NOT JUST ABOUT KNITTING

A Busy Week and It's Not Over Yet

2026-10-15T12:54:18.551-04:00

Monday was the usual stitching morning; this week at MaryKs. I still have not turned on the furnace and it was a bit chilly that night so I lit the first fire of the season.

Scooter texted me from Japan (they're 13h ahead) so I sent him this cozy photo. With the sun streaming in my south-facing windows (dining/craft room, kitchen, family room) the house warms up nicely during the day. At night, once I'm rolled up in my duvet in bed, I don't mind it being cooler upstairs. I'm trying to see how long I can go before turning on the furnace. To avoid that burnt dust smell, I always install a new filter before turning on the heat or A/C for the first time.

The next day was unseasonably hot; record-breaking in fact, with a high of 27C with the humidex factor. Tuesday afternoon, Jen1 came over for a stitchy afternoon and Katherine arrived shortly thereafter. Both Katherine and I had to change into cooler togs. We had an enjoyable time talking about music camp, EAC Seminar in St. John's next June, and stitching. I got a bit more done on the Spring Courier.

After supper, Katherine and I headed to the band rehearsal where we were reunited with fellow 'band camp' folks, Dunc and Helen. After the rehearsal we went to Dunc's place relatively nearby for wine and more visiting.

The next morning was more visiting with my houseguest at breakfast and a while afterwards. Katherine headed for home before noon and I got ready to head to a medical appointment in Pickering. The clinic is in the Home and Design centre at Brock Rd and the 401 so after my appointment I popped into Fabricland to see if there was anything I 'needed'.

I bought some fusible batting and fusible featherweight interfacing and a pack of wooden spools.

The spools have the hole big enough to hold embroidery scissors. The height of the part where a piece of stitching would wrap is just shy of 1 3/4". That's slightly shorter than the spools crafted by Richard Pikul but for the discounted price of $1.06 each including tax, I couldn't pass up the bargain. It was the only pack they had and I couldn't resist the 50% discount for members. Of course, I had to renew my membership since I allowed it to lapse after the Fabricland stores closed in Whitby and Oshawa. I was pleased to learn that the annual senior membership was only $20. So with the discount on the spools and other items, it almost paid for itself on this one visit.

I did more work on Mystical Lanterns - finishing the side half-lanterns on one side.

I have 2 more crocheted so only need to do 9 more, plus one horizontal half-lantern for the bottom left corner. With all those attached, the blanket will be all squared up and I can figure out how I will do the border. The pattern calls for a few rounds of single crochet all the way around but I'm going to take a look at what others have done on Ravelry and see what inspires me.

Tomorrow I have my final appointment at the clinic where my dental implant was done. It's in The Big City but it's easy to get there via the $$$407$$$. This process was started mid-May. I've been back for one check-up since the surgery. My own dentist will install the new tooth next month.

Saturday I will head for Ottawa. I plan to make a little detour and stop at Paisleys Quilt Shop on my way into the city. I have learned that the cocktail party tomorrow night will be between 5 and 10pm so I don't have to rush at all. My cousin, Jeannie, and I will meet for breakfast on Sunday morning, then the wedding will be at 4pm that afternoon with the reception following. I'm staying at the Lord Elgin Hotel across the street from the wedding venue (National Arts Centre) so I don't have to worry about driving after the reception.

I'll start for home on Monday morning. Next week will be busy, too, with a stitch day at Elmhirst Resort on the NE shore of Rice lake with the Northumberland guild, another overnight visitor, and the fall Stitch North with Theresa Venette/Shakespeare's Peddler/Kitten Stitcher in Markham.

And exciting news! The very popular Tilda Christmas fabric line 'Merry Little Christmas' is going to be reissued for 2017. Quilt shops that carry her designs will be taking preorders. Keep an eye out for your local shop. I was really bummed out I didn't order any for last Christmas so am thrilled to have another opportunity.

Some of my favourite fabrics in this line:

So many cool things can be done with these fabrics.

And free downloadable patterns from Tildasworld.com

I emailed Quilter's Cupboard in Uxbridge and they will be taking pre-orders very soon with a 20% deposit and the balance due when the product is released, probably July 1, 2027.

Oooh! Can't wait!!!

Still Crocheting Mystical Lanterns

2026-10-12T18:05:11.033-04:00

I was looking at other peoples' 'Mystical Lanterns' blankets on Ravelry and noted that someone found a pattern for the side half-lanterns. Originally I had planned to leave the sides wavy but seeing her finished blanket, I decided to do that too.

It did mean that in addition to the 22 side half-lanterns I needed to make 4 more top and bottom half-lanterns; all this before attaching the border.

I cranked out a couple of top/bottom and side half-lanterns out last night and attached some of them. the bottom left corner is what it'll look like when I've filled in all the ripples and corner.

These instructions are on Janie Crowe's blog but only in written form. Being primarily a visual learner I much prefer seeing the charts. I ended up finding someone's YouTube video which helped clear up a lot of the confusion but even she deviated from Janie's pattern.

I'm looking forward to finishing this but am already feeling antsy about not having something else planned to knit or crochet after this. I'll definitely be looking at more Janie Crowe patterns.

I still have the Sophie Scarf to complete, too.

Violet moved to her new home today at MaryK's. Here she is in her new habitat with MaryK's beautiful flower arrangement.

The next few days will be quite busy. My 'new best friend from music camp', Katherine arrives tomorrow. Jen1 is coming over for a stitchy afternoon, the K and I will head to band that night. K will leave late morning on Wednesday as I have a medical appointment in Pickering at 1pm. I can relax for the rest of the day.

Thursday, I'll pack for the wedding in Ottawa. I have an appointment with the folks who did my dental implant on Friday at noon. Then finish getting ready to head out for the weekend.

I hope to visit Paisleys Quilt Shop on my way to Ottawa on Saturday so I'll have to get on the road fairly early on Saturday as there is a cocktail party and rehearsal dinner that evening and the wedding on the next day.

I'll miss stitching next Monday because of my return from Ottawa. Tuesday I'll take it easy because early Wednesday I'm picking up MaryK and we're heading to Elmhirst Resort on the NE shore of Rice Lake for the Northumberland Hills Stitchery Guild's stitch day. Our own guild meeting is that night. Next day I have a retirees luncheon then MaryK will spend the night here so we can again get up early to head to Markham for Stitch North with Theresa Venette/Shakespeare's Peddler/Kitten Stitcher. The retreat is over the three days but I have to head out early on the Sunday (these early mornings will be very challenging for me) to make it back home to head to Pickering for the band's Hallowe'en concerts at 12:30 and 1:00pm. MaryK will get a ride back to my place with someone to pick up her vehicle and head home later on the Sunday.

Thankfully, aside from stitching and a dental appointment, I don't have a lot going on the last week of October until Kimat's Stitch Day on the 31st.

I am grateful that for now, the first three weeks of November aren't too packed with activity (yet). All this comes with wanting to do 'all the things'.

Some Little Things

2026-10-08T21:28:57.202-04:00

I have been doing some housework in preparation for an overnight houseguest arriving next Tuesday. It's not really hard to do, there are just many other things I'd rather do. Regardless, the house will be somewhat presentable for my guest.

I passed the halfway point on my Sophie scarf. It occurred to me that I needed to weigh what I had knit and the remaining yarn so see where the halfway point was - where I'd start decreasing every 8 rows.

Turns out, I had knit well past halfway and had to rip back to the halfway point (where the yellow stitch marker) is and rewind the yarn. There wasn't too much bad language (just the right amount, I guess). The blue stitch marker shows where I went from increasing every 6 rows to every 8 rows so will mirror that on the 'downhill slope'. My calculations are such that I'll only have a few metres of yarn left when I get to the other end. Fingers are crossed.

