SailingKnitter

Water Garden Socks

Introducing my new design the WATER GARDEN SOCKS! This is the August/September 2013 pattern for members of the Six Sox Knitalong Yahoo group. It's free to join the group and the pattern will be available for the next two months. I thought that this stitch pattern looked like the water lilies found in the Rio Dulce in Guatemala and in backyard water gardens. I've been wanting to use the little vine-like squiggle down a sock in a long time and finally it has appeared in this pattern.

I used Knit PIcks Stroll sock yarn in the Green Tea Heather color for my pair. I love how the heathered yarns have the slight color variations which add depth to the socks. The lace patterning is very easy on these. Yes, I did finish a complete pair as evidenced by the next photo. These will be on their way to Ohio first then on to Kazakhstan in the fall for the orphanages there.

I usually don't need socks, but this past week has been different! Nope, Guatemala hasn't gotten an arctic climate...but I've traveled up to the northern latitudes all the way up to Oregon again this summer. The night temperatures have been in the 50's! My toes are cold! But it warms up during the day from all the lovely sunshine.

I waited to take the photo of the completed pair of socks until I could use my friend's lovely flowers which I knew would be dominating her back deck. These delightful summer days are being spent by me on the deck madly knitting swatches and socks for a publication for next year. My friend and her hubby have taken the month off to travel and I get their house, dogs, chickens and large organic garden all to myself. Whahoooo! I've got all the fresh veggies and fruits that I could possibly eat! The dogs are complete sweethearts too. The chickens, well, they are chickens and they give me breakfast eggs every day so far.

Jonesy? He got left behind in Guatemala. You know, there's work to be done on the boat. OK, he wanted to stay on the boat too. Besides, we I had agreed to watch over the "marina" cat for another boat. This is not a very friendly cat...she's more the typical Guatemalan outdoor cat and for heaven's sake don't try to pet her. Here she is doing what she does best - sleeping. Those are my suitcases which

Estrella cat on Niki Wiki - but not for long

were set out in the salon for me to pack up for my trip. She thought that they were her new beds. Well, that is until she peed on both of them??!!?? I've had many cats, but never have they peed on their own "beds". I assumed it was because she was upset that I was packing to leave.

Unfortunately she's had more accidents (on-purpose-dents?) in the two weeks that I've been gone, so Jonesy has now restricted her access to the interior of the boat. To do so he's had to install a CDS (Cat Defense System). Instead of the flexible plastic curtain in the companionway on the sides of our window A/C unit, he has installed a latching hard cover. Pee on my new V-berth cushions? Nope. Sorry kitty. I totally enjoyed her on the boat - she would meow "Hello" every time slipped through the plastic and stood on the top step. Dang.

Socks #20

Just so you don't think I'm slacking too much here's another pair of plain socks that got knit since my last post. This self-patterning yarn was donated by a fellow knit-camper for the orphanage. It's Paton's Kroy Sock Jacquard yarn and is the 20th pair that I've knit from the donations. Some other gals have also knit socks from the same donations so we are keeping those kids toes warm!

And here is a photo of another completed pair of socks from my Hug Me Socks pattern. I started these on the voyage from Belize to Guatemala. The yarn is Steinbach Wolle Aktiv Color 100, another donation skein so these were socks #19 that I knit.

Socks #19

OK, that's enough for today. There are raspberries that need to be picked and then packed for freezing and more zucchini too. What? MORE zucchini? I froze a couple of vacuum bags just a few days ago! Good thing my friend sent me a notice of where to drop off extra produce at the local food bank! Come Monday morning I'll be delivering fresh organic produce there.

Maybe I'll wake up the dogs...