Up-Tempo Vest in Worsted Yarn, Wetlands, and a Small Request

Variation

Since I’m on vacation and have plenty of time to fiddle around, I thought I’d experiment with the Up-Tempo Vest pattern a little.  I have a huge skein of worsted weight yarn in off-white so I’m using that.  I had to go to an M hook to get the loose stitches that make the fabric drape so well.  But what I really wanted to do was work the ribbed hem along with the main body of the vest as I went.  In this yarn, the main part of each strip is 81 half-double crochet stitches long.  I wanted to add 12 stitches for ribbing on each end.  Instead of working the ribbing with the M hook, I switched to an L hook for the first 12 and the last 12 stitches of each row. I also switched to working the half-double crochet stitches into the back loop only of those 12 stitches at the beginning and end of each row.  This adds a nice loose rib to each end of the strip making it unnecessary to add the post stitches after the vest has been sewn together.  Big improvement!  I’ll post this pattern ( I’ll call it the Palm Beach Vest ) when I’m finished so you can get a feel for how easy it is to vary the yarn and the styling.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

The Palm Beach Area has many wildlife sanctuaries.  We have visited most of them at one time or another. Our favorite, however, is the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach.  This project, run by the Palm Beach Water Utilities Department, sets aside a large marsh area as a sanctuary for numerous species of birds.  But you will see other creatures as well!  We saw three alligators on our walk yesterday. Large turtles are visible beneath the water.  A boardwalk over the marsh makes a 3/4 mile loop and you’ll be treated to views of nesting cranes and anhingas.  Moorhens walk through the shallows looking for food. A fabulous red-winged blackbird was sitting on the boardwalk railing and let me get quite close for a photo! If you decide to go, get up early.  Parking is limited and the birdwatchers are out in force!

A small request…

Some of you may know that I have a problem with Fibromyalgia.  I’ve tried various remedies in the past but wanted to stick to natural and holistic treatments as much as possible.  My medical organization, Wellspan, has a holistic component.  They have recommended SAMe and 5-HTP.  In researching these two products on-line, I’ve come across conflicting and confusing information.  I should say that Dr. Andrew Weil is in favor of SAMe so I am going to try this one first.  Do any of you have experience with either of these supplements?  I’d be interested to hear anything that you might have to offer.