Captain’s Socks
feluccas on the Nile, Aswan Egypt
This summer I went on an intrepid adventure to the middle east. I visited Jordan and Egypt, saw wonders of the world, and experienced the best of middle eastern hospitality. On a particularly hot day in Aswan Egypt, CM (my travel buddy) and I negotiated a great price for a boat ride on a felucca (a sail boat historically used for ferrying goods, but now ferries tourists). We ended up having such a wonderful time with Captain Hamada and his teenage brother Ali, that we went back the next day, and then the day after that we set sail with them on a 4 day trip. We helped out on the boat with tea making, veggie chopping, dish washing, and deck wiping. We both learned how to steer the boat, but CM took to it more than I did, and earned a fake Felucca Captain License. I earned a fake Crew License. We had many adventures including swimming in the Nile on the end of a rope (it’s harder than it sounds to wash your hair while hanging on to the soap and the rope!) We saw many donkeys and water buffalo, we learned to fish, we walked through several Nubian villages, and were told that we were the colour of cheese (which is apparently a compliment).
To commemorate our journey, and to celebrate CM’s birthday, I knit her a pair of Captain Socks out of odds and ends of different sock yarns from my stash.
captain socks
Note the Jamaican flag on the boat. Hamada seemed to be a fan of Bob Marley and all things Jamaican.
felucca
The socks were knit from the cuff down. The yellow (sand) and green (plants) were knit in stripes, and the topography was augmented with duplicate stitch to make the landscape look more realistic. The felucca was done in duplicate stitch also, with french knots for Hamada, Ali, CM and me.
Nubian houses are blue
Hamada pointed out to us some Nubian houses on the shore of the Nile. He told us that Nubian houses are blue. We asked why Nubian houses are blue, expecting some cultural reason as a reply. He looked at us with a smile, and said “Nubians like blue”. I’m not sure if that is true of all Nubians, but the houses were pretty.
donkey and boat man
We saw many donkeys along the Nile during our 4 days, and although we had heard them make their funny noises, this was the first time for us to see how they actually do it. The rapid expansion and contraction of their rib cage forcing air though their throat with their mouth wide open was enough to set us giggling every time! Sometimes the beasts near the water were not donkeys, but water buffalo. The owners of these creatures would often ferry reeds from one part of the Nile to feed their buffalo. This photo shows my impression of such a boat man rowing reeds to feed his animal.
swimming in the Nile
This sock shows CM and I swimming in the Nile on the rope. Ali would often be our lifeguard, making sure we were hanging on to the rope. The Nile is a really cold fast flowing river, and we were swimming when the felucca was under sail. Hamada would occasionally yell “I’m tacking!” and he’d rapidly move the rudder to change direction and keep wind in the sails, but that would essentially leave us playing crack-the-whip, holding on for dear life on the end of the rope. We were glad that Ali was there to look out for us.
If you are ever in Aswan Egypt, ask for Hamada and Ali on the felucca “Flower 2″, and go for a ride. They are the boat with the Jamaican flag, and maybe Canadian flags too (if my mail ever got to them). Get them to cook you Bolti fish–it was the best food we had in Egypt!
My friend CM is in Belgium now; hopefully these Captain Socks will keep her warm with the memories of rash decisions and felucca adventures. Cheers Captain!
Tags: duplicate stitch, felucca, knitting, socks
