Tumbling Moss Blocks Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a tumbling moss blocks pattern that I found here.

Seersucker Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a seersucker pattern that I found here.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Frosted Fairytail) and 6.5mm needles

I cast on 23 stitches (a multiple of 4 plus 1 plus 6 for the edges).

Knit 3 rows. I followed this pattern, knitting 3 stitches at the beginning and the end of each row for an outside border.

• Row 1 (RS): K1, *P1, K1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 2 (WS): P1, *K1, P1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 3: P1, *K3, P1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 4: K1, *P3, K1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 5: K1, *P1, K1 rep from * to end. 
• Row 6: P1, *K1, P1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 7: K2, *P1, K3; rep from * to last 3 sts, P1, K2. 
• Row 8: P2, *K1, P3; rep from * to last 3 sts, K1, P2. Rep 
• Rows 1 - 8.

Knit 3 rows and bind off.

Bairradino Rotisserie & Grill, Toronto, ON

I picked up a half chicken dinner for lunch (and leftovers) at Bairradino Rotisserie & Grill (Lansdowne Avenue just south of Dundas Street W, next to No Frills). 

Left Diagonal Rib Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a left diagonal rib pattern that I found here.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Frosted Fairytail) and 6.5mm needles.

I cast on 24 stitches (a multiple of 6 plus 6 for the edges).

Knit 3 rows. I followed this pattern, knitting 3 stitches at the beginning and the end of each row for an outside border.

• Row 1 (RS): * P2, K4; rep from * to end. 
• Row 2 (WS): * P4, K2; rep from * to end. 
• Row 3: Rep Row 1. 
• Row 4: Rep Row 2. 
• Row 5: K2, * P2, K4; rep from * to last 4 sts, P2, K2. 
• Row 6: P2, * K2. P4; rep from * to last 4 sts, K2, P2. 
• Row 7: Rep Row 5. 
• Row 8: Rep Row 6. 
• Row 9: *K4, P2; rep from * to end. 
• Row 10: *K2, P4; rep from * to end. 
• Row 11: Rep Row 9. 
• Row 12: Rep Row 10. 
• Rep Rows 1 - 12.

Knit 3 rows and bind off.

Book ~ "We Are All Made of Stars" (2016) Rowan Coleman

From Goodreads ~ Stella Carey has good reason to only work nights at the hospice where she is a nurse. Married to a war veteran who has returned from Afghanistan brutally injured, Stella leaves the house each night as Vincent locks himself away, unable to sleep due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

During her nights at the hospice, Stella writes letters for her patients, detailing their final wishes, thoughts and feelings – from how to use a washing machine, to advice on how to be a good parent – and posts them after their death.

That is until Stella writes one letter that she feels compelled to deliver in time, to give her patient one final chance of redemption.

Stella is a hospice nurse who works night shifts, partly to avoid her husband, Vincent, an Afghanistan veteran who is struggling with the scars of war and the loss of his leg. At the hospice, Stella has a special role ... she writes letters for patients to be sent after they die. These letters are full of things people waited too long to say ... love, apologies, confessions and unfinished business. With one patient's letter, Stella has to decide whether to follow the rules or deliver it before the patient's death.

Hope is a 21-year-old patient with cystic fibrosis, who after a near-death experience, is staying temporarily at the the hospice. She still lives at home with her parents and because she assumes she won't be living to an old age because of CF, tends to be negative and brooding. Her best friend is Ben and is the opposite of her as he is lively and outgoing.

Hugh is a curator at a small museum and lives alone with his cat, Jake. His mother had committed suicide when he was young and his father recently passed away dying. Reluctantly he meets his next door neighbor and her son and gets pulled into their life.

I thought this book was okay. I found it a bit draggy and depressing, especially considering the subject matter. I think it would have been a better story if the Hope/Ben portion was left out (and maybe moved into it's own book) because it didn't really add anything and I found Stella and Hugh's stories more interesting. It's written in first person perspective in Stella, Hope and Hugh's voices. The letters Stella writes are included and were intriguing. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Waterworks Food Hall, Toronto, ON

Waterworks Food Hall opened in 2024 in a historic building at Brant Street/Richmond Street W and Gord and I have been wanting to check it out. Today we had lunch there. 

