Summertime & the knitting is Easy

Summer in the City can mean a lot of things: heat, short tempers and shorter skirts, cold drinks, colder indoor temps, alternating with hot outdoor ones. It's not an easy-season for even us die-hard New York souls. Some people say that the thought of knitting makes them cringe at this time of year. When you hear that, however, you know that you're not in the presence of a hard-core knitter.

I personally like to knit during the dog days. Linen, cotton, a little silk - these are soothing alternatives to wool and heavy fibers. It's also a great time to knock off some holiday gifts. Peronally, I'm addicted to scarf knitting. So much so that I'm considering joining the scarf style knit-a-long. I have already done at least 3 or 4 scarfs from this fabulous book, and I anticipate, with delight, the delivery of wrap style http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/Wrap_Style.asp

Of course, another thing that makes this season bearable is the thought of getting away from it regularly - especially now. WE're lucky enough to do this regularly. Kayaking has become my new passion and knitting and kayaking is about as good as it gets. This is the idea: Find a nice quiet lake - no motorboats, a few philosophical fisher types perhaps, but no kids, no real beaches, just a lot of cozy little inlets. Pack up your water bottle and sun screen and stick one of your simple summer projects in a basket. Then early, early in the morning - about 7 or 8 get thee to a lake (northwestern ct or the berkshires works very nicely) and slip your boat into the water. Paddle out a ways, stow the paddle and let nature take its course. These are just a few of the many pictures I have taken. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera for the deer eating water lilies shot, or the chipmunk race that I witnessed. Nonetheless, I think these might capture the true tranquility of a lazy summer morning. Tomorrow I hope to post shots of the knitting accomplished.