Scarves, shawls and the wind
Good morning, hope this finds you all well, and surviving any January blues...it's not so cold here, but everyone is sniffling, and it's very hard to imagine those lazy days of summer in times like these when you really want lazy days in bed.
Nowhere in this part of the world does wind quite like the Atlantic coast. The waves here both dissuade those who want a relaxing soak in a warm and calm bath-like sea, but attract surfers, windsurfers and those who enjoy that delightful and slightly dangerous feeling of being dumped on the beach by the sea. Storm chasers come here, walkers and thinkers who like to feel the primal energy of the elements, as well as those are not afraid to eat a lot of sand in their sandwiches. In Ireland, there is the Wild Atlantic Way; in France the Atlantic cycle route; the Cantabrian coast route in Spain; the Rota Vicentina in Portugal. In Morocco, you can walk along much of the coast too, and many tour companies organise walking and camel trips there.
http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/articles/wild-atlantic-way/
https://www.lavelodyssee.com/
https://www.turinea.com/es/cu/10-13/2-ruta-del-litoral-cantabrico.html
http://pt.rotavicentina.com/
However, I won't be walking much, and definitely won't be on camelback either. I'm travelling by bus and ferry, because my travel time is when I will be hooking- a scarf each day, and a shape for the blanket which will join together each day of the trip and tell the story. I've chosen to crochet, rather than knit, as it is much easier to do in a small space, even a crowded bus, and to avoid the problem of all your work falling off the needle and dropping stitches. As I'll be backpacking, space is a factor, and crochet hooks are a bit sturdier in a bag that might get thrown around a lot. All I need to take is this lovely tool roll, made for me by the lovely Carol, who lives a stonesthrow from the Atlantic coast, in Saltash, Cornwall:
Nowhere in this part of the world does wind quite like the Atlantic coast. The waves here both dissuade those who want a relaxing soak in a warm and calm bath-like sea, but attract surfers, windsurfers and those who enjoy that delightful and slightly dangerous feeling of being dumped on the beach by the sea. Storm chasers come here, walkers and thinkers who like to feel the primal energy of the elements, as well as those are not afraid to eat a lot of sand in their sandwiches. In Ireland, there is the Wild Atlantic Way; in France the Atlantic cycle route; the Cantabrian coast route in Spain; the Rota Vicentina in Portugal. In Morocco, you can walk along much of the coast too, and many tour companies organise walking and camel trips there.
http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/articles/wild-atlantic-way/
https://www.lavelodyssee.com/
https://www.turinea.com/es/cu/10-13/2-ruta-del-litoral-cantabrico.html
http://pt.rotavicentina.com/
However, I won't be walking much, and definitely won't be on camelback either. I'm travelling by bus and ferry, because my travel time is when I will be hooking- a scarf each day, and a shape for the blanket which will join together each day of the trip and tell the story. I've chosen to crochet, rather than knit, as it is much easier to do in a small space, even a crowded bus, and to avoid the problem of all your work falling off the needle and dropping stitches. As I'll be backpacking, space is a factor, and crochet hooks are a bit sturdier in a bag that might get thrown around a lot. All I need to take is this lovely tool roll, made for me by the lovely Carol, who lives a stonesthrow from the Atlantic coast, in Saltash, Cornwall:
I have crocheted (hooked?) many scarves and shawls. It feels appropriate to work on these, being our archetypal but simple defence against the Atlantic wind (and the sand), and perhaps our most basic way to add splashes of colour to our outfits. I will be taking orders beforehand, specifying colour and material (more on that next week), but I want to be inspired by what I see in each place, and use as much locally produced and dyed yarn as possible. In that way, I can make the blanket really tell the story of the journey, and every scarf I make will really be an integral part of that journey.
That's enough for now, thanks for reading, and please kick away any January blues which may be afflicting you by wearing your favourite scarf today. Will leave you with some pictures of some I have made. Best Wishes, Billy xxx
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