SailingKnitter

Come on in! This is the lap pool we can use as part of our marina fees - isn't it lovely? The little splash at the far end of the pool is Jonesy doing his laps. The heat and humidity have been really oppressive lately so instead of walking, we are swimming for exercise. This is a quiet pool - no kids usually because there is also a giant pool with two crocodile water slides nearer the beach. The kids can splash and scream all they want at that pool. No, I haven't tried the crocodile slide yet - kinda afraid I'd get stuck.

After swimming, I usually settle into a chaise lounge and knit for a while. Knit what? Well, I'm still just doing mindless knitting these days. I finished one baby doll blanket, and have started another in a different color. Plus, I've completed one cotton chemo cap, and am decreasing for the crown on a second cap from the cotton yarn I bought in Puerto Vallarta the other day. Yeah, I'm kinda stuck on the "Old Shale" lace pattern these days. I modified it a bit (like so many knitters over the years) to only a 12-stitch repeat for these smaller projects. Trick: To keep the garter stitch edges of the blanket from pulling in, add short rows every 2 stitch pattern repeats (8 rows).

Jonesy thinks that the cap knit with the varigated cotton is too "blah", so I'll knit up a flower with the matching blue yarn and safety pin it to the hat. That way the recipient can remove the flower if it is just too much for their tastes.

A pair of leisure socks for the Socks for Soldiers Yahoo! Group, is on the needles as my "travelling knitting". There is a need for more guy socks so I'm using a gray varigated Regia yarn for this pair. The leg is a simple ribbed/ladder pattern I just kinda made up. Sure, if you search enough pattern guides you'll probably find a pattern just like this one...it's just simple knits and purls and over the years, I'm sure some other knitter(s) have come up with the same design.

Well, we have been working away, crossing things off of our list of things to do before next cruising season. Jonesy has changed the oil, oil filters, and fuel filters for the generator, checked out the fluid level and functioning of our steering system, cleaned up the dinghy, and ran fresh water thru the outboard engine. Of course, new chores keep getting added to the list. The ice machine just won't work any more. Bummer! We don't use it while we are out cruising because it is an energy hog, but we were really looking forward to having lots of ice this summer.

These are some pics of Hibiscus flowers growing here in Paradise Village. You can see my hand in the yellow flower photo - that's how big the bloom is!!! Also another walkway, this time with Bougainvillea flowering across the arch.