Beach knitting is one of my favorite forms of knitting in public (KIP). Unlike subway knitting where I’m filling time that would otherwise be unproductive, I enjoy being on the beach where the constant sound of the ocean kissing the shore is reassuring and peaceful.  With knitting in hand, I combine two of my favorite activities enhancing my relaxation. 

Unlike swimming, the benefit of having knitting on the beach doesn’t require specific weather conditions (although I am not a fan of knitting in the rain). The cooler than average June weather actually enhanced the experience since it kept the beach relatively deserted. Due to the slight wind (which was great for my husband’s windsurfing), I had to knit with a thicker yarn which translated to lots of progress on my Hemlock Ring Blankie. 

As with any large project, I find that the beginning goes quickly since there’s the sense of adventure and I haven’t had time to get bored with the project or an uninteresting repeat.  With the Hemlock Ring Blanket, the number of stitches per row increases significantly which means that progress is REALLY slow. 

 

 

Despite bringing two sets of 10.5 needles, I still ran out of room to keep knitting. It became work to squeeze the stitches onto the needle. Thankfully, I have a set of interchangeable Denise needles at home so that I can extend the length.

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief

Here’s a lovely lightweight pashmina shawl that’s languishing in our bargain box for no other reason than a small red dye spot. This is all part of the joy of handmade items and it won’t show when you’re wearing it. However we’re sensitive souls in Pashmina Land and it had to go at a clearance price of £25.00. (The Very Lightweight Large Shawls usually cost £60.75 – so it’s a real bargain!)

If you are interested in this delightful peach shawl, please go to our contact page http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/contact.htm fill in your details and quote BLOG-PEACH.

This shawl is not available to buy on-line and there’s only one, so leave your contact telephone number/ email address and we will get back to you.

Regardless of age, it seems that people, particularly women, who walk along the water’s edge on ocean beaches stop to pick up shells. The type of shells accumulated depend on the beach and time of year. Children tend to go for the larger clam shells (at least on Fire Island) which can be decorated and turned into wonderful DIY projects. While adults are more selective in their collections; they tend to look for a specific type of shell.

I have bowls of shells decorating my apartment from various vacations including some wonderful ruffled clam shells from my honeymoon in the Cook Islands. 

As I walked along the Fair Harbor beaches in the early morning hours, it occurred to me that collecting shells was a lot like amassing stash. I tend to pick up one type of shell that catches my fancy.

This year, I was surprised to find numerous snail shells and small sand dollars that were vacated. After being in the Cook Islands where any abandoned shell would be inhabited by a hermit crab (in fact, several of the shells that I thought were empty crept away during the night!), it seemed that the New York based creatures lived more extravagantly when there were abandoned shells to be had.

Like knitting, together these shells form patterns and can be sources of inspiration for future creative projects. 

Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief