¡Hola desde Yucatan!

Name: Kaitlyn

Date: April 20

Current Location: Mérida, Yucatan, México

¡Hola a todos!

I’m exploring the Yucatan peninsula this month, and I’ve gotten some great photos of local wildlife. I’ve taken tours through two different mangrove ecological parks, and seen loads of incredible birds and crocodiles!

I also visited Chichen Itza, which I learned is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. I looked them up, and I’ve seen three of the seven so far – Chichen Itza, Christ the Redeemer, and The Great Wall of China. I’m hoping I can add a fourth to the list before the end of the year – Machu Picchu in Peru.

Unfortunately for me, I discovered after I arrived that April and May are the two hottest months here in Mérida, so I’ve been trying to stay under cover during the hotter hours of the day, only venturing out in the early morning or once the sun has gone down. It’s been hitting 100+ degrees every day for the last week and a half, and the coolest day before I leave will still be 90 degrees.

I have had the opportunity to check out several local yarn stores and haberdasheries, however most of them have signs prominently displayed indicating that photos are not permitted. I’ve posted a few from one of the stores that didn’t mind me snapping a few pics. The shops down here lean heavily on lightweight cotton yarns – unsurprising given the heat. There are also plenty of acrylic yarns available, but very little wool. In my experience, crochet and weaving are paramount across Mexico, but you can still find a knitter or two if you start chatting with folks.

Finished Projects

Snowflakes (ongoing)

Working on my annual batch of snowflakes! I don’t have the tools to block them here, but I’ll do them when I’m back in the US in November and get them in the mail to their new homes.

Embroidered Otomi Fish

I found a workshop with a local artist, Mayra, on traditional Mayan embroidery. It’s the embodiment of “easy to learn, difficult to master”. The stitch itself isn’t complicated, but making it smooth and even, determining where to start and stop, are things I definitely need to practice.

Current WIPs:

Jaunty Skirt

I swear I’m making progress on this, but because it’s all the black yarn first, it doesn’t look like I’m getting anywhere! I’ve added an entire other skein of yarn into this since the last update. I’m looking forward to the color change, but this is a really nice mindless project when I don’t want to think too hard about a pattern.

Otomi Sampler

I bought another pattern from Mayra and am working my way through it to keep up with practicing. It also has quite a bit of white space, so I’ll be trying my hand at drawing some flowers and animals and then embroidering them. I’m looking forward to picking lots of bright colors to use!

Up Next:

My next update will be from Colombia, where is it MUCH cooler! Drink your water, wear your sunscreen! Don’t get sunburned like I do!

❤