DK the Nautical Knitter

I have to tink a row and I am excited about it. Let me tell you why. When I joined the Mystery Stole #3 group I really didn’t know why I was joining. Yes, there was a free lace knitting pattern involved. However, I do not own a stole, and had never thought about buying one, much less creating one. But, I guess I figured it was lace knitting with beads which I love, I already had the supplies on hand, which is rare and the Yarn Harlot (enabler that she is) sucked me into it with one blog post.

Now I am hooked. Not only because the stole by Melanie is quite beautiful, or because it involves beads and knitting combined. But I am convinced that there was even a larger reason for me to join the group, Friendship. You see, I have met many very wonderful knitters through the yahoo groups over the years. But, I have never found one that was right down the street from me until now.

Reba lives about 2 miles down the road from me and we met through the mystery stole #3 group. We met up for the first time this Saturday at Joe Muggs (Books-A-Million) and spent about 2 hours chatting and knitting. That is why I have to tink. We were both having such a good time that I got to the end of my chart and I still had about 10 stitches on the needle to go. It didn’t matter. I now have a lace knitting friend close by and that is definitely worth it. So, here we are with our stoles in progress.

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This stole is trucking right along. Here are the photos of my Mystery Stole #3 completed through clue 2, chart c.

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The handy, dandy chart I have for this shawl that tells me what percentage of this shawl I have completed by row number states that I have completed 31% as of row 114. Since I have been working on it off and on for about a year now it sure feels like it should be a higher percentage than that! On a bright note though, judging from this relatively loose blocking for the photo this is going to be a very large shawl. Cool.

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Moving right along on the Mystery Stole #3 I can now move on to clue #2 of this stole. It has been a fun knit and fairly easy and straightforward thus far. Thanks Melanie!

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We no longer have any human children in the house. However, we do have two dogs that have been with us for almost 14 years. Our Cocker Spaniel, Aubie and our Basset Hound, Blazer. The dogs are very much family to us and are getting up in years now. This, of course, means the beginning of illnesses, injuries and all the issues that come with aging pets. In some ways I think they know how much we care about their well being and sometimes it seems that they like to exploit this for everything it is worth, especially the basset, usually resulting in an extra biscuit, extra special dinner time, etc. Here is Blazer after his recent surgery to remove a lump of skin cancer from his shoulder. Doesn’t he look like a pathetic thing?

Blazer the Basset

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Here are some more photos of our visit with Scott’s parents in Orange Beach.

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Not the traditional buttons, the ones that hold things together or hold things up. The button I am referring to is the one I created this morning for my blog. This is the type of thing I do when awake at 4:30am and the rest of the house is still sleeping.

Please take my button and link to me. Thanks!!

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Mystery Stole #3 chart A has been completed. I really like the way this yarn and bead combination is working out. I am using addi turbo size 4US (3.5mm) and Skacel Merino Lace yarn color #417 (Navy Blue). The beads are 3mm fire polish Czech Glass beads in Iris Purple.

Since I could not find a crochet hook small enough to go through the hole of the beads, I decided to use a needle and thread combination that is actually working better than I had expected. I load the beads on the thread and when I need to add a bead I put the needle through the loop of the yarn stitch I need to add it to, run the needle back through the bead closest to the needle, slip the thread off the left knitting needle, run the bead down on to the yarn stitch, place the yarn stitch on to the working needle and pull out the thread from the stitch.

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Friday morning we left for the boat for a long relaxing anniversary weekend on the boat. Scott’s parents had rented a condo for the week in Perdido Key, so when we arrived in Orange Beach we unloaded the boat stuff and headed over to the condo to visit. Scott and his parents went for a swim while I watched from the beach. They all headed out of the water when something kept stinging or biting the guys. The stings weren’t terribly painful, something like ant bites, but they couldn’t tell what the culprit was so they opted to depart the waves for a shower in the condo and dinner.

We dropped them off back at the condo after a good, but odd dinner at Doc’s Seafood Shack, Orange Beach and went for a walk on the beach before returning to the boat. If you haven’t been to Doc’s, you are missing quite an experience. The restaurant is an interesting little place to say the least. It is truly a shack in every sense of the word. Structurally sound, it is not. Driving by the place one has a sense that the food must be very good because the parking lot is always full. Upon closer inspection it is revealed that the parking lot is just woefully inadequate. This is not a reflection on the food, just poor planning.

This planning runs over into the construction of the shack itself. A building that should have been condemned many years ago, the restaurant consists of three to four rooms that seem to have been added one at a time to the initial existing structure, accommodating the increase in patronage through the years. Hence the lack of parking space. The walls are buckled in all the rooms from years of leaky air conditioning ducts, salt filled air and humidity. There is a sign out front that reads “Local Food, Local Atmosphere”. Inside the entryway is a gum ball/game machine that we have personally witnessed several kids and more than one adult loose quarter after quarter in because they could not make the suction cup stick to a gigantic gum ball, which is the objective of the game. Even Scott’s father gave two quarters to his mom so she could try her luck. In another corner sits another game machine. This one filled with water and a couple of pathetic looking lobsters. A claw hangs from above and for $3 you can try your hand at catching one of the lobsters with the claw. If you are lucky(?) enough to capture one of these creatures the restaurant will cook it for you for free. The place is quirky indeed, but the food is local seafood and the price is very reasonable.

The remainder of our weekend was spent listening to NOAA weather radio and watching the skies. The “showers and thunderstorms” that the NOAA voice reported to be imminent were and we enjoyed watching them roll in and over the boat. We were even treated to a rainbow while Scott tried his hand at fishing again. Dinner’s out were at the Oyster Bar in Perdido Key, FL and the Jolly Roger at the marina. Here are the photos, enjoy.

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This post is for my best friend, closest confidant, staunchest supporter, soul mate and sexy innamorato. Thank you for all the times you have made me feel wanted, needed and loved this year. Looking back through the old posts brings back such happy memories of the time we had together this year and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead. You keep me on my toes and keep me thinking, but most of all you continue to demonstrate to me how deeply you love me. For that I am grateful.

Happy Anniversary My Love

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