Twisted Hat

I just finished knitting another twisted hat. It’s an easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove. 

I doubled the strands of Lion Brand’s Re-Spun … the colours are raven, amber and cornsilk.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull to gather. Secure end. Weave in ends.

ABBREVIATIONS
k = knit

k2tog = knit 2 sts together

p = purl

St st = Stockinette stitch

st(s) = stitch(es)

yo = yarn over

Book ~ "First Lie Wins" (2024) Ashley Elston

From Goodreads ~ Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a perfect doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.

Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes - especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to - her real identity - just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn't be higher - but then, Evie has always liked a challenge.

Evie works in a gallery and has just moved in with her boyfriend, Ryan, after a few months of dating. But this is all a lie. Evie is really Lucca and Ryan is her latest "mark". She doesn't know who her boss is and just knows him as "Mr. Smith". She is assigned "jobs" taking on new identities usually to steal something or get info to blackmail someone. She screwed up her last job so is trying to do better on this one but hasn't figured out what this new one is all about yet and what Mr. Smith wants from Ryan.

I liked this story and the writing style. It's written in first person perspective in Evie's voice. It jumps back and forth from the present to the past (the chapters are labeled) detailing Evie's past cases. As a head's up, there is swearing. It's a farfetched story but a fun ride.

Broken Rib Stitch Beanie

I just finished knitting a large adult beanie using a broken rib stitch. I found the pattern in Homespun Knitting Beginners & Beyond magazine, issue 6 … I borrowed the e-version from the Toronto Public Library. 

I doubled the strands of Lion Brand’s Re-Spun … the colours are raven, amber and cornsilk.

Brim

Using a 5mm circular needle, I cast on 100 stitches.

• Row 1: *k1, p1, rep from * to end
• Rep row 1 until brim measures approximately 5cm

Body - these 2 rows form the broken rib stitch.

• Row 1: k
• Row 2: *k1, p1, rep from * to end
• Repeat rows 1 and 2 until beanie measures approximately 14cm from beginning of cast on or until the beanie measures desired length.

Shape Crown

• Row 1: *k8, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 2 (and following alternating rows): *k1, p1, rep from * to end
• Row 3: *k7, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 5: *k6, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 7: *k5, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 9: *k4, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 11: *k3, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 13: *k2, k2tog, rep from * to end
• Row 15: *k1, k2tog, rep from * to end

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull to gather. Secure end. Weave in ends.

Book ~ "Hallowed Bones" (2004) Carolyn Haines

From Goodreads ~ The leaves of the calendar may be shedding faster than the sycamores on her family’s decaying Mississippi plantation but thirty-something southern belle Sarah Booth Delaney isn’t ready to sing the blues. Not when she’s got a thriving detective agency and the outspoken, outrageously attired ghost of her great-great-grandmother’s nanny to keep her on her toes. But the matchmaking phantom may have the last word on motherhood when Sarah Booth takes on the controversial case of an accused baby killer.

Although Doreen Mallory’s been arrested for feeding sleeping pills to her ten-week-old daughter, no one could accuse her of lacking faith. A healer who, tragically, couldn’t save her own baby girl, born with multiple birth defects, Doreen has her own crosses to bear. While the local law seems convinced of Doreen’s guilt, Sarah Booth isn’t so sure. But why is Doreen reluctant to talk about the men in her life? Like the televangelist who stands to lose a lot more than his flock. Or the married politician with family ties to the Mob. Either of them could be little Rebekah’s father; either of them could also be her killer.

With Halloween approaching and her own personal life up for grabs, Sarah Booth could use a little faith healing herself. Torn between a married sheriff and an old flame who’s literally sweeping her off her feet, she’d better be prepared for the fallout of her most unpopular case yet. Justice may not stand a ghost of a chance as a decades-old secret explodes, unleashing a storm of fury on Sarah Booth and all those she loves.

