My Knitted Florida: Foxtail Palm Seeds

Hello there, it has been a while since my last post; I hope you are all keeping well.

It has been a busy couple of months for me. My husband was travelling frequently and my work place was in overtime mode. I tried to keep up with my blog reading and with my crafts.

I was sitting outside one day with Poppy and knitting a mohair sweater when I noticed that one of our Foxtail Palm trees was fruiting for the first time.
The seeds are so round and so much bigger than other palm trees. Their color is so beautiful. It ranges from gold, orange, pumpkin, to a deep red as they ripen.
I know I should have carried on with my mohair sweater…but I simply can’t help myself. I just have to make a palm seed or two. I have so much fun. Cute right?

What’s On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

What's on my work desk? Two sewing projects: a summer top and some cotton wash bags.
What's in my bath tub? Washing a light grey Suffolk Romney fleece.

This is a whole raw fleece.

What's on my knitting needles? A shawl. I read about some lovely shawl patterns over in Jules's blog Handmade Things. I cast on when we were vacationing at Cape San Blas. Even though I have knitted 118 rows, but with the fine needles, I have only made a small corner.

Also knitting a swatch for a jacket. The yarn color makes me think of red maple leaves.

North Florida: shopping locally

I didn’t do much shopping during our visit. The nearest Publix supermarket is 30 miles away and 50 miles for a Starbucks. So we only purchased a few supplies locally. Bought some oysters and blue crabs. They sell the oysters by the sack full.

Got a loaf of bread from this shop.I kept seeing the sign "Boiled Peanuts". My curiosity got the better of me.I have to try some, very soft like baked beans, but salty.

North Florida: the southern country

Even though it is Florida the north is so different to the south. The pace of life is more layback, with big open space and quaint seaside towns.The first time a waitress greeted us with a good morning y’all in her southern accent, I blinked and thought wow, we were in the deep south of the US. I noticed that we were driving past a lot of swampy areas. We were right next to the ocean but you would have to look over the marshy patch before you could see the open sea.

The marsh lands here remind me of the Everglades.

One thing north Florida shares with south Florida: they too have alligators.

North Florida: Cape San Blas

I have always wanted to visit north Florida. So when my husband and I took a week off work we traveled 500 miles north.

After a long drive, Poppy crashed out when we stayed overnight at a hotel.
Having a break at a pit stop.

Arrived at the beach house.

Poppy checking out her new surroundings.

Taking a walk…

and watching the sunset.

Annie - the baby pink elephant

I have named my little baby elephant toy Annie. I finished kitting her earlier last week.
Then I realised she doesn’t have a tail. Elephants have tails right? But the knitting instruction did not give direction for a tail. SoI made one up for little Annie.

She is all in order now.

I hope you are too.

Have a great weekend.

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Material used: Double knitting

Needle size: 3.50 mm

Pattern: Elijah by Ysolda Teague http://ysolda.com/store/toys/elijah/

Rained In

It is hurricane season with us and it rains more or less every day now. Turn on the sound loud if you want to hear the rain.

When we get rained in like this, Poppy and I would hide out in my craft room. While I picked up the stitches to make the elephant body… Poppy worked on her treat. Making progress with the little toy.