Knitted Temperature Blanket - October 2020

I heard about temperature blankets at the end of last year.  I've never made one before and it sounded like a fun long term project.

The idea of a temperature blanket is to knit or crochet a row (or a number of rows) on a blanket each day for a full calendar year.  The colors used each day correspond with the temperature outside.  The more colours you use to represent temperatures and the more varied the temperatures, the more colourful the blanket.

To be consistent, I chose to use the temperature at noon.  I debated whether to use Toronto's temperatures (regardless of where I am) or the temperatures of where I am (so it's a Teena ~ temperature blanket).  I decided to make a Teena ~ temperature blanket.  In theory, it would have been interesting to see how it turned out as I traveled often for work plus go on vacation during the year but with COVID, I haven't done as much travelling as I usually would in a year.

I'm using nine colours from Red Heart Comfort and Bernat Cozy Style yarn.

• Blue:  -6C or colder
• Green:  -1C to -5C
• Light purple:  0C to 4C
• Teal:  5C to 9C
• Red:  10C to 14C
• Dark purple:  15C to 19C
• Yellow:  20C to 24C
• Orange:  25C and higher
• Grey:  first and last rows and divider rows between the months

So far, the warmest temperature (orange) was 35C in Toronto on July 2 and the coldest (blue) was -10C in Toronto (blue) on February 14.  In hindsight, I wish I had added another colour from 30C and higher ... who knew July would be the hottest in 86+ years and every day but one in July would be 30C and over?!  I thought about undoing the blanket to add a different colour from 30C onwards but that mean I'd have to undo about 40 rows to go back to the first 30C row.  Um ... no.

I cast on 200 stitches.  The first and last five stitches of each row are seed stitches (knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one, knit one).  In between, I'm doing stocking stitch (knitting the odd rows and purling the even rows).  I added two rows of seed stitch at the beginning of the blanket to stop it from curling (stocking stitch does that and I hadn't thought of that when I started).

October

Warmest in October:  24C (yellow) in Toronto on October 23
Coldest in October:  2C (light purple) in Toronto on October 30

September

Warmest in September:  28C (orange) in Toronto on September 2 and 3
Coldest in September:  14C (red) in Toronto on September 19

August

Martin Goodman Trail, Toronto, ON

This afternoon I went for a loooooong walk ... it was sunny and 5C.  I hadn't been outside since Wednesday and needed to get out!

I took the Queen streetcar westward and got off at Park Lawn Avenue and walked home ... 12.75km ~ 3.5 hour ~ 19K.

I started near the entrance to East Humber Bay Park and headed east.

Knitted cat blanket

Crumpet, one of our cats, likes to sleep on cushions on the chairs under our table. The cushions are black and attract fur so I'd put towels on the cushions.  I'd knitted cat blankets to replace the towels on two chairs and they were a success ... so I finished knitting another to replace a towel on another chair.

I used a skein of Braid Big (Violetl) by Loops & Threads for it.  The recommended needle size is 12.75mm but I used 8mm and it seemed to be okay. 

• Cast on 3 stitches
• Row 1 (wrong side): k3
• Row 2 (right side): kfb (knit front and back of stitch), k1, kfb 
• Row 3: k5
• Row 4: kfb, k until 1 stitch left, kfb
• Row 5: knit
• Repeat row 4 and 5 until you have reached the desired size (it's the first half)

• Row 1 (right side): k2tog, knit until 2 stitches left, ssk (slip slip knit)
• Row 2 (wrong side): knit
• Repeat row 1 and 2 until only 3 stitches remain
• Last row: Bind off the 3 remaining stitches

Book ~ "Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family" (2020) Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand

From Goodreads ~ The first, epic and true story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s life together, finally revealing why they chose to pursue a more independent path and the reasons behind their unprecedented decision to step away from their royal lives, from two top royal reporters who have been behind the scenes since the couple first met. "Finding Freedom" is complete with full color photographs from Harry and Meghan’s courtship, wedding, Archie’s milestones, and many more unforgettable moments. 

For the first time, "Finding Freedom" goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's life together, dispelling the many rumors and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond. As members of the select group of reporters that cover the British Royal Family and their engagements, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have witnessed the young couple's lives as few outsiders can. 

This book is about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  It gives the background on who they were before they met, how they met, their courtship, their marriage, the birth of their son and their break from the royal family to move to California.

