• crafting - Crochet - Vacation crocheting

    The right amount of yarn

    July 7, 2019 - By 
    KODAK Digital Still Camera

    Costa Rica was great! I had a relaxing time and saw monkeys, iguanas, colorful magpies, lizards, raccoons, pelicans, vultures and more. We stayed at a resort near the forest and Pacific ocean which I considered glamping because we were so far away from a town and I’m definitely a city girl.

    KODAK Digital Still Camera

    There was a lot of time to relax. I preferred sitting in the shade near the ocean where there were boats, birds, crabs, monkeys and other sights to occupy my time as I crocheted. For those who have been following I was wondering how much yarn to take on my trip. I took enough. I had a couple of skeins that I didn’t use for hats, but I did make six hats and seven scarves on the trip. The last row and a half I finished at home, because I don’t crochet on planes, not enough space to move about. I either read or sleep. There was some yarn left over and I will incorporate it into other projects but now I know how much to bring with me for a relaxing trip. There was a lot of time sitting around, though I did participate in a wine tasting, nature hikes, chatted with some other people at the beach, evening entertainment at the disco, plus other activities. I didn’t feel as though I missed out on anything and leisurely worked on my projects.

    On this trip, crocheting at the beach became “my thing.” People who saw me would come over and start a conversation about my work. A few people even said they didn’t think of bringing anything. I said “I can crochet and look at the scenery, so I brought crocheting, because I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the view by reading.” They agreed. I don’t always get to have several days with large blocks of time where I can just sit and crochet. Now I have a better idea of how much yarn to bring with me I feel like I am truly a seasoned traveler. Plus, I have learned something new that I can use when I am ready for my next trip – how to plan the amount of yarn to bring. The right amount of yarn is the amount that you will use and not be a social hermit or miss out on anything.

    Happy crocheting!

  • Crochet - Vacation crocheting

    Fear of not bringing enough yarn…

    June 25, 2019 - By 

    In a few days I am leaving for Costa Rica and I am getting ready for my trip. I still have a degree of uncertainty about how much yarn to bring, but I have decided to bring enough for a few hats (5 skeins) and enough yarn to make 6 scarves. I was thinking five until I started reading more about travel times. I can look out the window and be engaged with

    other people when I’m crocheting. Reading is a closed activity, whereas crocheting allows me to be able to still talk to people. Plus, the ride from the airport to the resort is approximately 90 minutes and there is time lounging by the pool or near the beach and that is definitely crochet time. Some of the people in our group are going to the spa one day. I’m not a spa person, but I can definitely finish a hat in that time.

    The yarn for the “Costa Rica collection” has been selected. Using my last trip as a guide and considering a day at the resort equivalent to a day at sea on a cruise, I think I have enough packed. Now I am considering this a personal challenge to make hats and scarves. This is going to be fun!

    I opted not to bring my Kindle because I only use it to read a little and I downloaded a game I like to play. The Kindle is also heavy and takes up room that I could have for souvenirs – I want to buy a mug for myself and of course yarn in my carry on.
    At last night’s knitting group meeting, I showed them a picture of the yarn I was taking, explained the time, place, etc and they think I’m bringing enough. In the back of my mind, there’s still the fear that I won’t have enough. A few years ago, I ran out of yarn when I was on a cruise where we had several days at sea and sightseeing, plus outdoor movies. Some people worry about the fear of missing out or the fear of packing too few clothes. I have been traveling since I was a child and my family’s motto is always make sure you have money and your passport, you can buy the rest. Warm vacation spots aren’t the places where you can easily buy yarn. When I’m sitting, I”m crocheting. Lots of sitting on this trip means lots of time to crochet.

    I’ve been topping off my toiletries in my kit which is generally ready to go, I have sun screen, bug spray (things I normally don’t carry on vacation) and have figured out some outfits to mix and match for the trip – day wear and a few nice outfits for the evening and an optional sightseeing trip. It’s this yarn thing that is giving me the flux.

    I’ve made my decision on what I’m taking and if I run out… it won’t be that I didn’t make a valiant effort. If I run out of yarn, I will just have to “be like everyone else and nap” as my best friend suggested.

    Look for pictures of the “Costa Rica” collection soon!

    Happy Crocheting!

  • Crochet - Hat and scarf goals - hats - Vacation crocheting

    How much yarn to pack for vacation?

    June 8, 2019 - By 

    In a few weeks I am going on a trip to Costa Rica and staying at an all-inclusive resort. I have started making a list of things that I need to get that I normally wouldn’t take on vacation – extra sun screen, bug spray and maybe some tablets for stomach issues. What I am having trouble figuring out is how much yarn should I take with me.

    A couple of years ago I went on a cruise and we had several days at sea. I didn’t plan well and ran out of yarn on the trip. There were activities such as a knitters and natters group and outdoor movies both of which allowed me to have a lot of time to crochet. When we were reached on port that was close to a Walmart, my new friends told me to go there to get more yarn. Walmart in warm climes don’t have any yarn. Two of the ladies in the group also went to check because they didn’t think I would go. I had started rationing my travel stash to crocheting only during the time our group met.

    This resort is remotely located and there is a lot of time to relax by the pool and beach, and there’s a long ride from the airport to the resort so I want to make sure that I have enough yarn on the trip. I will be going away or six days, plus the flight time so I don’t know. I was thinking of bringing several small projects – enough for five scarves and a few skeins for hats.

    Deciding which clothes and shoes and extra medical/toiletry supplies I need is less difficult to determine than it is for projects. Just as on the cruise, there are going to be activities and time to relax, read and sit in the shade or sun. I crochet to relax and can read my Kindle while doing so. How many projects do I need?

    Trip Advisor and general all-inclusive recommendation lists give suggestions about bringing an insulated cup for your beverages and aspirin or other things that might cost considerably more at the resort. Most resorts have books available to read, but they suggest bringing a paperback or two to read. No one gives suggestions about how many projects to bring for an all inclusive resort.

    When I went on the cruise, I finished five projects because a new friend gave me some yarn and I combined it with the leftovers of the other projects I brought. I didn’t just sit around and crochet all day on vacation. We stopped at several ports and I didn’t take a project when we went sightseeing. I took glockenspiel lessons, went to lectures, shows, talks about the different destinations, participated in wine tastings and happy hours, enjoyed the scenery and other activities where I didn’t have time or light to crochet, yet I still ran out of yarn. I think I need to ask my friends in my knitting group how much they think I should bring. They would be able to give me some guidance. As of today, I am considering enough for five scarves and three or four skeins of yarn that I use for hats. I can make at least two hats from a skein, three if they are less ornate. Hopefully, that will be enough since there is a lot of time for relaxing and a scarf takes about 3-4 hours to make and a hat about 45 minutes. Sitting around and lounging pool side with a drink and project sounds fabulous. It will be more fabulous if I can chat and have a conversation with friends while drinking a cool beverage and working on a project. This will still give me an opportunity to read, participate in activities and nap of course. When I have crochet projects, I can still talk to people and not be cut off from the conversation as I am when I’m reading.

    Ideas, suggestions? Yarn for five scarves and four skeins for hats. That should keep me occupied. The amount is what’s the issue. I generally have a couple of extra hooks with me, just in case I lose one.