Sarah Booth Delaney is single, in her thirties, the last of her line, living in her family's plantation and is a private detective. Doreen is a faith healer in New Orleans. When her 10-week-old baby dies and it's determined she was murdered, Doreen is arrested. The police officer in charge assumes she did it so does very little investigating. A nun friend of Doreen's hires Sarah to investigate to find the real killer.

This is the fifth in the Sarah Booth Delaney series (there are currently 26 books in the series) ... it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided but it's helpful if you've read the previous ones. It is written in first person perspective in Sarah's voice. As a head's up, there is swearing.

I recently read the first four and liked them enough to keep going with the series. I gave up on this one, though, about 65% into it. All the storylines were ridiculous and I'd had enough so I skipped ahead to the end to see the "whodunnit". 

Sarah is still torn between two men ... Coleman, the local married police sheriff who is in love with her but staying with his wife because she's pregnant, and Hamilton, who she met in the first book and has barely had any contact with him but he suddenly reappears from Paris and wants a future with her. 

At a fancy ball, two well-dressed society women get into adumb physical fight ... really?! Sarah's not a very responsible pet owner ... she has a dog she lets run free, even when she's out of town for days at a time. Coleman has his wife's best friend working for him and she is extremely rude to and about Sarah and Coleman doesn't discipline her. Sarah has a friend who may have cancer and rather than let the doctors take care of it, she instead puts her faith in Doreen to heal her. 

Sarah's mother's last name was Booth and her father's last name was Delaney and I think it's weird everyone calls her "Sarah Booth" rather than just "Sarah". It's odd that Jitty, the ghost of her great-great-grandmother's nanny, "lives" with her. Jitty is still really annoying ... she's very negative and always putting Sarah down and nagging her about being single and childless. I'm tired about hearing about Sarah's womb.

I think I have to take a break from this series for a while. 

Twisted Hat

I just finished knitting another twisted hat. It’s an easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove. 

I combined strands of Lion Brand’s Re-Spun … the colours are raven, amber and cornsilk.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull to gather. Secure end. Weave in ends.

ABBREVIATIONS
k = knit

k2tog = knit 2 sts together

p = purl

St st = Stockinette stitch

st(s) = stitch(es)

yo = yarn over

Knitted hat

I just finished knitting a large adult hat. 

I used a 5mm circular needle and combined strands of Lion Brand’s Re-Spun, which is a really thin 4 weight yarn (otherwise I would use a regular 4 weight yarn) … the colours are raven and amber.

I cast on 100 stitches on my 5mm circular needle, working in rounds (putting a marker at the beginning). 

Round 1 - (K3, purl 2) repeat to end

Round 2 - knit to the end

I repeated these two rounds for 34 rows.

Crown decrease:

1. (Knit 3, purl 2, knit 3, purl 2 together) repeat to end
2. Knit
3. (Knit 3, purl 2, knit 2, knit 2 together) repeat to end
4. Knit
5. (Knit 3, purl 2, knit 1, knit 2 together) repeat to end
6. Knit
7. (Knit 3, purl 2, knit 2 together) repeat to end
8. Knit
9. (Knit 3, purl 1, purl 2, knit 2 together) repeat to end
10. Knit
11. (Knit 3, purl 2 together) repeat to end
12. Knit
13. (Knit 2, knit 2 together) repeat to end
14. Knit
15. (Knit 1, knit 2 together) repeat to end
16. (Knit 2 together) repeat to end
17. Cut the yarn and draw through the last 6 stitches and pull. Secure and weave in the end.

Cat Shelter Building Workshop, Toronto Street Cats, Toronto, ON

I spent this morning volunteering with Toronto Street Cats building cat shelters which are sold to the public. The workshops are held throughout the fall and winter season at the Toronto Humane Society.  I've been volunteering with them since 2018 ... it's so nice helping the kitties in Toronto keep warm and dry during the cold winter.

In addition to selling the shelters for $15 or three for $30, Toronto Street Cats also provides free straw to replenish existing shelters.

