Holiday Knitting, Part I

Beaches and knitting - can't go too far wrong with a holiday heavy on those two things can you?

Avon Beach, Mudeford

I took three knits away with me. First up was a project suited to car knitting time: Jonna, a simple ribbed scarf, in more of the scrumptious Cashsoft, in Poppy this time.

I started this just before we went away to make sure I had something simple on the go.

View across to the Isle of Wight

The Spring Shoots socks I took are not really complicated, it's just that the unusual construction means that they require that little bit more thought and attention than car knitting, or indeed post-work knitting time tends to offer.

Perfect for peaceful holiday time.

Mudeford Spit from Hengistbury Head

I also used my holiday peace to start a pattern I knew would need a little thinking about: Summit. I got the chance to buy another skein of the Sunna sock club yarn that I was saving for a scarf, thus the search for a suitable pattern grew to shawl proportions. I was so intrigued by the picture of Summit that I knew I had to try and knit it so that I could understand the construction. It's really very clever, simple to work but not simple to work out. 

I love the story behind the design and using the thought of the work that the designer put in as motivation I taught myself a new skill as I started this. You work across a small number of stitches at any one time so I used some of my spare holiday brain power to work out how to reverse knit to avoid turning and purling. It's often recommended for entrelac but I could never be bothered to learn when I was working on Lady Eleanor. I certainly should have done. At the moment I'm still slower than I would be turning and purling but I think there's enough of Summit to get me up to speed! It feels good to learn a new knitting skill, a very nice holiday souvenir.

Littlehampton

I have one more knitting souvenir - a new project on the go that I found the perfect yarn for  in Christchurch  - but I'll save that for a post all its own. It's lovely to be back but I could cheerfully take that holiday again, maybe once a month!

Sunset at Rottingdean