I did a bit more on 'This Bee's Got Knees'. Once I fill in the centres of the little orange flowers, the cross stitching will be done and there will only be backstitching (detail on flowers and bees) left to do. Then assembly. I really liked the colours in this piece. The pointy parts will meet in the centre of the bottom for a 3D block pincushion.

I really don't need another pincushion but this design was so dang cute, I couldn't resist.

I also did a wee bit more on the Spring Courier.

I don't have a single thing on my calendar for the next two days so will enjoy a hurkle-durkle tomorrow morning and do some serious goofing off for the rest of the day.

Oh yeah, and MaryK has named her kitty cat, Violet. I'll be seeing her at stitching on Monday and can give Violet to her then.

Lot of Fun Things

2026-10-05T16:18:20.214-04:00

By special request (some whining was involved) I created two more little knitted friends for Judy and MaryK.

This is Judy's Princess Kate:

MaryK will receive hers next Monday, at which time little kitty will be named.

I hosted stitching this morning so spent some time yesterday preparing the dining room (adding an extra leaf in the table and locating appropriate tablecloths) and the kitchen for my discerning guests. It's always a nice way to start our week.

During our get-together I got an email from a former student from the 1980s, Dennis. Chris, Andrew, and I were talking about him last month at our lunch and wondered how he was doing. I googled him and found that he was on faculty at a university in New Brunswick so I fired off an email to tell him we'd been talking and thinking about him.

I was so pleased to get a response from him this morning, so forwarded his email to Andrew, Chris, and another former student, Karen. I then sent Dennis a newsy email. Coincidentally, this afternoon I found a program from a show in which I played in the pit orchestra in the early 80s. I remembered we needed some reed players so a couple of my more accomplished students (then in grade 12 or 13) also performed with the group. I scanned the program and have sent it to the both of them. It is so fun to remember some of these good times from the past. I taught some amazing young people and am pleased to get in touch with any who are interested in catching up on the last decades since we last were together.

Being a high school music teacher afforded me the chance to really get to know many of my students over the 4 or 5 years they were in my classes or bands. A lot of social and intellectual development happens during those years. Years later, with the help of social media (mostly Facebook) and search engines, it has been possible to follow up and see how life has been for some them. Most have had very interesting and satisfying lives. I've been invited to some of their weddings and other important events in their lives over the years. I have attended the school's anniversary/reunion celebrations and run into many others.

Most students in my classes and bands had very enjoyable times learning to play an instrument and in larger ensembles. Aesthetic education 'massages' different parts of the brain than most other school disciplines. Shy, outgoing, introverted, timid, extroverted kids are all welcomed in the music program and it is a pleasure to see them develop over the years. I have always felt so privileged to have been able to interact with kids in this way. It is so fun to reminisce with them now, decades later.

Personally, I've been involved in creating music since taking voice lessons as a little girl, playing recorders with my dad and sister, taking piano lessons, playing the oboe in high school and majoring on it in university, playing in my town bands, working as a music educator for 30 years - teaching and conducting bands, vocal ensembles, and classroom guitar, and now finding my way back to creating music again after a hiatus of over a decade and attending summer adult music camp.

I have been fortunate to have made many friends along the way.

Good Things Today

2026-10-01T17:45:35.261-04:00

I spent quite a bit of time procrastinating about getting stuff done today. I knew I had an errand to run but couldn't remember what it was. I figured I'd remember at some point today or tomorrow.

Instead, I sent a newsy email to some longtime friends. Just before I was going to send it, I remembered the errand I wanted to run - buy cranberries and white chocolate chips to make treats. I headed to the store and got the supplies.

Back at home, the drizzle had stopped. I've wanted to tear down some more foliage from the garden and was waiting until after some rain. Plants and weeds pull out so much easier after the soil has been soaked. I filled three yard waste bags with most of the stuff I cut back beside the deck and along the east fence. I did some huffing, puffing, and sweating but I got that much done. More to follow.

I just remembered that I need to contact the oboe repairer and see what the status is of my oboe and its sticky key. It's either going to just need a cleaning and oiling $$$ or a complete overhaul $$$$! I must call him tomorrow.

Last night, I finished the last 'lanterns' and finished sewing them onto the blanket. It measures 35" x 53" before blocking and without the top and bottom borders.

I only have 5 half lanterns to make and attach to the bottom. Then decide what border I'll make.

I'm not sure how I'll block it. Being acrylic, it won't be like blocking wool. I will try a warm iron and damp pressing cloth to see if it will smooth things out a bit. Must do more investigating on how to do this.

I did a bit more on the spring Seasonal Courier yesterday. I'll do more on it at our stitch day on Saturday.

I also have a hankering to start this project, 'Merry Christmas' from Hobby House Press.

I purchased the pattern a while back, have the fabric, and just need to decide what floss colour I'll use. It'll probably be slightly variegated. Right now I'm leaning towards something like Weeks Dye Works Cayenne.

Or maybe something a deeper red. Will consult with Meagan and Kim.

Unorthodox Finishing

2026-09-30T13:40:42.204-04:00

When I was swapping out my front door stitching with my autumnal decoration, I found the winter Seasonal Courier by Robin Pickens, all framed.

I remembered the plan was to mount the other seasonal pieces on foamcore so they could just be popped in and out of the standard 5 x 7 frame.

Fastidious stitchers often stitch a line around the item where the edge of the foam core will hit - carefully counting threads out from the design edge.

I have discovered the convenience of Frixion pens to do heat-erasable markings. I only use them in areas that won't be seen - cutting lines on fabric, centring lines on the backs of things, and, in this case, delineating the edges of the foamcore for mounting. If the item ever gets cold, the lines will come back. That's why I use the erasable pen (erases with heat of the iron or little eraser on the end of the pen) only in areas that wouldn't be seen.

I then mounted the autumn Seasonal Courier,

and while I was at it, the summer one.

I'm almost done the spring one so will prepare it for mounting and framing once it's done.

I do pin into the sides of the foamcore all around using short appliqué pins. I could take the time and lace the backs. Not wanting to take the time, I choose the easier method of just tacking down the excess fabric with masking tape.

As the seasons change, I can now swap out the relevant stitched piece.

The décor in the foyer is now complete for the fall.

'Autumn Collage' on perforated paper - Mill Hill Buttons & Bees completed in 2000. It was a real coup finding the autumn-themed Mill Hill frame.

'Quaker Pumpkin' by the Stitcherhood, completed in 2019, also in a Mill Hill frame. Other seasonal pieces are popped in and out of this frame as well.

'Halloween Flip-it' by Lizzie Kate, stitched on 28ct Monaco and completed in 2010.

Snorri the bear was an IKEA find years ago. In the fall, he wears his pumpkin sweater.

I took this shot of Veronica and my new haircut on the way out the door to band last night. It was her turn to come with me.

Having been a music director for over 30 years, I'm very picky about efficient use of rehearsal time. Our musical director, Giancarlo Binetti, is very well organized and sends out the lists of pieces we'll be rehearsing ahead of time. We also receive any new music by .pdf. Several band members use their iPads for their music but I don't have a current device that will upload the software so I print out the parts and use a band folder for them. Giancarlo is also very good about planning how much time he'll spend on each piece, and observes the timing for the beginning of the rehearsal break and end of the rehearsal.

Our Hallowe'en concerts are on Sunday, October 25 at Pickering Museum Village, at 12:30 and 1:30. I'll be leaving Stitch North early-ish that morning to head home and prepare to arrive at the concert venue by 11:30.

Trillium Embroidery Guild Stitching Retreat

2026-09-29T23:12:19.091-04:00

Last weekend was the 4-day, Trillium Embroidery Guild stitching retreat at Elim Conference Centre on the eastern shore of Pigeon Lake. I brought about a dozen WIPs, snacks, my bed pad, duvet, and pillow, stuff to give away, my bag of crocheting, and a suit case.