Joe and Prudence

Joe, Me and Prudence

We taped the insulated walls together in the bins and then taped the tubing entrances. Thom cut the tubing for the entrance ways, cut the Styrofoam for insulated walls and drilled holes into the bins after the insulated walls had been taped inside.

Before

After

Barley Hat

I finished knitting a large adult Barley Hat (I found the pattern on Tin Can Knits’ site). 

Thanks for modelling it, Gord!

Not only does the Tin Can Knits site provide different sizes from newborn to adult large (I made an adult large hat) but also the instructions for different weights of yarns (I combined strands of Lion Brand’s Re-Spun [the colours are amber and cornsilk] and followed the worsted/aran instructions).

I cast on 96 stitches on my 5mm circular needle, working in rounds (putting a marker at the beginning). I worked K1, P1 rib for 1.5 inches. I knit to the 32nd stitch and put another marker after that stitch and then continued to stitch to the end of the round.

Round 1 - purl to the marker and then knit to end of the round (garter stitch)

Round 2 - knit (stockinette stitch)

I repeated these two rounds until the hat was 6.75 inches from the cast on, ending with round 1.

Crown decrease:

1. (Knit 14, knit 2 together, insert a marker) repeat to the end
2. Purl to the second marker, knit to the end
3. (Knit to 2 stitches before marker, knit 2 together) repeat to the end
4. Purl to the second marker, knit to the end
5. Repeat 3 and 4 six times
6. (Purl to 2 stitches before marker, purl 2 together) twice; (knit to 2 stitches before the marker, knit 2 together) repeat to the end
7. (Knit to 2 stitches before the marker, knit 2 together) repeat to the end
8. Repeat 6 and 7 four times
9. Cut the yarn and draw through the last 6 stitches and pull. Secure and weave in the end.

Book ~ "My Effin' Life" (2023) Geddy Lee

From Goodreads ~ Geddy Lee is one of rock and roll's most respected bassists. For nearly five decades, his playing and work as co-writer, vocalist and keyboardist has been an essential part of the success story of Canadian progressive rock trio Rush. Here for the first time is his account of life inside and outside the band.

Long before Rush accumulated more consecutive gold and platinum records than any rock band after the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, before the seven Grammy nominations or the countless electrifying live performances across the globe, Geddy Lee was Gershon Eliezer Weinrib, named after his grandfather murdered in the Holocaust.

As he recounts the transformation, Lee looks back on his family, in particular his loving parents and their horrific experiences as teenagers during World War II.

He talks candidly about his childhood and the pursuit of music that led him to drop out of high school.

He tracks the history of Rush which, after early struggles, exploded into one of the most beloved bands of all time.

He shares intimate stories of his lifelong friendships with bandmates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart - deeply mourning Peart’s recent passing - and reveals his obsessions in music and beyond.

I've never been a fan of Rush's music ... in fact, I usually turn it off when it comes on (sorry, Geddy and Alex!). But I enjoy reading bios/autobios and thought Geddy's would be an interesting one ... and it was.

Geddy starts by talking about his family's past ... his mother and father were survivors of the Holocaust who moved to Canada for a better life and settled in the Toronto area. A lot of Geddy's life was influenced by his family's past and he grew to appreciate what they had gone through as he got older. 

Geddy wasn't interested in school ... all he wanted to be, much to his mother's despair, was a musician. He joined a band called Rush when he was still in his teens along with his buddies, Alex Lifeson and John Rutsey, and they worked hard to make a living. John was the drummer and was replaced by Neil Peart when he dropped out a couple albums in. After years of playing gigs in high schools and bars in small towns, they started opening for other bands and eventually became the main draw.

I liked the conversational writing style. Not being a Rush fan, I found the details about individual concerts and tours a bit draggy but it was interesting to read about the people who were with them on the tours ... it's obvious they worked hard but were appreciated. Geddy is honest in telling about their experiences, including the drugs they'd used and their then partying, the trouble being on the road caused to his marriage and the impact of Neil's death in 2020.

