Here it is! My beaded cardigan! I am so excited about this one! None of my other beading projects have turned out to be so wearable, so I am very happy with this result! The branch pattern which I used for the beads was taken from Martin Storey’s Brigitte pattern. His branch chart was meant to be knitted in eyelet lace, but I decided to use beads instead and I think the result has created the 1950s glamour look I was hoping for.
I used size 8 copper-colored glass beads (Japanese seed beads) with angora haze yarn. The copper-colored buttons are glass as well. I purchased them in Britex, the marvelous fabric and notions store in San Francisco’s Union Square.
My husband took the photos in El Granada harbour, where we were vacationing this weekend:
El Granada is often called “The Banana Belt” of the North California Coast because the harbour shelters the inland area from the fog. And this weekend it was amazing--sunny and warm with the light literally dancing on the waves. Early this morning we went to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, which is one of my favorite beaches to visit when the tide is in. The tidepools are fun of course but since my father’s home when I was a child was just over on the cliffs I visited the tidepools a million times. And tourists swarm across the sands to explore the tidepools, scaring away the seals. I like the Marine Reserve better when the waves are surging all the way up to the cliffs, and all of the reefs create whitewater eddies. The seals swim close to shore when the tide is in, so I was able to see a seal’s head bobbing above the waves. And a bold black seaduck went fishing in the surf right beneath where I sat on the bench on the cliff, its red bill glinting in the sun. I am almost certain I saw the three little bodies of otters for a moment on the waves before they disappeared into the foaming water. Too bad I didn’t bring my camera! Here instead is a photo from the top of the cliffs on another day where you can see all the seals sunning themselves on the sand:
We had lunch at the wonderful little deli at the San Benito house. Their bread is all baked in-house and nothing is more delicious!
What a perfect end to a lovely weekend by the beach.