Jen1 and I carpooled. This is what the back of the car looked like with her stuff crammed in there, too.

The back seat was also full of stuff. My gang was also in attendance - Thomas, Veronica, and Ernest.

We set up in the Chapel, one stitcher per 6 foot table. We also had 5 people bring their sewing machines to do sewing and quilting.

I worked on these projects in no particular order. Traditionally on the Friday, I spend an hour on each WIP.

I stitched the dotted lines on the bee skep and the flowers and stems on this wool felt appliqué piece that I hadn't touched in months.

I almost finished the stitching on the scissor fob - 'Pearls & Rosebuds' by The Drawn Thread.

I spent quite a bit of time on the moth on Teresa Kogut's 'Newcastle Bouquet'. I started this project when it first came out in 2020. The chart is black and white so the symbols were all mashed together. After using Markup R-XP to sort things out, the stitching went much more smoothly.

We had spectacular weather. The leaves on this tree were just starting to turn red over the weekend.

Then I spent some time on 'Tomato Tom-ah-to".

I started the delphiniums with the silk ribbon on this piece. It was my first time using silk ribbon. The tip of each is done with floss. Inside each silk ribbon will go a French knot, a smaller one stitched with yellow floss. You can see where the other two delphinium 'spikes' go - the little x's. I don't remember what goes on the long spike on the right. I also did the flowers along the bottom with sequins and beads.

Then did a bit of work on the Papillon Creations 'How Does Your Garden Grow'. I picked this up at a stash sale. It was a mystery stitch along (SAL) from years ago, kitted up and started by the previous owner. All the silk threads were in the kit. I'm not sure I'll do the entire floral piece but I am enjoying all the specialty stitches.

A wee bit was done on the Hands On Design 'This Bee's Got Knees'. I thought I misplaced one of the yellow threads for the centres of the white star flowers - it later turned up. There isn't a lot left to do on this.

I did a wee bit on Robin Pickens' 'Spring Seasonal Courier' and got a lot farther than this later on in the weekend and at stitching yesterday morning.

Jen1 always sets up her stitching environment very tastefully. Her Lola also attended.

The time away from 'adulting' was very enjoyable and passed quickly. The food this time was excellent! We came away from each meal with full tummies and more energy to do more stitching.

Stitching was yesterday morning. Today I went for a haircut, arriving two hours early. I exited the salon and did grocery shopping and had lunch before my 1pm appointment. Then crocheted a bit (oh yeah I made a couple of 'lanterns' for my blanket at Elim), and rested this afternoon before band tonight.

Tomorrow the windows are getting cleaned. Then it will be October. Nothing is on the schedule for Thursday or Friday. I may do some thinking about how I'll make a version of the Hands Across the Sea "Needleworker's Companion". I want to make it big enough to accommodate patterns on 8 1/2 x 11 pages.

Then Saturday is our guild's stitch day. Lots of fun things to look forward to in October.

Two-colour Biscornu

2026-09-23T23:10:50.407-04:00

I found some white 14ct Aida in my stash to use for the other side of the faux sashiko biscornu I designed. It was very stiff and the gauge looked slightly larger than the blue fabric so I washed the white piece to see if it would shrink down a bit. That worked. I did iron it to dry and it was still pretty 'crunchy' but I started in stitching anyway.

As on the blue piece, the stitching went pretty quickly. However the sewing up was challenging because of the stiffness of the white Aida. I persevered and finally got it stuffed and sewn.

The design is somewhat reminiscent of caning used on seats of antique chairs. Again, with the counted fabric, it wasn't possible to go in straight lines on the diagonals. Basically it was a diagonal over two squares, then directly vertical two squares.

Because the scrap of blue fabric was so small, the chart was only 48 stitches x 48 stitches but the pattern could be easily adapted for a larger piece of fabric.

Scooter came out for a visit yesterday - the last one before he flies to Osaka tomorrow. He plans to study Japanese in Kyoto for 6 months then he'll be assigned to teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) somewhere in Japan for a year with the option to renew for another year.

It was so nice having him staying here this spring. We got along well, spent time together in the evenings, and did our own thing the rest of the day. He appreciated the quietude of the place - not a lot of drama here - and set up his dad's office for his online teaching.

I dropped him off at the GO station on my way to band last night. I got very emotional and cried most of the way to the rehearsal. I hope I didn't upset him when I got choked up. I did tell him a lot of things I didn't want to go unsaid. I am very excited for him but I'm really going to miss him. I wish only the best for him and hope to visit him there next spring. Band was a great distraction but I still get choked up when I think about him leaving.

I'm somewhat packed for our stitching retreat that starts tomorrow. I'm bringing Jen1 with me. I just need to throw my clothes in the suitcase. Tomorrow morning, I'll roll up the duvet and foam bed pad and take them and my pillow downstairs. Most of my stitching is packed and at the front door. Between her bedding, suitcase, and projects as well as mine, we'll definitely fill the trunk of the car.

I am bringing several UFOs to work on in a rotation on Friday. Snacks are packed. I don't have anything for lunch tomorrow though, so may stop into a grocery store en route and pick up something quick.

I thought I'd try and get Skip's iPad 2 working. I've been using it as a coaster but seeing folks using them for band music intrigued me. This iPad dates from 2011 and I suspect won't update beyond iOS 9 but I'm interested in seeing if I can make any use of it.

A few minutes later...

It turns out Apple quit supporting it back in 2016. It won't even connect to the Internet, however it can be used as a photo frame, clock or calendar, offline video or audio player, or use for static .pdfs like kitchen recipes, etc.

When I went to fire it up (it has the old, wide 30 pin connector, and I actually found one in my pile of defunct electronics), I was able to connect to Apple (I have Skip's passwords) but it sent a 6-digit security code to one of Skip's devices. I had to locate his old iPad mini and it is now charging so I can retrieve the 6-digit security code for the old iPad2. I have his iPhone 8 somewhere but not sure where it is right now. It would have also been 'deader than a mackerel' (as Skip used to say).

Stay tuned...

I Was Inspired

2026-09-19T16:55:37.383-04:00

After stitching the blue, sashiko biscornu, I was motivated to find other patterns to stitch. I happened upon this kit on Etsy and thought it would be cool to stitch and attempted to chart it myself.

I tried to chart it with straight lines It worked for the horizontals but not the diagonals on this counted fabric. The pattern in the photo above was just printed onto the woven fabric and stitched. Flouting customary sashiko straight lines, I made the pattern more or less fit the counted scrap of 14ct navy blue Aida in my stash.

The actual stitching was much faster than the charting and counting. The strip of fabric I had only accommodated 48 stitches. While I was finishing stitching this, I thought I'd stitch the same pattern on white Aida on the other side.

Back into my stash I'll go.

Scooter came out for a visit from The Big City yesterday. He updated his departure to Japan from next month to next week. Eeek! I showed him the array of little bears I had on hand and asked if he wanted to take one. He picked Roscoe because he had a red sweater - like the Canadian flag. I told him he was welcome to change the name. I know he'll be glad to have a 'little buddy' while so far from home.

He plans to come for a final visit early next week. I was surprised at how emotional I became after dropping him off at the GO station. When he left for university, Skip and I knew he was just a couple of hours away. This feels so much different. It's almost like another piece of Skip is going away. I'll be OK - I'll just miss Scooter. It was so nice having him here for a couple of months this spring and again when he stayed for an extra week after housesitting for me when I was at music camp.

On a happier note, my hibiscus plant is blooming again. I'll bring it back inside when the weather gets cooler.

Another Busy Day

2026-09-16T13:39:59.081-04:00

Yesterday was my 4-month post-implant appointment in The Big City (gratefully north near Keele St. and Steeles Ave W).

An xray was taken of the tooth in question.

Then the temporary was popped off, impressions were taken, then the temporary put back on. I have another appointment in a month's time.

