Short Time in Bequia

It’s April now, and at home in Connecticut, it’s yet another snow day.  That has to be some kind of record!  I’ll be back there in 11 days, snow or no! It’s cruiser lingo to say “short time” when you are about to leave a harbor.  We might get a bit further south by the end of the week, or we might end up going directly back to St. Lucia, from where I’ll fly home.

I’m beginning the process of figuring out what I can take home with me, because I sure cannot take everything I’ve put onboard.  This is a dilemma!  Whatever I do not take with me will be inaccessible until late May.  When you add the fact that I had to put these projects onboard back in October when I didn’t arrive until January, and now won’t have them again ’til late May, it does take its toll on getting work done on these particular projects.  So what to take, what to leave?

I always think I’m going to get more done than I do each year.  There are major distractions every place we visit! –like here, at the Pitons on St. Lucia, where we stopped for one night before heading on to Bequia.

This resort terrace was a perfect spot to view Petite Piton to our left and Grande Piton to our right.

I enjoy taking pictures of Bob taking pictures!

Cocktail hour arrived as the sun moved lower in the sky.

Then look what appeared from behind Grande Piton as the sun was sinking.

But….back to packing! I have two tapestry looms onboard, a band loom, two lace pillows, that silly Harrisville potholder loom which I never touched (!), and a bevy of knitting and embroidery projects.  I have two small carry on bags I can take home, one of which will get checked.  If I can get one tapestry finished in the next 10 days I can cut it off the loom and take it home with me!  That is a priority!  I’d like to bring three of my knitting projects home, since they are for Tori and the twins, and the smaller of the lace pillows.  That will have to go in the checked bag since it’s got about 1000 pins in it!  I may not get to take any clothing home!

 

 

I’m taking a hiatus from that pattern before starting the next blanket.  I wound the yarn for a sweater/tunic I want to make for Tori. It’s a luscious blend of merino, silk, and bamboo.  It’s also a luscious shade of red, since the three different fibers take the dye differently. There is a lovely halo to this yarn, and it’s so soft.

Are you thinking that’s the worst center pull ball you’ve ever seen on a nostepinne?  I certainly am thinking that!  It was a bear to wind that ball.  I use our wheel to for winding hanks of yarn into balls.

To wind balls, I stand behind the wheel on the helmsman pedestal.  In a roll-y harbor, such as here in Bequia, I need one hand to hold on to something to keep from falling, but I also need two hands to wind that ball.  So it’s a messy job, and I was a tad seasick by the time I finished.  Then, I decided to save this project for the future anyway.  Oh well.

So I have turned my attention to a dress for Tori that I put aside a couple of months ago. The design is by Christa Becker, and it’s a top/down lace dress that she calls “Song of the Spruce.”  I am further along than my photos show. I have the shoulder stitches on cables because I plan to knit sleeves when the rest of the dress is complete.

Isn’t the lace pattern in the printed directions delightful?  I am now finished with that first large spruce tree pattern that you can see on the print out.  I can’t photograph it because my needles are too short!  My knitting is completely bunched up on my short needles, but there is no place to buy knitting needles down here!

This is just the beginning of the large spruce pattern section, when I could still spread it out a bit between my fingers.  I’m using Dale Baby ull for this to make a sturdy fabric for Tori to be able to wear without snagging.

Okay, well, I couldn’t resist trying.  So, excuse how rumpled this looks.  It’s way too crowded on the needles.  And, again, photos are struggling, so you cannot even see the spruce pattern that was the entire reason for taking the photo under less than ideal circumstances.  Internet here is unreliable, at best!  I supposed it builds patience, but that is NOT my forte.

I can’t help thinking that in finer white merino, this pattern would be a wonderful christening dress. Can you tell where I’m going with this.? A knitted christening dress would sure  progress faster than bobbin lace and sewing!  I think I might be just a tad obsessed with knitting for grandchildren….Just saying….

This is Bequia.  The hills along the harbor are dotted  with colorful houses.  Today is Holy Monday, and there will be a festival onshore today with games and activities. It is a tradition here to have boat races all through Easter weekend, and this will be the last day of the Easter regatta.

Bob and I walked up to the 18th c. English garrison for the best view of the regatta during Saturday’s races.  We were so high that the frigate birds were flying below us!  We are always trying to get a photo of a frigate bird in flight, and you may notice that I’ve never posted one before.  Bob got this shot, after both of us have spent six years trying! The photo does not do justice to showing how large these birds are.  They have the biggest wingspan of any bird, and they can glide for hours.  Since they fly far offshore, but cannot actually land on water, they can sleep while flying.

The hillsides are full of flowers too.  Doesn’t this field look like an Easter bouquet?

Some of the charming buildings along the waterfront of Admiralty Harbor. This bookstore wins the prize for most charming!

There are plenty of spots to have a meal while looking out over the harbor.

And there are a number of art galleries like the local doctor, Patrick “Doc” Chevailler,” who has his medical office and art gallery together in one charming building, with its own dock!

I particularly enjoyed a visit to Oasis Art Gallery, where I bought a small painting done on canvas that has fringed edges and is painted with a thickened mixture of, well…something!  L. D. Lucy said she feels she is making tiny tapestries with this technique, and that is exactly what attracted me to these works! Here is the one I chose. I put the little woven fish on a stick with it, made by Tom the basket maker in Marigot.

With our short time left, we will visit the Easter festival today.  A local told us that one of the highlights of the festival is a contest called “Crying for Nothing.”  We needed an explanation, and he said that people cry on demand and win a prize for it.  Hmmm…. I hope I get photos of that!