Float Toronto, Toronto, ON

Gord and I did hour long floats at Float Toronto (Queen W/Gladstone) this morning.

Zig Zag Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a zig zag pattern that I found here.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Gingerbread Forest) and 6.5mm needles.

I cast on 24 stitches (a multiple of 6 plus 6 for the edges).

Knit 3 rows. I followed this pattern, knitting 3 stitches at the beginning and the end of each row for an outside border.

• Row 1 (RS): K3, *P2, K4; rep from * to last 3 sts, P2, K1. 
• Row 2 (WS): P2, *K2, P4; rep from * to last 4 sts K2, P2. 
• Row 3: K1, *P2, K4; rep from * to last 5 sts, P2, K3. 
• Row 4: *P4, K2; rep from * to end. 
• Row 5: K1, *P2, K4; rep from * to last 5 sts, P2, K3. 
• Row 6: P2, *K2, P4; rep from * to last 4 sts K2, P2. 
• Row 7: K3, *P2, K4; rep from * to last 3 sts, P2, K1. 
• Row 8: *K2, P4; rep from * to end. 
• Rep Rows 1 - 8. 

Knit 3 rows and bind off.

Diagonal Garter Knitted Scarf

I knitted a scarf to donate using a diagonal garter pattern that I found here.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Gingerbread Forest) and 6.5mm needles.

I cast on 22 stitches (a multiple of 8 plus 6 for the edges).

Knit 3 rows. I followed this pattern, knitting 3 stitches at the beginning and the end of each row for an outside border.

• Row 1 (RS): *P4, K4; rep from * to end. 
• Row 2 and all WS rows: Purl. 
• Row 3: *P4, K4; rep from * to end. 
• Row 5: K2, *P4, K4; rep from * to last 6 sts, P4, K2. 
• Row 7: K2, *P4, K4; rep from * to last 6 sts, P4, K2. 
• Row 9: *K4, P4; rep from * to end. 
• Row 11: *K4, P4; rep from * to end 
• Row 13: P2, *K4, P4, rep from * to last 6 sts, K4, P2. 
• Row 15: P2, *K4, P4, rep from * to last 6 sts, K4, P2. 
• Rep Rows 1 - 16.

Knit 3 rows and bind off.

Mandarin, Toronto, ON

I had lunch with the Toronto Social Seniors and Retirees gang today (there were 22 of us!) at the Mandarin at Yonge/Eglinton. This Mandarin is closing on Sunday after 35 years! Thanks for organizing us, Liz! 

Pyramid Knitted Scarf

I knitted another scarf to donate using a pyramid pattern that I found here.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Gingerbread Forest) and 6.5mm needles.

I cast on 23 stitches (a multiple of 8 plus plus 1 plus 6 for the edges).

Knit 3 rows. I followed this pattern, knitting 3 stitches at the beginning and the end of each row for an outside border.

• Row 1 (RS): P1, *K7, P1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 2 and all WS rows: Purl. 
• Row 3: P2, *K5, P3; rep from * to last 7 sts, K5, P2. 
• Row 5: P3, *K3, P5,; rep from * to last 6 sts, K3, P3. 
• Row 7 (RS): P4, *K1, P7; rep from * to last 5 sts, K1, P4. 
• Row 9: K4, *P1, K7; rep from * to last 5 sts, P1, K4. 
• Row 11: K3, *P3, K5; rep from * to last 6 sts, P3, K3. 
• Row 13: K2, *P5, K3; rep from * to last 7 sts, P5, K2. 
• Row 15: K1, *P7, K1; rep from *. Rep rows 1-16.

Knit 3 rows and bind off.

Book ~ "Who Glares Wins" (2012) Camilla Chafer

From Goodreads ~ Only a few weeks into her new job as a private investigator, Lexi Graves thinks she may have bitten off more than she can chew with her first solo cases.

In between going undercover as a plush pony at a “Bronie” conference and following her cheating brother-in-law, she’s got a saboteur-turned-killer to catch and a missing woman to find. Two of her cases may be connected but how?

There’s no short list of suspects to investigate but the closer Lexi gets to the killer, the more her life is put in jeopardy. Trying to avoid being framed for a murder she didn’t commit, Lexi knows her luck is running out.