Then the permanent cap will be installed at an even later date by my own dentist in Oshawa.

Using the $$$407$$$ again made for a very stress-free trip across the top of The Big City and back. When I got home, I did some adulting, some goofing off, then made myself take a nap so I could make it through band that night.

I had printed all my music for band and copied and pasted the revisions we were sent by the conductor so I'd be all ready for the rehearsal.

At the rehearsal, when I went to assemble the clarinet, the cork disintegrated on the mouthpiece of the clarinet Dunc had loaned me so Laura loaned me a spare mouthpiece for the rehearsal. I'm using a 2 1/2 reed which plays really well for me (and the borrowed mouthpiece) but I'm going to buy a couple of #2s and see if I can get through the rehearsal easier.

Not being a clarinet player by training, and considering my 20-year hiatus from even touching one, the fingers aren't there yet. The rhythms are all there and Zoltan (my Clarinet III buddy) says I have been of help to him. I explain to all the folks around me that what I lack in technique, I make up in enthusiasm.

I informed our conductor that I could fill in for him in a pinch if necessary considering my 30-year career directing instrumental music ensembles and having been a former assistant conductor of the PCCB. I'm not sure he believed me.

I'm very excited that one of 'my new best friends' from camp, Katherine, will be coming to visit next month and will be able to sit in on a rehearsal. I mentioned it to Helen - a new PCCB flute-playing member who remembered her from camp. Katherine can sit with her. Dunc has already planned a get together at his place.

Also, Jen1 will be available to join us for some crafting chez moi that day as well.

Scooter's departure for Japan is only a few weeks away. He's coming out for a visit tomorrow. I so appreciate the effort he makes to schlep all the way out to Whitby to visit me.

Tonight is our first Trillium Guild meeting. And next weekend (not to be confused with this weekend), is our stitching retreat at Elim Lodge. Jen1 and I will carpool. Several folks are bringing their sewing machines. Some plan to make up their Needleworker's Companion from the panel purchased last year at the Swindon event with Hands Across The Sea. I haven't decided if I'll take my machine and work up some more project bags.

I do have two retreat mats and a couple of completed project bags I'll be taking if anyone wants to purchase them from me. If I get the ambition, I can make a couple more up to take. I also want to take a pile of things to give away as we always have a 'give away' table.

Then we'll be into October already. with another guild stitch day, Thanksgiving, the wedding in Ottawa, Stitch North, the PCCB Hallowe'en concert, a Kimat stitch day, Hallowe'en, and the usual Monday stitching, monthly guild meeting, dental and medical appointments, Katherine's visit, and James' departure to Japan.

I should probably go take a nap now.

Crochet Update

2026-09-16T13:11:03.733-04:00

I've almost finished sewing all the lanterns onto the blanket.

There's one column of 11 to finish and the last column of 10. Looking at the photo now, I realize I should have started a column of 10 on the left side rather than the column of 11 on the right side, as the pattern calls for columns of 10 on each side.

Unblocked, right now it's measuring only 30" x 50" - not wide enough for a throw blanket in my opinion. There is LOTS of remaining yarn so I'll make at least another couple more columns of lanterns.

Following up on Barb's crocheted sheep,

I bought the pattern on Ravelry (Shoop the African Flower Sheep) and have sourced the yarn I'll be using.

Photo from the designer's Ravelry page.

While at Len's Mill Store in Cambridge on the weekend, I bought a ball of natural Kroy sock yarn and a multicoloured ball. I then rooted through my vast sock yarn remnants for other yarns that would work.

This sheep is not going to be very big with me using sock yarn (called for in the pattern) but it will be a good first try. There is a technique for joining the blocks while doing the outer round which I may try to master.

So far I have done one pentagon, four hexagons, and one heptagonal block.

I could have done the centres with the natural yarn, I guess. Oh well. I'm making sure the round before the outer round uses gold or yellow yarn, and, of course, the outer rounds will be with the natural yarn.

The next one I'll make will be using DK or worsted weight yarn. I also have TONS of handspun that would work very well for a project like this.

The 2mm hook is a size larger than the pattern specifies for this weight yarn. The fabric is still pretty dense so the stuffing won't show through. I'm not liking working with such a small hook as the yarn splits easily.

They do work up pretty quickly. I haven't counted how many of them I'll have to make. If I don't use the 'attach-as-I-go' method, there will be a LOT of sewing the blocks together.

Bridal Shower

2026-09-16T12:19:48.961-04:00

On Saturday I drove to Cambridge to attend my grand-niece's bridal shower. It was a good place for it - a somewhat central location for the attendees coming from the Sarnia area, Durham Region, and Ottawa.

I arrived at Cambridge an hour or so before the shower so popped into the Len's Mill Store just off the 401 and Hespeler Road to pick up some supplies for a new craft project. More about that in the next post.

Surprisingly I knew almost all the people at the shower: the bride-to-be, Andrea; her mother and aunt (my two nieces Rosa and Ana); my grand-niece, Melisa and her two young daughters, Riley and Remy; the groom's mother, Jane, cousin, Sam, and cousin-in-law, Amanda. The latter 3 with whom I spent Christmas of 2024 in the Dominican Republic. I also had previously met Lisa and Jo-Ann at the quilting retreat in July. I also got to meet Sarah's mother, Carolina, who had prepared a delicious Italian pasta dinner for Ana and Rosa after their mother's funeral visitation. Skip was very impressed with it. I hadn't met one of Andrea's friends who attended, nor Sarah, Andrea's childhood friend, but I had heard lots about Sarah since they were little girls and Andrea attended 'Secret Heart' elementary school.

Sarah hosted the shower at their very cute home in Cambridge. There was so much character in the place - arched doorways, natural wood trim, many-paned windows, glassed-in porch. I couldn't resist taking a photo.

The theme of the wedding is 'Til Death Do Us Part'.

What would a bridal shower be without any games?

Dozens of 'diamond' rings were stashed around the house. The person to find the most would win a prize. The one hanging from the frame above was one of the last to be found. The young girls found most of them on their own and many of us gave them the ones that we had found. Then Remy and Riley pooled them to win the prize. Jane had donated one of her lovely pottery creations. The young girls asked who would want it. Of course, I said 'pick me, pick me'.

With the holes in the bottom and the little plate underneath, it could be used as a berry washer or even a little flower pot.

I loved how Andrea's dress coordinated with the theme, particularly since I don't ever recall Andrea dressing in any other colour than black.

After all the gifts were opened, the lovely bride-to-be modeled the hat made from bows and the pop-up card - a bouquet of flowers in a vase.

As we were leaving, we received a favour, a memento of the event: a pair of candles wrapped with a sprig of lavender.

It was a very nice way to spend the afternoon. I'm always glad to get to visit family.

The drive home was happily uneventful, largely due to the delightful cross-country route plotted by my Apple Maps. Evidently there was a traffic snarl up on the 401 between Cambridge and Guelph that this alternate route avoided. I drove through farm country on secondary highways and county roads. Campbellville was the only major centre I traversed. Back on the 401 at Guelph Line, traffic was not plentiful and moved smoothly to my hookup to the $$$407$$$. I got home shortly after 6pm.

The next day, I hurkle-durkled (slept in and languished in bed until mid-morning) and started another crafty project.

Sashiko BFF (Biscornu Fully Finished)

2026-09-11T23:00:54.899-04:00

I finished stitching the biscornu and fully finished it. Because I had altered the pattern to accommodate the fabric I had on hand, I had a heck of a time determining where to put the backstiched border on the bottom fabric. I counted, pinned every 10 stitches, then in the other direction. I wanted the bottom to be centred. Finally I decided to start stitching the outer border. I had to pick out and redo entire sides to make sure I had it centred.

Then came the task of sewing the top to the bottom. Because I had made sure there were an even number of stitches each side of the centre, this was a fairly easy task. However, the fabric was not totally square - the warp was wider than the weft so I had to make sure I had the correct sides together.

