I have learnt from bitter experience that some yarns are not for knitting on the beach.

Suncream and silk? … disastrous. Kidsilk Haze and hot sweaty hands? … tangled, sticky and unpleasant. Shetland wool and sea water?….. you get the picture huh?

So what did I take to Africa?

I thought that the perfect yarn would be Rowan Denim. Why? because it’s cotton, so doesn’t get hot or hairy or sticky and, most importantly…when it’s done you bung it in the washing machine to shrink it to size and wash out any suncream, sea water, perspiration and drunkenly split cocktails!

I chose Joy from Kim Hargreaves’ book Nectar.

This book and this pattern…

From Joy

I confess I didn’t knit at all on safari – too much to see! I did knit on the beach in Zanzibar though – here’s the evidence…

From Joy

And in all the airport (there were several!) This is Zanzibar airport….

From Joy

One of the nicest things to happen was that one of the chaps working handing out towels on the beach in Zanzibar very shyly asked me what I was doing? He and his friends were facinated and had never seen knitting before – I ended up giving a short master class and letting them all have a go! It was totally surreal 😀

So what about the garment? Want to see the finished object? Course you do….

From Joy

Like the buttons? I was going to use cream coloured shell ones but I’d just bought a red top and I fell in love with these heart buttons and the necklace…

From Joy

There is a cute picot edging (knit 3, cast off 3) and bands of alternating stocking stitch, and reverse stocking stitch and some “yarn overish lace” to break it up.

From Joy

Nothing difficult but you had to pay attention not to knit a row when you should be purling!

I always feel I have to show you the back, even though, after a month of holiday indulgence my bum is trying to fill the view finder of the camera!

From Joy

Any problems? well, if I’m honest – it has come up a bit smaller than I had hoped. I knit the 34″ size and it’s snug and pulling a bit if buttoned. On the plus side – it’s a summer jackety kind of thing so I doubt I’d wear it buttoned anyway 🙂

All in all, I’m pretty pleased with my “Honeymoon knit” – now maybe one in blue Denim???

From Joy