Tests make me nervous. Public speaking/teaching makes me nervous. I generally do well at both because I spend a lot of time preparing but I still get feel like there are a flock of birds chasing the flock of butterflies in my stomach.
The days leading up the the competition at the Rogers Centre were no different. Even though I had the confidence that I could do the job and it was something that I do every day my little tummy would do little flips if I allowed myself to think about knitting on the field.
When the time came to walk out I felt a calm settle over me - I was still excited and I was totally feeling the magnitude and thrill of the moment - but my nerves were taking a back seat. I waved up to the knitting section and panicked for a moment because I forgot what Amanda was wearing and I couldn't see her, but then I remembered her green sweatshirt, found her in the crowd and waved right at her. I was both encouraged by her being there and a wee bit more nervous at not doing my best in front of her.
In all of the years that Linda & I have competed at the CSNF for the Fastest Knitter title, we have never gone head to head so this was going to be new too.
I got settled, queued up the song that I had chosen to knit with, (In previous competitions I'd been going with Beenie Man's King of the Dancehall but I'd decided to switch it up to Bodyrocker's I Like the Way you Move. This too was giving me cause for 2nd thoughts.) took a few deep breaths and focused on Joan for the "GO".
I got off to a great start and tried to let the music keep me in the moment and not get ahead of myself. I was ahead of Linda on the first turn, lost track of her 2nd turn (peripheral vision is the bomb!!) and we were neck and neck on the 3rd turn. When Joan called "Stop" I was almost scared to count. Can you believe that we tied?!? I know!!! I knit a personal best of 250 sts in the 3 minutes.
It turned out to be the first time that there were 2 first pitches thrown at a Jay's game - what a way to make our mark!! My pitch wasn't stellar, but geez ... my hands were shaking from the fastest 3 minutes of my life and besides, I did my job - I knit fast. I don't have to pitch well, I knit awesome!!! And seriously, the Jay's pitchers didn't do much better that night.
Great champions always have great rivals and Canada has 2 of the best - the drama lives on.
Amanda admitted to being a bit nervous for me & it takes a lot to impress Kyle with knitting, but throwing out the first pitch because I knit fast did the trick!
When the Jay's send the pics I'll post them!
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