All the being said. I stuffed it on the last pass of sewing it up, found a pearl bead for the top and a small, pearl-coloured bead for the bottom.

It was a LOT of stitching but not difficult and pretty fun.

Tomorrow I will be attending the bridal shower of my grand-niece, Andrea, in Cambridge. Of the 13 attendees who RSVPd affirmatively, I know her mom and aunt (my two nieces), as well as the mom, sister-in-law, and cousin of the groom whom I spent Christmas 2024 with in the Dominican Republic.

I hope to leave here in time to have an hour or so to have lunch and possibly pay a visit to Len's Mill Store before moseying over to the shower.

Getting Inspired

2026-09-10T12:25:07.622-04:00

When stitchers get together, they like to see what others are working on and share what they're working on. Judy and Bev have been working on a sashiko biscornu designed by Atelier Pin & Needle.

The pattern is available on Etsy.

From my stash, I found two darker blue squares of 22ct evenweave fabric that had already been surged on the sides. They weren't quite big enough for the whole pattern so I made the pattern smaller. I was too tired to count carefully from the centre so just started in the corner, knowing I'd have enough room for the smaller version (right piece).

I got this far on the other piece before heading to bed.

Because the design has an odd number of stitches per side, when I did the backstitching around it, I went out three threads from the design edge instead of two. Now the backstitching is an even number of stitches. This will make sewing the two pieces together easier as the corner of one side starts at the edge centre of the other piece.

This pattern is really sashiko-esque because the Japanese technique is usually done as surface embroidery, that is, stitched from the design drawn onto the fabric. This counted method, although very neat and tidy, deviates from that a bit. However the result will be quite striking.

On the first square, I did the horizontal lines down to the open part, then the verticals. I just wanted to see how it would look in that corner. Then I filled in the rest. It involved a LOT of stitching using 2 strands of B5200DMC and a #26 needle. I should be able to finish the second square today between ~~adulting~~ housework.

One chore I don't mind doing is laundry on a nice, sunny day like today. Everything is going out on the ~~clothesline~~ passive solar dryer. The bedding will smell great when I crawl into it tonight.

Back on the Band Wagon and Excitement in the Skies

2026-09-08T23:23:15.387-04:00

I played in the Pickering Community Concert Band from 1990- 2002. I played the oboe and sometimes I was the assistant conductor. When I got promoted at my job and my workload increased, I decided to discontinue going. Also, as in many organizations, some of the politics was starting to become irritating and that also helped my decision to not return.

However, after being all geeked up at music camp, I decided I wanted to join the band again. Tonight was the first rehearsal of the season. As the band already has two oboes, I borrowed a clarinet and was given a reed, and got situated in the clarinet section. I was going to play Clarinet III with my new friend, Zoltan, but the way we were sharing the music stand, I couldn't see the conductor so I scooted over one seat and sat beside Dunc and played Clarinet II.

I haven't even touched a clarinet in 20 years but it was kinda like riding a bicycle. I remembered most of the fingerings. I'm a bit iffy on some of the alternates but I'll get there.

Some folks had their music on iPads and foot pedals that turns the pages. I may have to get one of those gadgets and see if I can resurrect Skip's old iPad. I'm not sure I even know the code to get into it. It would be too 'squinchy' to read on my iPad mini. A lot has changed in the past two decades in that regard. We are emailed .pdfs of our parts for us to either print hard copies or use on our devices. I think I'll be old school for a while and use sheet music. Since I'll have my own music stand, I'll play Clarinet III beside Zoltan. The music might be a bit easier for me while I'm getting my clarinet chops back.

At music camp, we only had Concert Band an hour a day so playing in a 2-hour rehearsal really blew out my chops. Dunc and I both were struggling on some of those long passages by the last half hour or so. I'm still pretty good with the counting and got most notes but my endurance is gone. I may actually have to practice between rehearsals to get the muscles back in shape! (Insert shocked face here. I was a very lazy player - getting by on a minimum of practice) All in all, I think I did pretty well after not having played the clarinet since June of 2007.

Unfortunately, I can't make any of the scheduled concerts this fall. Being one who is 'doing all the things', I only have two weekends free between now and mid-November. The Hallowe'en concert isthe weekend I'll be at Stitch North. I did tell the conductor and he seemed disappointed but my weekends should be a little freer in the new year (so far). The weekend of our Christmas concert (first Sunday of December) I'll be cruising up the Rhine with Alexa on my epic Christmas Market tour so I'm missing it as well.

It was very nice seeing some of the 'originals' from when I belonged to the band before: Cathy, Heidi, Joanne, Louise, Teresa, Hugh, etc.

I have nothing on the schedule tomorrow and we're supposed to get heavy rain so I'll be hurkle-durkling in the morning and probably crafting the rest of the day. I should have done laundry today to hang it out in the fabulous weather but it can wait until Thursday when it's supposed to be nice again.

The other exciting thing that happened today was seeing the Snowbirds fly over the house. One of the elementary schools in Whitby is named after a former Snowbird, Captain Michael VandenBos, who grew up in Whitby. He tragically died as a result of a mid-air collision during a training exercise in 1998. The other pilot was ejected from his plane and survived. The school bearing Captain VandenBos' name opened in 2001 and the dedication ceremony took place on September 4, 2001.

Captain Michael VandenBos

Every year thereafter the Canadian Forces Snowbirds precision flying team has done a fly-past the first day of the school year at 1pm. Since they always perform at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto on Labour Day, they're kinda in the 'neighbourhood' already.

Today, I was in the kitchen when I heard the jets approaching so ran outside with my phone, hoping to get some photos. They flew just to the west of the house on their way to the school only 5.4 km away. I was so excited I almost missed getting this photo; so excited I didn't completely get my finger out of the way.

After the fly-past, they circled to the east over Oshawa and flew over Whitby again, higher this time. I just snapped photos until I could no longer see them.

The neighbour behind me came out on his deck to see them as well as his wife texted him that this was happening.

I was surprised at how emotional I felt knowing that they were doing this as a tribute to their fallen comrade. What a thrill for the staff and students at the school who assemble outside on opening day of school for the fly-past. And it truly was a thrill for the rest of the Whitby residents who got to see them as well. I have lived in this house for 30 years and today was the first time, I had the presence of mind to go outside to see them.

The Snowbirds who are based in Moose Jaw SK, are retiring their 55 year-old CT-114 Tudor jets later this fall and will await delivery of their new aircraft in the early 2030s. Their final performance will be the fly-over at the Grey Cup game in Calgary on November 15.

My Brain Was in Overdrive Today

2026-09-08T00:14:16.608-04:00

Today Sharon sent me photos of her Veronica settling into her new home.

"This is Chase, the cat's (my new brother) scratching tree but I really like this king-sized watermelon bed! I think it's memory foam!".

"I get my own toothbrush?

"This is a very comfy bed, too. We kitty cats like to sleep a lot".

"Do I have to wash all these dishes?!?!"

"I love the great outdoors! What a nice patio chair!".

"Some say I'm very photogenic (whatever that means). I love how my sweater matches these dahlias".

"We ladies always have been partial to roses".

At stitching this morning we all got a tour of Barb's craft room. She is very organized. One object that caught our eyes was a crocheted sheep.

Jennifer4 (yes, my Jennifers are numbered) found the pattern on Ravelry "Shoop the African Flower Sheep" by Heidi Bears. Of course I became obsessed with making one and realized I had previously made a blanket for Daisy using the African Flower crochet stitch.

I was all set to run out and buy yarn when Barb reminded me that I had a bunch left over from my Persian Tiles and Mystical Lanterns blankets. Next will be to purchase and download the pattern and start crocheting this.

