Matagorda Harbor

Our camping trip this weekend in Matagorda was wonderful! John was able to fish until his heart's content and I was able to relax, walk the beach and knit whenever I wanted. I brought along my socks that I finished just before the trip and photographed them at the harbor while we were waiting for the Discovery Cruise. More about that next time.



Basic Sock: 64 stitches, twisted rib cuff, 3x1 leg, short-row heels and toes
Yarn: Mama Llama Original Sock (100% superwash wool)
Color: Blue Jeans
Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) dpns



Catherine did an excellent job dying this yarn! It's possible that I may see her at Kid 'n Ewe on Saturday. I hope so. I'd love to show her these socks in person.

Down By the River

My knitting and relaxing spot this weekend is just outside the travel trailer at Matagorda Bay RV Park. The Colorado River is our view and the Gulf of Mexico is just a short walk away.



I brought along My So Called Scarf to work on, but have discovered that socks make better outdoor knitting.



I have more to share, but the Internet connection is not cooperating so it will have to wait until Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Snippets

Look what I saw on Sunday. One of the pumpkin hats I knitted being worn by a sweet baby boy. It made my day!

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I inherited this ball of yarn from my mother-in-law's stash. It is a two-ply wool that I think will work well for a shawl. I didn't know how much yardage there was though, so I used the kniddy noddy to guesstimate and wound it into center pull cakes.



There is close to 1000 yards--enough for most shawls. I had Flower Basket Shawl in mind, thinking I had the pattern, but I don't. Guess I'll have to buy it.

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I knitted two headbands. I'll keep one in the jeep and one in the truck. That way I'll always have something with me to keep my ears warm--no more improvising. The patterns I used are Super Simple Knit Headband and You Stole My Heart Band (minus the beads). The yarn is Mountain Colors. The colorways are a mystery to me as they were mill ends and were not labeled. I used two strands held together and size US 8 (5 mm) needles.

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Several weeks ago we were treated to a beautiful rainbow after a light shower. The picture got left in the camera and I forgot all about it until now.

May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and and answer for each prayer.
~ Irish Blessing

Gone Coastal

It must be Monday, because there's a picture of a sock at the beach on my blog. The second of the pair is very close to being finished.


Socks at Sunset

Matagorda Beach is a little different each week we go there. This week the sand was very soft and I'm sure we would have gotten stuck driving on it if we hadn't been in our new-to-us Jeep Liberty 4x4.


Dunes Reflected

The weather was gorgeous! It was cooler than last week, but still warm enough for shorts.


Shell Seeker

The only problem was that my ears began to ache from the cool breeze blowing across them. I hadn't brought a warm hat with me so I took a pair of clean wool hiking socks I had in my bag and used them as earmuffs. Now, isn't that attractive?


Function Over Fashion

I think it's time to knit some headbands just for the beach!

Playing With Yarn

It took a full day of playing with yarn to come up with a pattern to use with some of the Brooks Farm Yarn that I showed you last time. There was lots of searching and swatching, a false start with a pattern that didn't work and then a light bulb moment when I remembered My So Called Scarf.



I've have always wanted to make this scarf. In fact, it was one of the first patterns I ever printed out when I learned to knit. I've seen it all over Blogland, but not recently which is probably why I didn't think of it right away. The stitch pattern is not reversible, but the back looks nice and neat.



BFY Fourplay (color: boots) knits to a different gauge than the recommended Manos del Uruguay. I started out using size US 11 (8 mm) needles, but the stitches were loose and sloppy. Dropping down to a US 10.5 (6.5mm) and adding four stitches gave me the look I was going for.



I love it when yarn and pattern come together so perfectly!

Sweater Weather

The first real cold front of the season arrived on Monday. Temperatures went from the 80s to the 50s in a matter of minutes. At first I thought it might be a blue norther that Texas is famous for, but rain, wind and dreary weather lingered all day so it can't officially be called that.



The sudden change in the weather reminded me that the Kid 'n Ewe fiber festival in Boerne, Texas is just around the corner (Nov. 9-11). This will be my third year to go. It's a nice little festival, so make plans to attend if you're in the area. Everything is set up in three big exhibition buildings at the Kendall County Fairgrounds, so no matter the weather, the show will go on.

One of my favorite vendors at this festival is Brooks Farm Yarn.



As you can see, I've collected quite a bit of their yarn.


500 yards of Harmony (55% Mohair, 22.5% Wool, 22.5% Silk)


540 yards of Four Play (50% Fine Wool, 50% Silk)
1000 yards of Duet (55% Kid Mohair, 45% Fine Wool)
1500 yards of Primero (100% Kid Mohair)

I bought most of it without a specific project in mind, so it has sat in the stash unused. What a waste! I've decided to make it my mission to find patterns that will work well with these yarns and get busy knitting. How can I justify buying more until I use what I have? I may have to skip the Brooks Farm booth this year unless, of course, they have their sock yarn with them.

A Perfect Fall Day

High temperature in the mid-80s, low humidity, lots of sunshine and not a cloud in sight made for a perfect fall day at the beach.



We rented a 4x4 this time. Didn't want to get stuck again and we wanted to try it out to see if it would be worth buying one. It's worth it!



We drove farther down Matagorda Beach than we've ever been: 10 miles, which is about half the length. The beach narrows some here and shells have collected over time to form a bank that is raised several feet above the shoreline.



There are so many shells to comb through that it's a bit overwhelming.



I found it easier to spot a good find down by the water where the shells are still plentiful, but not piled up on each other. It's always a thrill to find a sundial freshly washed ashore.



An article in Texas Highways magazine (June 2007) says that eagle-eyed beachcombers may spot Civil War or Spanish shipwreck artifacts among the shells and driftwood on Matagorda Beach. I didn't find anything like that, but I had a great time looking.

Before we left the beach I had a special picture to take. Several curious people stopped their vehicles to check out what I was photographing. When they saw what it was they drove away, no questions asked. They are probably still scratching their heads wondering why I was taking a picture of a sock.


Mama Llama Original Sock Yarn in Blue Jeans Color