Last week I escaped our rainy shores for a few days sunshine, blue skies and turquoise sea with my lovely friend the writer Elizabeth Speller . We were staying in her perfect little house in the olive groves of Paxos where this year JTH and I spent almost all of May. As well as looking forward to a week with my friend and reacquainting myself with the kittens, born behind the mirror in the garden during my last stay,
I needed to think what out of all my various works in progress I would take with me. Now you might be forgiven for wondering why I would even bother to take knitting or crochet with me to a Mediterranean island in high summer. But there would be early mornings and late evenings, when we sit and chat, to say nothing of the travelling (nearly ten hours each way counting check ins and waiting for connections) when I could be making something too. Something in this beautiful Sublime Cotton DK from my stash, eight balls, eight different colours bought in a sale in January, £1 for 50g
But what should I make? Not only should there be no complicated pattern to follow but what about needles and scissors and security? I was travelling with hand luggage only and ever since having an operation that left a large chunk of metal in one of my hips I have had a bit of bother with airport security. I set off the alarms so often that I usually walk through the security arch and straight up to one of the women with the hand held metal detectors, not waiting for the beep. Then there is the time I set them off at JFK in New York and was placed in a glass cubicle until someone was free to check me and another time when I missed my flight when the 'patting down' woman did not believe me and I had to be taken to a private room and show her my scar! So I am very careful about my hand luggage, at least I can make sure that does not offend.
I had already decided I would crochet and use a wooden hook but what about scissors? It was then I discovered this helpful website and found I could take scissors as long as the blade was no longer than 6cm, needles both knitting and sewing variety are allowed too.
I decided to make a throw with granny squares, separating the yarns into two colour groups, strong and light.
I have about 30 squares made up to now and have probably used about a third of the yarn
I have 25 pale squares and when I have completed the same amount of the other colour-way I may mix the colours up again. I have quite a way to go before the afghan is finished and I haven't decided what the linking colour will be yet but what with all the other things we did (eating, sunbathing, dozing, reading and occasionally dipping in the sea) I did not spend a lot of time on it.
I have been visiting Paxos for ten years now and have photographed it in every season, capturing processions of icons and tiny wild flowers as well as breathtaking views and kittens and goats so this visit I left my camera in my bag most of the time. Instead I took a few pictures that might inspire some of the things I make. I'm not sure yet what ideas I will take from this close up of the sea lapping against the restaurant decking as we piled tzatziki and taramasalata onto village bread but for now it is just good to look at and remind me of a perfectly clear, warm, turquoise sea.
I needed to think what out of all my various works in progress I would take with me. Now you might be forgiven for wondering why I would even bother to take knitting or crochet with me to a Mediterranean island in high summer. But there would be early mornings and late evenings, when we sit and chat, to say nothing of the travelling (nearly ten hours each way counting check ins and waiting for connections) when I could be making something too. Something in this beautiful Sublime Cotton DK from my stash, eight balls, eight different colours bought in a sale in January, £1 for 50g
But what should I make? Not only should there be no complicated pattern to follow but what about needles and scissors and security? I was travelling with hand luggage only and ever since having an operation that left a large chunk of metal in one of my hips I have had a bit of bother with airport security. I set off the alarms so often that I usually walk through the security arch and straight up to one of the women with the hand held metal detectors, not waiting for the beep. Then there is the time I set them off at JFK in New York and was placed in a glass cubicle until someone was free to check me and another time when I missed my flight when the 'patting down' woman did not believe me and I had to be taken to a private room and show her my scar! So I am very careful about my hand luggage, at least I can make sure that does not offend.
I had already decided I would crochet and use a wooden hook but what about scissors? It was then I discovered this helpful website and found I could take scissors as long as the blade was no longer than 6cm, needles both knitting and sewing variety are allowed too.
I decided to make a throw with granny squares, separating the yarns into two colour groups, strong and light.
I have about 30 squares made up to now and have probably used about a third of the yarn
I have 25 pale squares and when I have completed the same amount of the other colour-way I may mix the colours up again. I have quite a way to go before the afghan is finished and I haven't decided what the linking colour will be yet but what with all the other things we did (eating, sunbathing, dozing, reading and occasionally dipping in the sea) I did not spend a lot of time on it.
I have been visiting Paxos for ten years now and have photographed it in every season, capturing processions of icons and tiny wild flowers as well as breathtaking views and kittens and goats so this visit I left my camera in my bag most of the time. Instead I took a few pictures that might inspire some of the things I make. I'm not sure yet what ideas I will take from this close up of the sea lapping against the restaurant decking as we piled tzatziki and taramasalata onto village bread but for now it is just good to look at and remind me of a perfectly clear, warm, turquoise sea.
xx
C
1 comment:
All your photos of Paxos have made it look like the most beautiful place. I've never been to Greece but increasingly I think I must. Enjoy your time there.
About the granny squares, I think that if it were me making them, I would keep the two colour ways separate. The muted colours of the lighter ones really appeal to me and I think they would make the most soothing blanket. It is not that I don't like the darker ones but there is something about those pale colours that is very pleasing.
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