I gave Jeanette the second project bag. Like the first one, she'll stitch down the binding on the back by hand. She liked the quilting I had done on the back. This afternoon I put Barb's together and this time, machine quilted around the borders of the Queen of the May 2025 on the front.

I also quilted the back - 30º lines, 3 inches apart.

The script lining and border is such a nice touch. It's one of Jane Austen's works, I believe.

And I love, love, love the Wm Morris-ish fabric on the back. You can purchase the panel here. There are two versions to choose from.

I did the binding on this one differently from Jeanette's. I attached the binding to the front then wrapped it around the edges to the back and secured it with pins and some washable glue. Then using my blind hem foot to stitch in the ditch on the front, I attached the binding to the back. It took a couple of tries. After I adjusted the needle to stitch just to the right of the 'ditch' and used the right colour thread, I got the job done.

A couple of the gals purchased the Needleworker's Companion and Pincushion panel and plan to assemble it at our stitching retreat at the end of the month. Nicola has a good tutorial on YouTube on how to construct it. I was intrigued by the cheater hexie fabric on the exterior. It gave me a good idea about what I could do with the hexies I can make from the striped fabric I already have.

Here it is opened up.

And the back...

I used a bunch of hexies for the back panel of this project bag.

I still have lots of this fabric left for the Companion project. I'll have a good look at their panels and measure the pieces.

And finally, Judy and Bev have been working on this Sashiko Biscornu project.

It's kinda faux sashiko as it uses a counted technique rather than drawing the pattern on the fabric and weaving the needle in and out that way. I'll have to check my stash to see if I have any dark blue linen or eveneweave. If not, I could use 22ct white Hardanger fabric with blue threads.

With the way my head swirled with all these crafty ideas today, it was all I could do to not kit up the biscornu project, too.

Veronica It Is!

2026-09-06T19:21:34.040-04:00

I gave the little kitty cat to her new owner, Sharon G, at stitching yesterday. Sharon declared that she shall be named Veronica as well. I hope to post a photo of the two of them really soon.

There were 18 of us at our guild stitch day yesterday. Some of us (ahem) made a few mistakes and had to un-stitch them. One of our gang informed us she had to pick out everything she had stitched that day. Once again I learned the lesson to only have stuff that needs to be filled in when stitching socially.

All that being said, I did get more done on my 'This Bee's Got Knees'.

I gave Jeanette her project bag so she can handsew the binding onto the back.

Today I sewed up the other one she gave me to do. I started the second bag which I had cut out previously then realized I had to whip out and buy the right colour thread. Back at home, it came together in fairly short order.

Although I'm using fusible fleece (with the fusible side towards the lining), I decided to quilt the back with the 30º lines 2 3/4" apart. I used a bit of washable glue to tack down the corners and have left it pinned for Jeanette to stitch down the binding. This YouTube video clearly outlines an excellent and almost foolproof method to attach binding ends. The pertinent part is at minute 23:00.

I really love the Wm Morris-ish fabric, and the lining and border fabric with tiny script. Nicola, the designer, provided extra script and lining fabric as other options to put above the zipper. They could easily be fashioned into a snappy ort tray.

Yesterday Barb asked me to sew up her panel as well so that will be my task tomorrow. I have owned my Bernina machine since 2012 and only just discovered I had the presser foot which would enable me to stitch in the ditch (I'm not sure what it's called). I have always struggled with stitching in the ditch using the regular presser feet so will try this out sometime soon. However, it won't be on Barb's bag.

She left the binding decision up to me so for this one, so I plan to sew the binding onto the back and machine-sew it down on the front.

I didn't get a call from the oboe repairer on Friday and he told me he was going on vacation this Tuesday so I doubt I'll get the instrument back until mid-September at the earliest. Still deciding when and what I'll play when I go back to the Pickering band.

And finally, in iPhone trade-in news, the trade-in kit arrived sometime on Friday. It was just a sturdy mailer with the return mailing label inside. I prepared my phone by backing up everything to the Cloud, unattaching it from the 'Find My' feature on my new phone, and restored it to factory settings. Then I gave it a bit of a cleanup, popped it into the mailer, slapped the label onto it, and beetled over to the nearby UPS Store to drop it off.

I got an email today from the nice people at Apple asking if I was still interested in trading in my old phone to which I replied that I had sent it out on Friday. Fingers are crossed the trade-in amount will get put back on my Apple gift card and credit card soon.

Still Feeling Slothful

2026-09-03T15:42:25.548-04:00

I only did a bit of stitching yesterday; on the 'This Bee's Got Knees' project.

Now that the backstitched outline is there, I am much more confident about where I'm placing the motifs.

Just using a scrap of linen, I stitched the centres of the blue scissor case pattern to make a scissor fob. The outer backstitching on the diagonal will be where I whip stitch the two pieces together. I'll also try to remember to insert the cording in the corner before sewing it all up.

I did finish the square stitching for the scissor case but haven't fully finished it yet.

Last night I fully finished the kitty cat I'm giving to one of my guild members at our stitch day on Saturday. It's my version of Esther Braithwaite's 'Kitty Friends'. Basically it is a tube, grafted at the top. Then the ears are sewn diagonally, the head stuffed, then the neck stitches cinched up.

The original pattern has a striped sweater but I did a solid one with the duplicate stitched heart, and as I mentioned in a previous post, a purl round on the second and last rounds of the 'sweater'. In this photo, one ear has been defined with diagonal stitches

The finishing takes almost as long as knitting the tube. To make her a girl, I stitch 6 eyelashes and add a coordinating bow. The recipient is free to name her whatever she likes. I do the nose and whiskers differently from the original pattern, too. Also, the i-cord tail is added.

I took her and her friends outside for a little photo shoot in the planter between my garage doors.

I received my new iPhone last week but still have not received the trade-in kit. I called again today and Apple claims to be sending me yet another trade-in kit (this is the third one) so hopefully I can finish up with that.

I've also resubscribed to Hello Fresh and should be receiving my first meal kit sometime before 8pm tonight. Hopefully it'll be before suppertime so I can make something good for supper.

Heads up! Lego has the Festive Gingerbread House back in stock. Because of the extreme cuteness and inexpensive price tag ($49.99CAD), it sold out really quickly last year. Here's the link if you want one. I'm sure they'll sell out fast again this year.

Quick update

2026-09-01T09:55:26.503-04:00

I'm heading into The Big City in about a half hour to take my instrument to the oboe hospital - a repairer in North York so this will be quick.

I got some stitching done yesterday both at stitching in the morning and later in the afternoon. I had added some guideline with turquoise sewing thread a while back (hardly visible in this photo) but my stitching was off by a stitch here and there so decided to do the backstitched border and make sure all the stitched elements stayed within those parameters.

If I dedicated more time to this project, it could be finished in pretty short order. It will be pretty easy to fully finish, too.

I forgot to take the project bag to Jeanette yesterday but will hand it off on Saturday at our stitch day. She gave me a little finished square so I could add the snaps for her so I can give her that on Saturday, too.

Now it's a little ort tray. Unsnapped, it lies flat and tucks into a pocket on a retreat bag for transport.

Although I do have a plethora of projects in various stages of completion, I do derive a lot of enjoyment getting something fully finished.

Taking It Easy Today.

2026-08-30T17:47:06.834-04:00

After all the excitement, activity and fun of the last few weeks and days, I spent today totally indulging myself. It was a pyjama day spent finishing listening to an audiobook (Ann Patchett's 'The Dutch House**), sending messages and emails to lots of folks this morning, and this afternoon, making another retreat mat.

I used 70 squares that were cut from jelly roll strips. It was a lot of sewing but I'm loving the result. The fabric line is 'Hydrangea Passion'.

I had quilted the interior fabric to the batting quite a while ago. I used 6 additional squares to make the lined pocket. Two other strips in the roll were perfect for the binding.

Of course I added my little 'logo'.

