Pacifier Clip

The most recent baby shower gift I gave was a purchased item from a gift registry. To add a personal touch, I knitted a pacifier clip and used it as a package topper.


Free Pattern: Flower Pacifier Clip by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic
Needles: US 3 DPNs

The challenge of this project for most people is the finishing. Most of the parts are knitted seperately then sewn together. There are five petals, one center, two leaves and one cord. I found the construction of the petals interesting and clever--bascially, you knit a tube on two needles. Knitting the center of the flower was the most fiddly part for me due to the small number of stitches that must be knit in the round. Even with all the parts to sew together though, I was able to finish this project in one afternoon. I think that's a reasonable amount of time for a gift this cute.

Kayak Fishing in Matagorda

Saturday was my first time to fish from a kayak. John suggested we get an early start. "That's when the fish bite," he said. I wondered if this would prove to be true. I had my doubts. After all, he was also the one who said, "The big trout move in after midnight," which we proved false last Monday when we fished until 2:00 a.m. off the 1st Street Pier in Palacios (crazy, I know) and didn't catch one fish we could keep.

Would this fishing trip be worth setting the alarm for 5:00 a.m. on a Saturday? Would it be worth skipping my morning cup of coffee because there are no bathrooms in the marsh?

I should have never doubted him. Shortly after launching the kayaks, I was reeling in my first keeper redfish ever. It was 20" long--just big enough.


John began reeling them in too. Our combined take-home catch for the morning was impressive.

Two 20" Redfish, 18" Trout, 26" Redfish

John hooked the other 20" redfish and the trout...and I caught the 26-incher! This fish was strong. He pulled my kayak all over the place as he fought against the line. I'm told this is referred to as a Texas sleigh ride. I probably couldn't have landed this whopper without some expert coaching from my guide.

I don't know if we'll ever have another trip as successful as this one, but next time John suggests getting up early for kayak fishing, you can bet I'll be the one making sure the alarm clock is set.

Now, on to knitting.

Here's a quick and easy project that really turned out nice. If you know how to knit I-cord, you can make these.


Pattern: Covered Pony Tail Holders by Joan Beebe
Yarn: Cotton Chenille
Needles: US 5 DPNs
Embellishments: Shells I found while beachcombing in Matagorda. They were perfect for this project since they already had holes in them.


Note: The yarn I used for these covers is very inelastic. To help prevent the cover from restricting the elasticity of the band inside, I knit it slightly longer than the band.