The Coziest Competition: Knitters Cast on for the Winter Games

Every four years, as snow falls and skates carve arcs across the ice, millions of us settle in to watch the world’s greatest winter athletes. My attention focuses on the women's downhill ski races as I happily remember days as a fearless young skier on the slopes in Colorado. Today, my sport involves two needles and a skein of wool.

Spectators and Athletes

Across the world, knitting fans are casting on quick-knit scarves in team colors, closing ceremony hats, or sweaters in support of their favorite athletes. Social media is full of progress photos tagged to biathlon finals and figure skating programs. For me, and I imagine for many of us, the rhythm of knitting becomes the perfect counterpoint to the Winter Games intensity. Athletes themselves seem to find balance in knitting, too.

Finnish American mittens based on a pair in the U.S. Ski nd Snowbaord Hall of Fame and Museum.

Some athletes have embraced knitting as a way to stay calm and focused during the intense atmosphere of the Games. U.S. skier Breezy Johnson is known for knitting a new hat or headband before competition, a ritual she says helps settle her nerves. Canadian biathlete Adam Runnalls has also drawn attention for bringing his knitting needles to the games, gaining a surge of fellow knitters following his social media updates. American cross-country skier Ben Ogden has received worldwide attention for his knitting, along with teammates Jessie Diggins and Julia Kern, who say their knitting is a calming contrast to the high stakes competition in Milan and Cortina.

Knitting Patterns for the Games

Now is also the perfect time to turn to PieceWork's Winter Games eBook for project inspiration. The eBook features four fantastic projects to knit: a fetching pair of mittens based on a Finnish-American pair, now in the collection of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum; a hemmed hat with the fabric doubled around the ears to keep you extra warm and toasty; a double knitted scarf, which features a snowflake motif; and the retro ski socks, stylish and practical.

Laurie Sundstrom's toasty warm hat in celebration of the Winter Games.

As the world gathers to celebrate determination and pride, it’s comforting to know that our own small rituals connect us to that same spirit. With every hat, mitten, or scarf cast on, we become part of a tradition that’s as enduring as the Games themselves.

If you have a PieceWork All Access membership, you can get download Winter Games by logging in to your account below. Not an All Access Subscriber yet? Join the community here!

Happy knitting,

Karen