This is the back of it. The finished size is 19 1/2" x 13 1/2"This design would also work great for a folio with interior pockets - some of them with zippers. I still have a couple of jelly rolls I could use for this.

I have no idea when or where I purchased this 'fabric roll'.

Looking back in my archives (blog) I see I used some of the strips to make Poppy a project bag back in 2002.

The case for my new iPhone 17 Pro arrived on Friday. The corners look extra durable. My previous phone had more of a silicone case which protected it very well - even when the phone was dropped.

I went for a really pretty case that also came with a screen protector. I haven't installed the screen protector yet as it involved more steps than I had the bandwidth for that day.

Isn't is pretty?

I haven't fully figured out all the capabilities of the new phone so will be doing some research. I await receipt of the trade-in kit so I can get the $225 for the old iPhone 12 Pro that I bought myself for my birthday back in 2021.

I forgot to make note of the progress on the Helix sock. The waste yarn for the afterthought heel was inserted (the yellow stitches under the white line) and the stocking stitch foot is underway.

At stitching on Monday, I had to pick out most of what I did on the project I was working on so I switched to 'This Bee's Got Knees' pincushion and filled in the lighter green on the leaves.

Not sure what I'll work on tomorrow at stitching but it will need to be something I don't have to carefully count.

** this is the second Ann Patchett book I have listened to and enjoyed. The first one was 'Tom Lake' which I particularly enjoyed because of its setting. I like novels like this that develop the story of people in families and how the relationships evolve over the years. I look forward to reading more of them.

I Had The.Best.Time.

2026-08-29T18:44:07.402-04:00

A few days ago, I was contacted by two former students who both live in London, and were interested in coming to visit me. Chris had two dates he was available - today and a Saturday in October. I suggested today and Andrew was available, too. We met at the Symposium Café in Ajax and parked ourselves at a booth for the afternoon. Fortunately there were only a couple of other tables of diners so our prolonged lunch didn't prevent anyone else from getting a table.

The last time we got together was in July 2009 at Andrew's home.

And before that, the last time we had been together was Chris' ordination as a Catholic priest in 1997.

It was so fun today catching up on what we'd been doing these past 17 years. Neither of them are very active on social media but I'm sure we've exchanged messages or texts a couple of times over the years and, of course, they always receive my annual Christmas newsletter, the Glen Hill Times.

As I've mentioned before, spending fun times with long-time friends is the best experience ever. I taught these guys music in the mid-80s starting when they were in Grade 9. Andrew played clarinet and Chris started out on saxophone then became a bassoonist. He even played bassoon in a community band up to a decade or two ago. I encouraged him to rent a bassoon and come to music camp next year. He's seriously considering it.

Before we knew it, 4 1/2 hours had gone by and it was time for them to head back to London. Of course, we had to have a group photo before going our separate ways.

My afternoon was like breathing pure oxygen. I met these guys when they were 14 and got to see their social, musical, and intellectual development through the rest of high school. I have continued to follow their post-secondary pursuits, life events, and career choices and successes. It has been such a joy to have these guys in my life. I am so fortunate.

In knitting news, I started a Sophie scarf last night with some lovely laceweight yarn (possibly Malabrigo). The pattern increases on one side every 8 rows but I'm increasing every 6 rows instead. This will made a wider scarf and use up more of the yarn. I haven't decided how long I'll make it. The stitch marker reminds me what side to do the increases on. The Knit Lounge has several Facebook reels on this project starting with this one. The actual knitting starts with this one.

Basically it's garter stitch (knit every row) with a lovely i-cord edge. Once it's as wide as I want it, I'll decrease back down to the number of stitches I started with.

You'd think a simple pattern like this would be easy to keep track of the rows. But oh, no! It was hard to read the dark yarn and I was watching TV while knitting. I found checking off each row with pencil and paper to be very tedious, then remembered I had a row counter that goes over my finger which I had bought in 2016 (the counter was still in the mailer in which I received it). I created a little avalanche of knitting accouterments while rummaging around on a shelf for it but I found it!

Of course the battery was 'deader than a mackerel' as Skip used to say. So I found the appropriate mini Phillips screwdriver and opened it up. The battery was one of those little button batteries like go in hearing aids and wouldn't you know it? I had some spare ones! (People think I'm joking when I tell them I own everything, but it's pretty true).

It took a couple of tries to get the battery and the innards oriented properly but finally I was successful! A number appeared in the window! Hurray! (I was so proud of myself - Scooter just shook his head - LOL).

Just tap the big button when you finish a row and the little button resets to zero. So handy!

They're $3CAD or less on Amazon and would be a great treat to hand out at knitting events/retreats. Golfers could also use them to count strokes.

And finally, I spent some time yesterday working on the finishing of the triangular sunflower scissor case.

I made SO MANY MISTAKES putting it together which did involve some bad language. One boo boo was not inserting the cording on the tip of the flap for the loop closure before turning everything right side out.

I used Sulky Petites thread for the cording - 4 strands folded in half for 8 strands total. I think I can tuck the ends of the cording into the tip and secure it. Then all I'll have to do is add the pearl bead closure and the HotFix jewels in the spots on the front in the 4-sided Kloster blocks where eyelets were supposed to go.

Some Sewing and a New Mexican Restaurant

2026-08-27T18:43:26.312-04:00

After cutting out the project bag pieces yesterday, I sewed the first one together today. Everything went together well except for my bonehead move attaching the back wrong way around - with the lining on the outside. No big deal as I had just basted around the edges with a narrow zigzag stitch - easily taken out with my seam ripper.

I like to baste with a zigzag stitch before attaching the binding. Things just go a lot smoother that way.

I'm leaving the hand-sewing of the binding onto the back for Jeanette to do. I just have it pinned in place on the back for these photos.

This panel of fabric commemorates the big stitching event in Swindon UK last summer, attended by Jen1, Barb, Jeanette, Poppy, Yvonne, and Victoria.

The lining fabric is very cute - little houses.

The fabric for the back is the same as around the panel on the front.

Scooter and I tried out the new Mexican restaurant in downtown Oshawa for supper this evening. Cactus Cocina Mexicana .

Scooter had a chicken chimichanga,

and I had carne asada tacos.

It tasted very authentic and yummy. I would definitely dine there again.

I did a bit more knitting on the helix sock last night.

The cuff will be 8" long before I insert the waste yarn for the afterthought heel.

I'm also very intrigued with the Sophie scarf.

Basically you weigh your ball of yarn, cast on and knit garter stitch with i-cord edges, increasing every 8 rows until half the yarn is used up, then decrease every 8 rows until back down to the number of stitches you cast on.

It can be wrapped several times around your neck.

I plan to make it a bit wider so will do the increases every 6 rows and knit until it's about 10" wide, then do the decreases.

Another Pair of Helical Socks

2026-08-26T17:26:44.527-04:00

I wanted another mindless knitting project so I scrounged around in my stash for some contrasting yarn for a pair of helical socks.

Scooter housesat for me last week and has stayed on this week so we watch TV in the evenings. I crochet or knit during this time so two nights ago I cast on the socks - 72 stitches, with a 3 x1 ribbed leg; 2.5mm needles. I'll probably do afterthought heels with the black yarn as well as the toes.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to create ‘identical twin’ socks. It will depend on the striping sequence of the colourful yarn.

I continue to feel quite slothful since returning home from camp on Sunday. I have accomplished a few things, though. I got my camp laundry done, some grocery shopping, bought a new iPhone 17 Pro as my 5 year-old iPhone 12 had no more memory even after deleting a bunch of space-hogging apps. I spent the last couple of hours setting it up and still need to buy a case and screen protector for it.

I also cut out the fabric pieces from the Nicola Parkman project bag panel. I offered to make the project bags for Jeanette so we texted back and forth about some choices that need to be made. We have settled on this (there were three options for the fabric above the zipper above the floral fabric).