I like reading bios/autobios and I find this couple interesting.  They come from such different backgrounds and managed to find each other.  It was interesting to get the scoop on what dating each other involved with all the secrecy.  And once their relationship was out in the open, what they had to deal with ... racism, her crazy father and siblings, etc.  It's great that they have the support of Meghan's mother (they have always been close) and each other.  It sounds like even Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles approve, though there is tension between Prince William and Kate.

I found it to be an interesting read and there are lots of pictures at the end.  It's hard to say how much is true or not as there as there are many anonymous "sources" but I would suspect that much of it is true.  It will be interesting to see what they will do with their lives going forward on their own.

Knitted cat blanket

Crumpet, one of our cats, likes to sleep on cushions on the chairs under our table. The cushions are black and attract fur so I've put towels on the cushions.  Last week I'd knitted a cat blanket to replace the towel on one of the chairs and it was a success ... she sleeps there often.  So I finished knitting another to replace a towel on another chair.

I used a skein of Braid Big (Teal) by Loops & Threads for it.  The recommended needle size is 12.75mm but I used 8mm and it seemed to be okay. 

• Cast on 3 stitches
• Row 1 (wrong side): k3
• Row 2 (right side): kfb (knit front and back of stitch), k1, kfb 
• Row 3: k5
• Row 4: kfb, k until 1 stitch left, kfb
• Row 5: knit
• Repeat row 4 and 5 until you have reached the desired size (it's the first half)

• Row 1 (right side): k2tog, knit until 2 stitches left, ssk (slip slip knit)
• Row 2 (wrong side): knit
• Repeat row 1 and 2 until only 3 stitches remain
• Last row: Bind off the 3 remaining stitches

Book ~ "American Dirt" (2020) Jeanine Cummins

From Goodreads ~ También de este lado hay sueños. On this side, too, there are dreams. 

Lydia Quixano Pérez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. 

Even though she knows they’ll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with a few books he would like to buy - two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia’s husband’s tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.  

Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia - trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier’s reach doesn’t extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?

Lydia owns a bookstore in Acapulco.  She mostly stocks books people will actually buy but she also has some of her favourites which are obscure.  Javier stops in the bookstore one day and buys those books ... and so begins their friendship.  He has made it obvious that he would like more but she makes sure he knows that's not going to happen.  Sebastián, Lydia's husband, is a reporter and has been writing newspaper stories about the cartels.  Even when Lydia realizes that Javier is the head of a cartel and confronts him about it, she still can't completely turn her back on him.  

The last story Sebastián writes exposes Javier as the head of his cartel.  In retaliation, Javier has his men go kill sixteen members of Lydia's family during a party.  She and Luca, her eight-year-old son, escape and start making their way to safety in the United States with a just couple of knapsacks and a bit of money.  It's not an easy journey and Lydia and Luca (and the people hook up with) see and experience more than they ever thought possible.  Plus Lydia is always looking over her shoulder to keep ahead of Javier because he could have men anywhere.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay.  It is written in third person perspective with a focus on many characters (it depends on where the action is) but it felt like first person perspective at times because the book tells what the characters are thinking and remember.  It took me a bit to get used to this style of writing and I found I didn't read as quickly as I usually do.  I don't know how much of the story is true-to-life but it is intense (I hope it's not as bad as the author described through Lydia and Luca's travels).  As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

High Park, Toronto, ON

It was a crisp sunny day and I wanted to get outside for a walk.  I headed to High Park this afternoon ... I lived near the park from 1996 to 2001 and had spent a lot of time walking through it.  I don't get there as often as I'd like.

High Park is a municipal park in Toronto, Ontario. It spans 161 hectares (400 acres) and is a mixed recreational and natural park, with sporting facilities, cultural facilities, educational facilities, gardens, playgrounds and a zoo. One third of the park remains in a natural state, with a rare oak savannah ecology. 

High Park was opened to the public in 1876 and is based on a bequest of land from John George Howard to the City of Toronto. It is the largest park entirely within the city.

I had a lovely 6.5km walk ... the leaves on the trees are changing and were gorgeous to see.  

I took the Queen streetcar and got off at Colborne Lodge Drive and headed north along Grenadier Pond.

Knitted cat blanket

Crumpet, one of our cats, likes to sleep on cushions on the chairs under our table. The cushions are black and attract fur so I've put towels on the cushions. Recently I knitted her a blanket to replace the towel on the floor in the hallway where she likes to sleep (a success!) and a blanket for their window perch (a success with Muffin but Crumpet hasn’t checked it out yet). I thought I'd make a cat blanket to replace the towel on her favourite chair. 

