316. Safaris - Christina Sinclair: Salty Sam's Fun Blog for Children

March 5th, 2021

Salty Sam’s Fun Blog for Children

Number 316

Safaris

Hello Everyone

Sometimes Emily, Bill, Bob and Henry and l go for a walk in the woods behind Auntie Alice’s cottage.

To make it more exciting we pretend that we are on a safari.

There is always nature to spot, at any time of year, but this time of year you can see all the signs that nature is waking up after winter, and spring is really on its way.

The word safari comes from the word ‘safariya’ which is Swahili for journey.

We normally think of a safari as being a journey across the African plains in a Land Rover car and then sleeping in a tent with dangerous wild animals pacing round it in the night.

Safaris were actually first taken by people who travelled long distances to trade goods, or the explorers trying to map out new continents before they became tourist attractions. They, of course, had camels or horses rather than cars.

The people that followed these first explorers into newly-discovered territories were people who wanted to hunt big game and through the 1800s and early 1900s, they were responsible for killing animals on a vast scale. Their trophies were animal heads, skins and horns which they used to decorate their homes.

Some specimens were stuffed and put in museums.

East African safaris became very fashionable with the British aristocracy, Hollywood heroes and other rich and famous people.

They wore pith helmets to keep off the sun and khaki jackets and shorts to blend in with their surroundings.

They used tents for accommodation and as they travelled they employed bearers from the local population to carry their equipment.

lf they were worried about animals attacking them at night, they could set up a circle of thorny twigs around themselves and light a fire in the middle of it. This protective wall was called a boma.

But the mass slaughter of game lead to a depletion of animals.

lt looked like soon there wouldn’t be much left to shoot!

Luckily, what followed was a conservation movement where people started to focus on the welfare of the animals rather than trying to kill them for sport.

Most tourists today, shoot big game with cameras rather than guns.

You can travel across Africa in the comfort of a train with sleeping compartments or stay at a luxurious hunting lodge with a swimming pool and cocktail bar and be taken out by a guide in a car built for the terrain to try and track down animals to watch.

Tourism provides jobs for people in rural Africa.

The animals people want to see are lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes and zebra, also wildebeest, buffalo and hyenas.

Funnily enough, the animal that is probably most likely to attack you in Africa is the hippo – they can get really vicious.

But you can go on safari in other places besides Africa.

Some farms in Britain set up safaris for people to go on if they like bird watching or looking at butterflies. lt might seem tame in comparison to hunting big game but at least it is a lot closer to home.

Have you ever been on a safari?

Bye bye everyone – don’t forget to subscribe to my blog!

lf you like my blog, please support it by telling all your friends and followers about it.

Thank you!

And see you again next Fun Friday!

Love and kisses

Salty Sam

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www.christina-sinclair.com

Bill and Bob’s Joke of the Week

Bob: What do lions say just before they go hunting for dinner?

Bill: l don’t know. What do lions say just before they go hunting for dinner?

Bob: Let us prey.

Salty Sam © Christina Sinclair 2015

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of material from this blog without express and written permission from this blog’s author and owner is strictly prohibited.

Links may be used to www.christina-sinclair.com

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Picture Gallery

A pith helmet

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desk THE SALTY SAM NEWS DESK

Auntie Alice had a bit of an accident this week. She accidentally stuck a garden fork into her wellingtons.

Luckily, her feet were not in them at the time!

However she didn’t think a pair of boots with a split in them would not be very waterproof so they were no good for wearing in the garden anymore.

She went to the Rocky Bay Department Store and got herself a new pair of wellingtons straight away.

They were really lovely, red, shiny ones!

They were much more interesting than the black ones with a hole in them.

Then she had an idea.

You won’t believe what she did. She put a hole in the other boot too!

But she had a plan.

She filled the boots up with compost and put some pansies in the top of the boots.

Because the boots have holes in the bottom the boots are now like flower pots with drainage holes.

The boots have been put outside the front door and look very bright and cheery.

Anyone who comes to the front door can see that there is a gardener living in that house!

Waste not, want not!

