SailingKnitter

JAUNTY CAP
I finally finished the "Jaunty Cap" design for the Holiday Mystery Gifts Yahoo! group knitalong. Whew! The shaping of the crown so that it is higher in the front than back was easy to calculate - short rows to the rescue. It was figuring out the amount of stitches to increase for the bill that was giving me fits. My first attempt had a bill that went straight down and covered your eyes!! Not good - not enough stitches. Next was a ruffled bill, way too many stitches. Finally I got it just right (or so I think - other folks may want something different, and they can just go do it themselves).

I thought it would be cute to add things like buckles or buttons to the front of the cap so I tried out a leather strip with buttons.

Also recently posted to the group is my Lacy Jar Bonnet. Many folks give homemade jams, jellies, pickles, and baking mixes as gifts so I thought it would be fun to add a little lace bonnet to the top of the mason jars (I seem to be "thinking" a lot lately). Plus, the recipent can use it as a doily later - or as one of the group members suggested - starch it for a Christmas Tree decoration! This is knit with one skein (27 yards) of Size 5 DMC perle cotton floss so the color selection is gigantic!

During a recent trek into downtown Puerto Vallarta I found that the Parisina fabric store now has circular knitting needles in stock (aluminum with very flexible plastic cables). Of course there were only 3 sizes (3.5, 4.0. 4.5mm diameters) and only one length - 80cm. But, I bought a couple anyway because they were only 79 pesos - or about 70 CENTS in US money!!!

A few days ago there was a crocodile here in the swimming beach area of the resort. Usually, they stay up in the murky waters of the canals and lagoons, but it's not unheard of to have them venture out to sea a bit. No problem - the hotel staff took care of it. Here's a pic of the sign I pass everyday - Forbidden to Feed Crocs.

How stupid must someone be to even think about feeding these wild critters? Obviously, folks were doing it because the marina felt it was necessary to put up a sign.


But what if someone really wanted to CATCH a crocodile? How would you do it? Well, with the TLC - Tastes Like Chicken crocodile lure of course! This dandy rubber chicken lure is hanging on the bulletin board in the Vallarta Yacht Club. The sign goes on to say that it is most effective if trolled slowly while blowing a high pitched whistle. Nope, I'm not even thinking about it.

But, speaking of chickens, look what you get in that icky bag of misc. other chicken parts that is usually tucked up inside of a whole raw chicken. Yep - those are the feet! Here in Mexico you can even buy them separately. No thank you.