However the bag’s construction came to a screeching halt when I realized I didn’t have the right zippers in my stash. Acquiring them will be a task for tomorrow.

Out in the garden the sunflower has continued to grow taller and has bloomed. The first photo was taken on August 12 and the second one, today.

I need to remember to plant more next year.

Lakefield Adult Music Camp 2026

2026-08-25T14:05:43.559-04:00

A week ago Sunday, Jen1 and I loaded up the car and headed to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo ON to attend Lakefield Music Camp. It's kind of a misnomer now because the camp is no longer held at Lakefield College School outside of Lakefield ON on the shores of Lake Katchewanooka. Now that it's operating at Laurier U, it's really no longer a 'camp' setting either but it has been running for 49 years so it continues to be called Lakefield Music Camp for tradition's sake.

Check in was easy - same process as last year. Just as I finished getting my dorm keys, I heard a voice call, 'Geri!; behind me. It was, Duncan, a band buddy from long ago, whom I played with in the Pickering Community Concert Band from 1990 to 2002.

Duncan had seen my Facebook post about camp last year and made a mental note to look into attending. And he did! He didn't even know if I'd be there this year so it was a very pleasant surprise for both of us! Although he's not very active on social media, I have somewhat kept up with what he's been up to all these years.

Up in our dorm rooms, Jen1 and I got settled; installing the foam mattress pads we had brought, making up the beds, and unpacking for the week. Ernest and Thomas settled right in.

That night was the welcome meeting in the recital hall. Andrew Wolf, the head of the camp went over some details of what to expect and introduced the faculty.

Classes started at 9:20am on Monday. They are an hour long with a 20 minute break in the morning and 10 minutes between classes the rest of the day. Breakfast in the dining hall starts at 8 and finishes at 9. Lunch is from 1 to 2. However there are drop-in classes for 45 minutes, starting at 1:45. Classes resume at 2:40pm and end at 6, which is when supper starts.

Then there's a break until recitals begin at 8pm. There were over 15 hours of recitals over the week. Culminating recitals started on Friday evening. Saturday morning were large ensemble rehearsals, then recital time again at 3pm and again at 8pm.

Wednesday night was Cabaret night so we met at the Turret, a campus bar. Many of our fellow campers entertained us. It was also the only opportunity we could purchase alcoholic drinks on campus.

Thomas posed beside Duncan's beer can.

Ernest inspected my gin and tonic. No 'roofies' for me!

I really enjoyed every one of my classes this year. First period was Choir for All. Of the 113 campers about 80 of us participated in the choir.

I am a pretty good sight-reader and have a ~~loud~~ strong voice. Lots of altos (my new best friends) wanted to stand beside or in front of me so my loud singing would help them out. I have never felt so popular!!

After snack time, second period was Spirituals Choir. We were emailed the music as .pdfs ahead of time and were able to find the same settings (SSA) to watch and play along on YouTube before coming to camp. Although I didn't really internalize the pieces at that point, I was pretty confident I'd do OK in the smaller ensemble.

There were 17 of us plus Lyndsay, our director, and Kathleen, our accompanist. Kathleen was also our handbells teacher.

Third period we had ukulele with Sara.

She was an excellent instructor, taking us right back to the basics of ukulele playing; lots of helpful technical tips, such as, holding it by the 'small bump', pinching the neck with the thumb, plucking technique, picking out scale notes, etc.

She also lead a play-along at the lunchtime 45 where we played along with videos - all accessible on YouTube. I only attended this once because I had a 'spare' in period 4 and usually headed back to the dorm after lunch to rest before my period 5 Concert Band class. Duncan, being a clarinet player, sat beside me in band.

It's really important to pace oneself as the day is not over when classes are over. There is a lot of sitting around, waiting for things to start. Lots of knitting opportunities. With recitals starting at 8pm, the last 3 nights they ran until almost 11 each night.

Friday night, I was involved with three performances so I actually put on lipstick!

At some point last week Jennifer and I took a selfie with the boys.

The campus at Laurier U is very well maintained with lots of beautiful flowers in beds and planters.

Our last period was Handbells. The 3 octaves of bells only need 11 players so the class is very much in demand. By a stroke of luck (and emailing Andrew as soon as registration opened) Duncan and I got into the class as well as our new best friend, Katherine. Several of us are going to suggest there be 2 handbell classes; one for beginners, and another for those of us who have played before.

Each of us was assigned two notes on the staff and any sharps or flats for that note. Middle C is always notated in Bass Clef. My notes were middle C and the B just below it. Basically the note in the space is the left bell and the note on the line is the right bell.

The music is clustered notes of the chords. The bell ringer must pick theirs out and synchronize ringing with the others playing at the same time.

We also learned a couple of other techniques: swinging the bell (Sw) to create somewhat of a doppler effect, tapping the ringing bell on the padded table (upward curved arrows), and striking the bells with padded mallets.

We also learned to damp the one bell at the same time as ringing the other one. This was achieved by resting the ringing bell on our upper chests, like this:

It was a really great way to end our day's instruction.

One night, we had a 'fireless campfire' singalong in the atrium at the recital hall.

Happy campers. Photo taken by Jen1. That's me in the pink shirt, Duncan to my left, and another 'new best friend', alto singer, and clarinet player, MaryJo, in the white shirt on the far left.

Jen1 and I packed up, loaded the car, and left Waterloo before breakfast on Sunday. We stopped at the Cambridge ON Route for a bite of breakfast and got home by 10:30.

It was a very intense week of activity, music, and friendship. We hope to talk more of our friends into joining us next year.

Geri then (1972) and now.

I Knit a Hat at Music Camp!

2026-08-22T01:05:17.543-04:00

I cast on a Helical Hat on Saturday night before coming to music camp on Sunday. I wanted to have something easy to knit during all the time I would be sitting at camp.

We have recitals every night lasting from between an hour and a half and almost three hours so it’s good for me to have something to keep my hands occupied; knitting is a great activity for this.

I grabbed a random ball of Noro Silk Garden from my stash and a ball of my handspun - probably merino, silk and nylon blend. Both yarns were DK-ish.

I used the Classic Helical Hat from HiKoo - a free pattern on Ravelry.

I cast on 96 sts which is the usual size for my small head and knit the brim, including the knit round which makes the fold line. The second colour was added and then in helix-style the two yarns chase each other around, alternating rounds but not creating a jog.

I finished it just now, using a crochet hook I borrowed from Jen1 to bind off the stitches at the crown.

There was an option to make it beanie style or slouchy style. I chose slouchy style to use up most of my handspun. I thought the two colours went together very well. My handspun isn’t all that consistent, ergo all the lumpy bits. I like to think it gives it an interesting texture.

This evening was our first series of culminating concerts. My handbells class and spirituals vocal group performed first. Then after intermission the Concert Band performed second.

I had an oboe malfunction and and the last minute gave my solo oboe part to the other oboe player, Monique. I haven’t had any work done on my instrument in literally decades. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had this instrument to a repair shop in the entire time I’ve owned it since 1972 when I purchased it second-hand from my oboe teacher. So the hunt is on for someone who can get the thing working properly again.

There will be a lengthy post more specifically dealing with music camp but that will have to wait until sometime after I return home on Sunday.

I usually made it to breakfast by 8:30am, classes started at 9:20 and ended at 6pm with dinner following immediately after. Then recitals started at 8am. Most nights I didn’t get back up to my dorm room until 11 or later. Then I’d visit Jen1 in the adjoining room for a half-hour or so then toddle back to my room to hit the sack for the night.

Tomorrow I just have a choir rehearsal at 9:20 for half an hour or so then the time off until recital time at 3pm. My last performance will be with the choir right after intermission at tomorrow night’s 8pm recital,

But with handbells, the spirituals choir, and concert band performances done, my most challenging work is over with.

(To be continued…)