A taste of the tropics

Well my dears, I'll be in flight between today and tomorrow. I've been in the tropics for a few weeks and will be going home to cold weather. It's true that heat leaves the body through the head, so a hat is an essential; fingerless gloves don't hurt, either. So here's a new set: Campanulata. It's made from sockweight yarn, so the whole set fits into a quart-size baggie for easy transport in a purse or carry-on

It's named for Spathodia campanulata, also known as African Tulip Tree, Fireball, and Flame of the Forest. There was one blooming next door; you can see a photo of it in the background. The tree can be found in warm climates from India to South America. It was such a treat to see the hummingbirds, mockingbirds and parakeets that came to feed at the flowers each morning! The orange splashes in the yarn are the exact color of the flowers.

The yarn, if you were wondering, is Regia Galaxy Color in colorway 1559 “Jupiter Red.” I've had it for awhile, and it's been the start of several projects. I always frogged them, though; they just never worked out. Apparently this set is what the yarn wanted to be, and I'm thoroughly pleased with it. :) The hat is knit partly flat and partly in the round; the gloves are knit entirely in the round. All stitch patterns are provided in both charted and written form.

Campanulata Cloche and Fingerless Gloves, $6.95 at Ravelry & Patternfish