games That Must Not Be Named".

Knitters vs. The Games That Must Not Be Named, 2012

Here are some of our favorite highlights where knitting and sports had something more in common than yardage...

The Origin of Sport Weight Yarn

Back in the day, the yarn was named so because it was conducive to free movements and was lightweight - ideal for sports and activities like riding motorcycles.

The Knitting Coach

In the 2014 Winter Games, Finnish snowboard coach, Antti Koskinen, was caught knitting at the starting line of men's slopestyle. As you can imagine, the internet went wild and so did we. I mean, look at the uniformity of those stitches. The scarf was then passed on to the Summer Games team to be Finnish-ed...

The 2012 Saltburn Yarnbomber

In 2012, the mystery yarnbomber took a liking to the pier of Saltburn-by-the-Sea. The work portrayed a different sport in honor of the London Games. To this day, the knitter remains anonymous...

Leg Warmers & Fitness

In order to prevent injury, ballerinas and fitness enthusiasts, like Jane Fonda, have been wearing leg warmers in order to keep their muscles warm when they are not in use. Misty Copeland demonstrates above. 

Knitted Swimmers

Yes, cotton was an option. But for swimmers, the fiber was far too absorbent and weighed them down during their sport. Thus, wool was the alternative. As a natural water repellent, wool became the ideal fiber for swimwear. Did you know that Speedo was originally a knitting factory? 

The more you know. 

Want to knit your own history this winter? We got you covered with our Speckles and Stripes KAL!