If you’ve never heard of Ravelry, you’re obviously not a knitter. The site is an online community for lovers of all things yarn, and as such, attracts knitters and crocheters with common interests. A common interest for forty-five Ravelry members is, of course, the Caps. The Washington Capitals Fans group decided in April to craft a blanket for Olie Kolzig. Even though the writing was on the wall and there was a strong likelihood that Olie wouldn’t be with the team in the fall, the group went ahead with the blanket because, as they explained to me on Monday, “they’re big Olie fans.” When news broke in May that he was leaving, discussion among the group alternated between lamenting his loss and which patterns and colors of yarn to use for the blanket squares. The common sentiment, best explained by beaveggie, was this:
I know sports is really all about money, but often team disappointments and losses feel like personal ones.
Indeed they do, but the group didn’t let that dissuade them from their goal of creating a very unique blanket to show their appreciation.
400 posts and many skeins later, the blanket was ready.
After Monday’s game, some members of the group waited in the bowels of Verizon Center to present the blanket to Olie. He was extremely gracious and appreciated the labor of love.
He’s gone but not forgotten, as evidenced in one small way by a group of knitters on Monday night.
4 Comments
That is so sweet!
Hello,
Thanks for covering it on your blog! I was wondering if you could email me the three photos to my email? Thanks.
I am one of the mad knitters in the group and was there!
Mindi
The blanket was a great idea – and a nice gesture for Olie.
As a side note, I love that he’s holding a bag from the Turtle.
Hi Mindi,
You can find the photos (and more) on the Ravelry group page.
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