Traveling and knitting

Summers don't see a whole lot of knitting compared to the fall and winter months, but I have gotten a couple of projects done and a couple others started. I'm still on my use-what-you've-got kick, trying to whittle down the stash a bit. So, I brought two leftover yarns and an incomplete project with me on my trip to make things that could and needed to be used.

I started with the Rowan Tapestry yarn that had been part of my mom's plaid xmas scarf. I guessed that there would be enough to make some Fetchings. I even gambled that I'd have enough to make finger holes, since the Fetching pattern has you bind off at the knuckles. And wouldn't you know, I had JUST enough yarn. I think there was a three-inch piece left when I was done. The yarn isn't great for gloves, as it pills A LOT, but the more I used them the less that seemed to be a problem. Somewhere in the Andes between Argentina and Chile, I also whipped up a Koolhaas hat using the charcoal grey Cash Iroha that went into Juan's Central Square hat a few months ago. This came just in time, as we spent three days driving through the Bolivian desert. I took a pic of the hat during my knits photoshoot:But then I remembered that I would have some trip shots with the hat on, and thought it would be fun to post those, as I haven't gotten around to doing that yet.This is in front of la Laguna Verde. There are tons of colored lagoons in the desert, of such varying colors as white, green, blue, and most spectacularly, red. The wind here was brutal and the temps got down to below 0 night, so I had my hat on for three days straight. Since I even slept with it on, it got very stretched out by the end of the trip. A run through the dyer last night took care of that problem.Here we've stopped at a refugio (shelter) for lunch. During this part of the trip, we had a cook with us who prepared amazingly delicious meals.
Another thing about Bolivia was the altitude (which contributed to the cold temperatures). Even though I took medication and was spared the raging headache my travel companions suffered, I still noticed the altitude in my face, especially my jaw. It would get all tingly and almost numb at times. Some of us also acquired a cough that wouldn't go away, and which I later learned was a symptom of the heights.In order to cure all these ailments, the locals use coca leaves. While it is the basis of cocaine, the leaves themselves only provide positive effects of reduced nausea, alleviation of headaches and other side effects of altitude sickness, and increased energy, which feels like a caffeine kick. You can chew the leaves, stick them to your temple with a little spit, or soak them in hot water and drink the resulting tea. We did all of the above. You can also buy candies in various forms that have similar effects with better taste. The toffees were my favorite. The taste of the leaves/tea are similar to Sencha green tea or hierba mate.

My other travel-related knitting project was the cowgirl socks I started back in January to wear with my birthday boots. It was a toe-up, custom pattern combined with the jay walker pattern, and I had lost the calculations. I took it along thinking I would be forced to finish it, but just wasn't into it. So, I tried a couple of other things and was convinced that this would be another dead-end yarn I just couldn't work with. Then I went surfing in Lima. And discovered that night the Morning Surf Scarf I had admired in Ravelry was available for free and in varying gauges. And I cast on. And it was magic. Everything came together, the yarn, the colors, the pattern, the context. So, I now present to you, my Lima Surf Scarf:The yarn, by the way, is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport superwash.