To make matters worse, her boyfriend, sexy detective, Adam Maddox, thinks she’s out of the PI game faster than she got into it. Her boss, the mysterious Solomon, meanwhile, hopes to get her between the sheets by night, as well as solving cases by day, and Lexi’s "just say no" resolve might not be as fortified as she believes.

All she wants is to be taken seriously and there’s only one way she can do that - solve the cases, no matter what.

Lexi has just started her new job as a private investigator with Solomon. She’s young, inexperienced and underestimated so feels like she has something to prove with the rest of the team. Solomon assigns her an undercover job at a hotel to figure out who is behind the sabotage incidents, which include thefts, work schedules being manipulated and conference reservations being canceled. In addition, she's taken on a couple pro bono cases. One case involves a woman who’s gone missing under suspicious circumstances, which Solomon had said the firm would pass on. She’s also working a personal job for her sister ... following her brother-in-law to confirm he’s cheating. Meanwhile, Lexi’s personal life is just as complicated. She’s torn between her steady detective boyfriend, Adam, and her boss, Solomon.

This story is written in first person perspective in Lexi's voice. I liked the writing style ... it was amusing at times. It wasn't overly deep and was a fairly quick read. Lexi and Lily, her best friend, are 29 and a bit too "boy crazy". Though she's dating Adam, she still thinks about Solomon (who keeps putting the moves on her). It's the second in the Lexi Graves mystery series (there are currently 17 in the series and I read the first one last month) and I liked it enough to keep going with the series.

Rib and Welt Knitted Scarf

I knitted another scarf to donate using a rib and welt pattern that I found here.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Gingerbread Forest) and 6.5mm needles.

I cast on 22 stitches (a multiple of 8 plus 6 for the edges).

Knit 3 rows. I followed this pattern, knitting 3 stitches at the beginning and the end of each row for an outside border.

• Row 1 (RS): *K1, P1, K1, P5; rep from * to end. 
• Row 2 (WS): *K5, P1, K1, P1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 3: K1, P1, *K5, P1, K1, P1; rep from * to last 6 sts, K5, P1. 
• Row 4: K1, *P5, K1, P1, K1; rep from * to last 7 sts, P5. K1, P1. 
• Row 5: K1, *P5, K1, P1, K1; rep from * to last 7 sts, P5, K1, P1. 
• Row 6: K1, P1, *K5, P1, K1, P1; rep from * to last 6 sts, K5, P1 
• Row 7: *K5, P1, K1, P1; rep from * to end. 
• Row 8: *K1, P1, K1, P5; rep from * to end. 
• Row 9: P4, *K1, P1, K1, P5; rep from * to last 4 sts, (K1, P1) twice. 
• Row 10: K1, *P1, K1, P1, K5; rep from * to last 7 sts, P1, K1, P1, K4.
• Row 11: K3, *P1, K1, P1, K5; rep from * to last 5 sts, P1, K1, P1, K2. 
• Row 12: P2, *K1, P1, K1, P5; rep from * to last 6 sts, K1, P1, K1, P3. 
• Row 13: P2, *K1, P1, K1, P5; rep from * to last 6 sts, K1, P1, K1, P3. 
• Row 14: K3, *P1, K1, P1, K5; rep from * to last 5 sts, P1, K1, P1, K2. 
• Row 15: K1, *P1, K1, P1, K5; rep from * to last 7 sts, P1, K1, P1, K4. 
• Row 16: P4, *K1, P1, K1, P5; rep from * to last 4 sts, (K1, P1) twice. 
• Rep Rows 1 - 16.

Knit 3 rows and bind off.

Fan and Feather Knitted Scarf

I knitted another scarf to donate using my favourite pattern, fan and feather.

I used a Caron Anniversary Cake Special Edition (the colour is Gingerbread Forest) and 6.5mm needles.

I cast on 24 stitches (a multiple of 18 plus 6).

• Knit 3 rows of garter stitch for the border
• Row 4: Knit
• Row 5: K 3, P to last 3 stitches K3
• Row 6: K3, *(K2 tog) 3 times, (yo, K1) 6 times, (K2 tog) 3 times, rep from * to last 3 sts K3
• Row 7: Knit
• Repeat Rows 4 - 7, keeping first and last 3 stitches in garter stitch, until piece measures desired length
• Knit 3 more rows of garter stitch to make the bottom border
• Cast off and darn in ends