It's a square ... I didn't place it well enough
when I took the picture

About five minutes after I put it on the cushion on the chair, Crumpet jumped up, cleaned herself and then went to sleep.  So I'd say it's a success!

Thanks, Mom!

I used a skein of Braid Big (Salt and Pepper) by Loops & Threads for it.  The recommended needle size is 12.75mm but I used 8mm and it seemed to be okay.  I've never used it before and I like it.

• Cast on 3 stitches
• Row 1 (wrong side): k3
• Row 2 (right side): kfb (knit front and back of stitch), k1, kfb 
• Row 3: k5
• Row 4: kfb, k until 1 stitch left, kfb
• Row 5: knit
• Repeat row 4 and 5 until you have reached the desired size (it's the first half)

• Row 1 (right side): k2tog, knit until 2 stitches left, ssk (slip slip knit)
• Row 2 (wrong side): knit
• Repeat row 1 and 2 until only 3 stitches remain
• Last row: Bind off the 3 remaining stitches

Ipsy Glam Bag - October 2020

My October Ipsy Glam Bag arrived today.

• $12 a Glam Bag ($223CN for a year)
• 5 beauty products worth $50+ (the average Glam Bag value in 2019)
• Glam Bags are available in the U.S., U.S. Territories, & Canada. U.S. shipping is free. Taxes will apply to all bag orders shipped within the U.S. Canadian shipping is $2.95.

Here's what I received ...

• Make-up bag
• THE COFFEE SCRUB The Coffee Scrub in Rose - $5.99 value
• ILLAMASQUA Powder Eyeshadow in Hoard - $9.20 value
• TARTE Maracuja Tinted Hydrator in Medium Neutral - $6.33 value
• IT COSMETICS Lash Blowout Salon Volume Lift Mascara in Black - $10.71 value
• DOUCCE Ultra Precision Eyeliner in Black - $22 value

Total value (excluding the bag) - $54.73US

Knitted cat blanket

Crumpet, one of our cats, likes to sleep in the hallway so I'd put a towel down for her on the floor.  Last week I'd knitted her a blanket to replace the towel on the floor in the hallway.  It was a success and she likes it.  

So I thought I'd replace the towel on their perch in one of our windows ... fur sticks to the cushion on the perch so I'd put a towel on it (the towel is easier to wash than trying to get fur off the cushion).

I bought some Cuddly Chenille (Paradise Isle) by Loops & Threads for it.  The recommended needle size is 8mm.  As I was knitting it, I noticed it was knitting really thick and tight.  I don't have a bigger needle so I kept going.  It turned out to be more of a mat than a blanket, which I think should work out okay.  Neither cat has checked it out yet (they are sleeping on our bed).

I measured the perch width-wise and it was 16 inches so that's how many stitches I put on.  I did a garter stitch until I ran out of yarn.

KC's tree, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Toronto, ON

 I went for a walk this afternoon to Trinity Bellwoods Park to check out KC's tree.

When I was there last week, the leaves on her tree were very orange.  Today they even more vibrant!

Knitted dog blanket

I had knitted my sister's dog a blanket to match the sweater I had knitted for him for Christmas.  I'd used the same yarn but wasn't crazy about the way the blanket had turned out.  So I took it apart and knitted another one using a different pattern (basically just big dishcloths) ... and I like it much better.

I used Caron Chunky Cakes Yarn (Sweet and Sour). It's a 6 ply yarn and I used 8mm needles.

Cast on 65 stitches (or an odd number of stitches).

Row 1 to 5: k1, p1, repeat until you reach the last stitch, k1.

Row 6: k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, purl until you reach last five stitches, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1.

Row 7: k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, knit until you reach last five stitches, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1.

Repeat rows 6 and 7 until desired length less five rows.

Last five rows:  k1, p1, repeat until you reach the last stitch, k1.

Bind off all stitches in knit. Weave in loose ends.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Virtual Marathon, Toronto, ON

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was supposed to be today. Instead it is happening virtually during the month of October. 

 Gord and I had signed up to walk 5km .  We walked to Trillium Park and back (8km) this morning in support of Annex Cat Rescue (it’s my third year). 

 A donor is once again supporting Annex Cat Rescue by matching the donations raised. You can donate until October 31 at bit.ly/ACRTeam2020.

As Gord and I were walking south on Strachan Avenue and then along the Lakeshore, we came across some police officers on horseback.

The walk around Trillium Park was so nice ... the leaves on the trees are changing.  I love this park!