Auntie Alice also, of course, found some time to do some more knitting as well…

NEWSDESK MINIMAKE

A ZEBRA PATTERN SWEATER FOR A 12” DOLL

SWEATER FRONT AND BACK (KNIT TWO)

Using 4mm knitting needles and white dk yarn cast on 14 stitches

Purl 1 row

Change to black dk yarn

Knit 2 rows of stocking stitch

Change to back to white

Knit 2 rows of stocking stitch

Repeat the last 4 rows 5 times

Change to black dk yarn

Knit 1 row

Cast off

SLEEVES (KNIT TWO)

Using 4mm knitting needles and white dk yarn cast on 10 stitches

Purl 1 row

Change to black dk yarn

Knit 2 rows of stocking stitch

Change to back to white

Knit 2 rows of stocking stitch

Repeat the last 4 rows 3 times

Change to black dk yarn

Knit 2 rows of stocking stitch

Cast off

TO MAKE UP

Make up the sweater using over-sew stitching and with right sides together

Sew up shoulder seams making sure you have enough room for your doll’s head to get through the gap left
Sew the top of the sleeves to the shoulders
Sew up the side seams and under arm seams

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Quick Quiz

Do you know what animals these characters from television are?

Shaun
Flipper
Skippy
Felix
Winnie the Pooh
Curious George
Jerry
Donald
Snoopy
Raa Raa
Scooby Doo
Garfield

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lt’s the Weekend!

HOW TO MAKE A SAFARl OUTFlT FOR A 12” DOLL

This safari outfit can be knitted in a light sand colour or a khaki colour if you prefer.

There is a sun hat and a bag for your doll to keep her camera and extra film in as well as a bottle of water and binoculars.

JACKET BACK (KNIT ONE)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 17 stitches

Purl 1 row

Knit 26 rows of stocking stitch

Purl 1 row

Cast off

JACKET FRONTS (KNIT TWO)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 9 stitches

Purl 1 row

Slip 1 (k1, p1) repeat the last 2 stitches to the end of the row

Repeat the last row 31 times (32 rows of moss stitch)

Purl 1 row

USE THE BACK SIDE OF THESE TWO PIECES OF KNITTING

AS THE FRONT OF THE JACKET

Sew the lapels back into place so that you will be reminded

JACKET SLEEVES (KNIT TWO)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 13 stitches

Purl 1 row

Knit 20 rows of stocking stitch

Cast off

LARGE BOTTOM POCKET (KNIT TWO)

Using 3¾mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 7 stitches

Knit 6 rows of stocking stitch

Purl 1 row

Cast off

SMALL TOP POCKET (KNIT TWO)

Using 3¾mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 5 stitches

Knit 4 rows of stocking stitch

Purl 1 row

Cast off

JACKET BELT (KNIT ONE)

Using 3¾mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 3 stitches

Knit 90 rows of garter stitch

Cast off

TO MAKE UP

Make up the jacket using over-sew stitching and with right sides together

Sew up shoulder seams
Sew the top of the sleeves to the shoulders
Sew up the side seams and under arm seams
Position the bottom pockets and sew into place and then position the top pockets and sew into place – it will be easier to see where you want the pockets when the garment is made up

SHORTS (KNIT TWO)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 18 stitches

Purl 1 row

Knit 12 rows of stocking stitch

Decrease 1 stitch at the beginning of each of the next 4 rows of stocking stitch

Change to 3¾mm knitting needles and knit 2 rows of knit 1 purl 1 rib

Cast off

TO MAKE UP

Make up the shorts using over-sew stitching and with right sides together

Sew front and back seams
Sew inner leg seams

HAT SIDES (KNIT ONE)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 5 stitches

Slip 1 stitch, knit 1, purl 1, knit 1, purl 1

Repeat the last row 35 times (36 rows of moss stitch)

Cast off

HAT TOP (KNIT ONE)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 40 stitches

Cast off

Sew the crown of the hat into a spiral

HAT INNER BRIM (KNIT ONE)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 35 stitches

Cast off

HAT OUTER BRIM (KNIT ONE)

Using 4mm knitting needles and sand dk yarn cast on 45 stitches

Cast off

BAND (CROCHET ONE)

30 chains in white yarn

TO MAKE UP

Use over-sew stitching

Sew up the back seam of the hat sides right sides together
Turn the hat the right way out
Insert the top of the hat into place and sew around it from the outside of the hat
Sew the inner brim into place and then the outer brim onto the inner brim working from the under side of the hat
Tie the ends of the hat band together
Catch stitch it to the back of the hat

BACK PACK (KNIT TWO)

Using 4mm knitting needles and green dk yarn cast on 18 stitches

Sl 1 (k1, p1) repeat the last 2 stitches to the end of the row

Repeat the last row 21 times (22 rows of moss stitch)

Cast off

BACK PACK CORD (CROCHET TWO)

40 chains in white yarn

TO MAKE UP

Make up the bag using over-sew stitching and with right sides together

Sew the bag bottom and side seams then turn the bag the right way out
Thread the two cords along each top channel then tie the ends of the cords together