New Sweater Project

I’m using the red yarn that I purchased at the Mary Maxim store in Paris, Ontario to make a sweater that is knit in one piece, starting at the collar.

This is the fourth sweater I’ve knit using this pattern. I love the loose fit - and the concept of knitting a sweater all in one piece.

But it does get heavier to hold as I knit. (Has this contributed to the wrist pain I sometimes feel when knitting?!) 

Here it is as I start on the second ball. I’ve only completed the collar and a small part of the shoulder. It will be a lot larger - and heavier - before I’m done.

In conventional knitting, the front, back and sleeves are knit separately, then sewn together.

The increased bulkiness is the only disadvantage I can think of in top-down knitting.

College Flowers

When I walk to our local public library, I sometimes wander past the lovely gardens created by horticultural students at Algonquin College.

I often note the names of plants I like - thinking I’d like to buy some. 

(But I rarely buy plants anymore!)

Some years, the students sell plants - or vegetables they produce - to the public. I didn’t see anything for sale this past year. Hopefully they’ll do it next year again.

Strawberry Jam

Strawberry season is one of my favourite seasons!

I’m always happy to go to a nearby strawberry patch ... where I remember picking my own.

But no picking this year so far! This year we have been buying baskets of berries.

It’s enough work to make jam... a reminder of this delicious season all winter long!

After years of experimenting, making uncooked freezer jam and cooked jam - both with and without pectin (Certo) - I now make cooked jam with pectin - but after the jars have cooled overnight, I store them in the freezer until I’m ready to use them. Then I put them in the refrigerator.

New Flowers in Bloom

My perennial flower garden reminds me that time doesn’t stand still, even during these lazy days of summer…

Every week or two, new flowers are in bloom.

Daisies and lilies are currently at the beginning of their blooming season.

I also noticed these low-lying red knautia flowers (above). They continue to bloom after the daisies are gone.

My main gardening tasks these days involve cutting back flowers that have finished blooming so that new flowers can be fully enjoyed.

Family Time!

Before heading home from southern Ontario last weekend, Terry and I spent some time outdoors with our grandchildren who live in Toronto.

Our granddaughter, who recently turned 5, showed us her bike riding skills on a track near their home.

Our 20-month-old grandson entertained us at an outdoor cafe.

And of course, we had to have ice cream at our favourite East York shop, “Lickadee Split.”

All in all, a wonderful visit! Hope to be back soon!

Can’t Resist!

On our recent trip to southern Ontario, our daughter suggested we all drive to Paris, Ontario - a city none of us had ever visited.

When we looked up things to see there, the name “Mary Maxim yarn store” popped up!

The name is familiar to me: Back in my childhood, my mother ordered four sweater kits from Mary Maxim - and knit sweaters for the whole family!

This is the only one that remains. My daughter still occasionally wears it. (As I calculate the years, I realize it’s over 60 years old!!)

I couldn’t resist!

I didn’t get a kit - but I did buy some yarn from their room of “clearance” specials.

I’m hoping it will make a lovely, warm, bright-coloured sweater to cheer me up in winter!

Visit to Paris, Ontario

Last week, Terry and I headed back to southern Ontario to visit our children who live there.

It was our first time back since last November.

While spending a few days in Guelph, we took a day trip to Paris, Ontario, a town we have never been to.

It’s always interesting to imagine what these towns were like when they were first built.

We enjoyed the view overlooking the river.

We wished we could stop in at a coffee shop or restaurant, but there were only limited outdoor eating places.

We did see some lovely homes!

Eventually, we happened upon an ice cream shop... a welcome treat on a warm day!

It was nice to be out and about, seeing new places again!

Two Purple Quilts

I’ve been using this purple quilt as my “summer quilt” ever since the weather warmed up and I packed away our duvet. I made this quilt a few years back. I’d have to go back and check my quilting blog posts to find out exactly when.

Then I came across this one I also made, probably around the same time... I think they’re “related”: Many of the same fabrics appear in both.

I think this one was made AFTER the top one... How do I know?! Some of the machine quilting isn’t as smooth... I remember being in the middle of machine quilting something when my “walking foot” broke. I was on a roll, so I just continued on without it, even though the result wasn’t as nice. The quilt has more “ripples”!

The walking foot still hasn’t been repaired! 

This is a reminder for me to fix it. Machine quilting looks so much nicer when I use it!!

Remembering “Friendly Plastic”

My granddaughter loves to do crafts, so I was telling her about cutting, then melting bits of plastic to make colourful jewelry, a craft my daughter and I used to enjoy - though we didn’t do it a lot.

I later mentioned it to my daughter, whose memory is obviously better than mine - because she remembered that the product was called “Friendly Plastic.”

I looked it up online and discovered pictures of items others had made.

Then I looked for some of the things we had made and found these two broaches and a pennant.

I don’t think you can get it anymore, my daughter commented. And sure enough, I discovered online that Friendly Plastic was discontinued five or six years ago.

I wonder why... It was an easy medium to use - and a lot of fun.

(But all may not be lost... We may still have some Friendly Plastic somewhere in the basement... I’ll have to check!)

Garden in Pots

My friend Kay has a beautiful flower garden in her back yard.

She also grows kale and herbs in two lovely large pots.

Maybe I should try growing lettuce in a pot, I wondered... before quickly realizing that squirrels can jump up onto them.

With all the squirrels in our neighborhood, nothing I’d try to grow would be safe!

Reminder: Show Kindness...

Early in the pandemic, I came across a quote that I’ve re-read again and again:

“Today you could be standing next to someone who is trying their best not to fall apart. So whatever you do today, do it with kindness in your heart.”

And here’s a visual reminder, carved on a stump, that I came across on one of my walks!! 

The world is a happier place for all if we remember to be kind to each other!

So Many Baby Trees!

Last year I brought this beautiful pepper tree home for the winter. 

It had been on my daughter-in-law’s deck until back yard construction intervened. 

My daughter kept it on her apartment balcony for a while - and got compliments on it... But she asked me to keep it over the winter. I was happy to - the pepper pods are edible and I was intrigued... 

It grew... (Was I supposed to cut it back?!) Now new peppers are developing again!

As the pods fell off, at the end of their season, I stuck some in pots that held other plants which weren’t doing well - in the hope that one, if not both, would flourish. I managed to separate the one above from its potted neighbor. 

But now I have five others growing as well!

My question now is: How many pepper plants am I going to have? Hopefully my daughter and daughter-in-law will want several back... Otherwise I may end up with an indoor forest!!