It is a big book but it's full of pictures, both during the chapters and at the end. Not a big surprise but there is swearing.

Knitted hat

I just finished knitting a large adult hat. I started with a basic hat pattern and added some texture by alternating knitting and purling. 

I used a 5mm circular needle and combined strands of Lion Brand’s Re-Spun, which is a really thin 4 weight yarn (otherwise I would use a regular 4 weight yarn) … the colours are raven and cornsilk.

I cast on 104 stitches. For the ribbing, I did K2 P2 for about 5 inches.

For the body:

1. Knit row
2. Knit row
3. Knit row
4. (P2, K2) repeat to end of row
5. (P2, K2) repeat to end of row
6. (P2, K2) repeat to end of row
7. Knit row
8. Knit row
9. Knit row
10. (K2, P2) repeat to end of row
11. (K2, P2) repeat to end of row
12. (K2, P2) repeat to end of row

I did this 3 times.

Then I started casting off:

1. (K2, P2 together) repeat to end of row
2. (K2, P1) repeat to end of row
3. (K2 together, P1) repeat to end of row
4. (K2 together) repeat to end of row
5. (K2 together) repeat to end of row

Twisted Hat

I just finished knitting another twisted hat. It’s an easy pattern once you get into the repetitive groove. The colours are leaf green and wine.

I found the pattern here.

Directions are for size small; changes for size large are in parentheses.

Hat circumference at bottom edge: 16 (18)" [41 (46)cm]; Hat stretches to fit 20 (22)” [51 (56)cm]

I used 4.5mm [US 7] and 5.5mm [US 9] needles and 4 ply yarn. 

Hat is worked in the round on double pointed needles.

With smaller needles, cast on 90 (102) sts. Divide sts evenly around double pointed needles. Join to work in rounds, taking care not to twist sts. Place marker for beginning of round.

Ribbing Round: 

[K1 through the back loop, p1] around. Repeat ribbing round until piece measures 1½" [4cm] from beginning.

Round 1: Change to larger needles and knit.
Round 2: [K2, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 90 (102) sts.
Repeat round 2 until piece measures 8 (8½)" [20 (22) cm] from beginning.

Shape Crown

• Decrease round 1: [K2tog, yo, k2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 75 (85) sts.
• Next round: [K1, yo, k2, k2tog] around – 75 (85) sts.
• Decrease round 2: *K1, yo, [k2tog] twice; repeat from * around – 60 (68) sts
• Next round: [K1, yo, k1, k2tog] around – 60 (68) sts.
• Decrease round 3: [K2, k2tog] 15 (17) times – 45 (51) sts.
• Decrease round 4: [K1, k2tog] around – 30 (34) sts.
• Decrease round 5: [K2tog] around – 15 (17) sts.
• Decrease round 6: [K2tog, k1] 5 times, k2tog 0 (1) time – 10 (11) sts.

Cut yarn, leaving a long tail. Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull to gather. Secure end. Weave in ends.

ABBREVIATIONS
k = knit

k2tog = knit 2 sts together

p = purl

St st = Stockinette stitch

st(s) = stitch(es)

yo = yarn over

Dog & Bear Pub, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening at the Dog & Bear on Queen Street W (at Dovercourt). It was quite busy with a crowd watching football.

New menus!

I had a Beef 'n Beer pie (Squires pie with beef, onion and carrot served with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy). I've had it there before and it was yummy! 

Soma Chocolatemaker Chocolate Factory, Toronto, ON

Gord and I attended a chocolate tasting at Soma Chocolatemaker Chocolate Factory (on Brock Street just north of Queen Street W) this afternoon, thanks to our friend and neighbour, Dawn. 

We learned a lot about chocolate from Genovevo and got to taste some yummy ones along with actual roasted cacao. I’m not a fan of dark chocolate but liked theirs. I like that they are very particular about where they source their ingredients.