I am enjoying Knit Now issue 37. This issue’s theme is summer and beach. It is full of stylish summer knits.
See my bunnies!
You may not fancy knitting in summer especially when it is this hot. But this issue has many beautiful designs using lace weight alpaca, mohair and cotton yarn.
But the best of all, my bunnies got one full page for the photo. They look like they are taken to the beach. How nice!
I grew up by the beach. In summer when I was young, my father used to take me to the beach almost every day after work. I didn’t have the sun allergy then. He taught me the basic swimming skill and strokes. My father was a very proficient swimmer and, I remember that I used to love it when he swam breast stroke with me on his back.
Most beaches near my home town have black sand which is made of black volcanic sand rather than white coral sand. I have only seen white sand beach on television. I was quite surprised to see pebbles on beach when I visited Brighton for the first time.
However, Japan has also many white sand beaches, which are made of white coral sand.
In okinawa, the southern island of Japan, this special sand is found in some areas.
Aren’t they pretty? They look like miniature works of art, but they are not man-made. They are the shells of microscopic organisms called foraminifera, which build intricate shells from the calcium carbonate. We call it “sand stars”. When you see sand stars, you may be looking at some of the oldest fossils known to man. Their shells have settled on the seafloor for 500 million years (!), and are used by scientists to study the earth’s changing climate.
I got a small bottle of sand stars from someone when I was in primary school. I was so amazed and absolutely loved it.
Our planet is full of mysteries and treasures. We should be more kind to it.
Like my penguins? They are enjoying the warm weather.
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knits by sachi 