knitting related

this post is not about africa. although i'm not quite finished sharing (oh boy is there more!)

this post is about knitting and a few things, kind of knitting related, things found along the way on our journey, that came home with me!

you met the giraffe and ellie in a previous post. the lovely orange beads were a gift from chuck for mother's day. and two porcupine quills, he found one and gave it to me, and the other was a gift from okonjima for being return guests. for knitting, i bought a new bag for double point needles, and one for stitch markers. and i found...

buttons!! i could not believe it when i found these. they were at the visitors center at twyfelfontein in damaraland. makalani nut hand carved buttons! and with the artists name written on the cardboard! i swooned.  honestly i did. the giraffe and zebra jumped into my hands and then the ostrich egg ones did too. chuck was not at all surprised that i would find such a thing (winking and saying of course you did). i was so happy to support the local women in the area and come home with such treasures.

 i found these oil paintings, only 120.00 namibian! (that is about 12.00 u.s. dollars apiece)

 for my husband, from me

 books and magazines, i'm reading safari right now, LOVE tony park (and wilbur smith)

 more, too hard to resist

my journal, filled, sigh.

and the knitting, before i left i'd decided on a traveling pattern to bring on our trip. i had to redecide. needing to conserve on space, so i made this instead...

 the seashore cowl

 it can be worn two ways

 but not right now, it's too warm!

it was a pleasure to knit, and it took very little room. i had a bit of trouble explaining what i was making though, a cowl? around your shoulders? what? hee hee. i like it, it's soft, light and easy to wear.

pattern : seashore cowl by milja uimonen
wool : madeline tosh, in colorways logwood and gossamer
ravelry notes here

joining with ginny here