King Taps King West, Toronto, ON

King Taps opened at the beginning of October on King Street W, just east of Bathurst Street. Gord and I had an early supper there. 

Basic chunky knitted slippers

Another pair of slippers for Gord and I used this pattern (I made small). They were quick and easy. I used Bernat Softee Chunky (the colour is teal) and 6.5mm needle.

Sizes:
To fit lady’s shoe size 5/6 (7/8 - 9/10).

Finished Foot length
Small 5/6 - 9" (23 cm)
Medium 7/8 - 9½" (24 cm)
Large 9/10 - 10½" (26.5 cm)

Abbreviations:
Beg = Beginning
Inc = Increase 1 stitch by knitting into front and back of next stitch
K = Knit
K2tog = Knit next 2 stitches together
Rep = Repeat
Rem = Remaining
RS = Right side
St(s) = Stitch(es)
WS = Wrong side

Instructions:
Note: The instructions are written for smallest size. If changes are necessary for larger sizes the instructions will be written thus ( ).

• Beg at back, cast on 2 sts.
• 1st row: (RS). Knit.
• 2nd row: Inc 1 st in first st. K1.
• 3rd and 4th rows: Knit.
• 5th row: Inc 1 st in first st. Knit to end of row.
• Rep 3rd to 5th rows 4 times more. 8 sts.
• Next 2 rows: Cast on 10 sts. Knit to end of row. 28 sts after 2nd row. Place marker on last st of last row.

Work in garter st (knit every row) until work from marked row, measures 4½" [11.5 cm]. Place second set of markers at each end of last row.

Knit for a further 3 (3½ - 4)" [7.5 (9 -10) cm] from 2nd set of markers, ending with a WS row.

Shape toe:

• 1st row: K3. *K2tog. K3. Rep fr598om * to end of row. 23 sts.
• 2nd and 4th rows: Knit.
• 3rd row: K3. *K2tog. K2. Rep from * to end of row. 18 sts.
• 5th row: *K2tog. K1. Rep from * to end of row. 12 sts.
• 6th row: (K2tog) 6 times. 6 sts.
• Break yarn, leaving a long end. Thread end through rem sts and draw up firmly. Fasten securely. Using a flat seam, sew instep to 2nd set of markers.
• Sew edges of back triangle to cast on sts of sides to form heel.
• Sew a pompom to each slipper if desired.

Basic chunky knitted slippers

Gord asked me to knit him some slippers and I used this pattern (I made small). They were quick and easy. I used Bernat Softee Chunky (the colour is teal) and 6.5mm needle.

Sizes:
To fit lady’s shoe size 5/6 (7/8 - 9/10).

Finished Foot length
Small 5/6 - 9" (23 cm)
Medium 7/8 - 9½" (24 cm)
Large 9/10 - 10½" (26.5 cm)

Abbreviations:
Beg = Beginning
Inc = Increase 1 stitch by knitting into front and back of next stitch
K = Knit
K2tog = Knit next 2 stitches together
Rep = Repeat
Rem = Remaining
RS = Right side
St(s) = Stitch(es)
WS = Wrong side

Instructions:
Note: The instructions are written for smallest size. If changes are necessary for larger sizes the instructions will be written thus ( ).

• Beg at back, cast on 2 sts.
• 1st row: (RS). Knit.
• 2nd row: Inc 1 st in first st. K1.
• 3rd and 4th rows: Knit.
• 5th row: Inc 1 st in first st. Knit to end of row.
• Rep 3rd to 5th rows 4 times more. 8 sts.
• Next 2 rows: Cast on 10 sts. Knit to end of row. 28 sts after 2nd row. Place marker on last st of last row.

Work in garter st (knit every row) until work from marked row, measures 4½" [11.5 cm]. Place second set of markers at each end of last row.

Knit for a further 3 (3½ - 4)" [7.5 (9 -10) cm] from 2nd set of markers, ending with a WS row.

Shape toe:

• 1st row: K3. *K2tog. K3. Rep fr598om * to end of row. 23 sts.
• 2nd and 4th rows: Knit.
• 3rd row: K3. *K2tog. K2. Rep from * to end of row. 18 sts.
• 5th row: *K2tog. K1. Rep from * to end of row. 12 sts.
• 6th row: (K2tog) 6 times. 6 sts.
• Break yarn, leaving a long end. Thread end through rem sts and draw up firmly. Fasten securely. Using a flat seam, sew instep to 2nd set of markers.
• Sew edges of back triangle to cast on sts of sides to form heel.
• Sew a pompom to each slipper if desired.

Book ~ "Why Can't I Be You" (2013) Allie Larkin

From Goodreads ~ When Jenny Shaw hears someone shout “Jessie!” across a hotel lobby, she impulsively answers. All her life, Jenny has toed the line but something propels her to seize the opportunity to become Jessie Morgan, a woman to whom she bears an uncanny resemblance. 

Lonely in her own life, Jenny is embraced by Jessie’s warm circle of friends - and finds unexpected romance. But when she delves into Jessie’s past, Jenny discovers a secret that spurs her to take another leap into the unknown.

Jenny works in PR and is excited about heading off to a work conference. When her boyfriend drops her off at the airport, he breaks up with her, shattering her plans for their future. When she gets to her hotel in Seattle, Myra, who is there attending a high school reunion, mistakes her for her friend, Jessie, who she hasn't seen since high school. Given her state of mind, Jenny impulsively goes with it. 

As she gets to meet the others in Myra (and Jessie's) circle of high school friends, Jenny keeps meaning to tell them she's not Jessie. But she didn't have a happy childhood or have many friends growing up so is relishing this experience of belonging and rationalizes that it's temporary. As she gets to know them better, it becomes even harder to tell them the truth.

This sounded like an interesting premise for a story and it was. I was wondering how/if Jenny was going to be able to pull it off and for how long. She had the benefit of Jessie mysteriously disappearing 13 years ago with no contact with anyone. I liked the writing style. It's written in first person perspective in Jenny's voice. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Knitted hat

I knitted a man's family hat. 

I found the pattern here and it was an easy pattern. 

I adjusted the pattern so I could knit it on circular needles and avoid having to sew the seam at the end and didn't do a pompom.

Cast on 60 stitches. 

• 1st row: *K1. P1*. Repeat to end of row.
• Repeat this row 7 more times.

Proceed in stocking stitch until work from beg measures 6 inches/15 cm.

Shape crown: 

• 1st row: *K2tog. K2*. Repeat to end of row.
• 2nd row: Knit.
• 3rd row: Knit.
• 4th row: Knit.
• 5th row: *K2tog. K1*. Repeat to end of row.
• 6th row: Knit.
• 7th row: Knit.
• 8th row: Knit.
• 9th row: K2tog. Repeat to end of row.
• 10th row: *K2tog. Repeat to end of row.

Break yarn, leaving a long end. Thread end through remaining stitches. Draw up and fasten securely.

Book ~ "A Talent for Murder" (2024) Peter Swanson

From Goodreads ~ Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern - five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is ... but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

Matilda has no friends and is happy being alone. When she meets Alan, they start dating and eventually he asks her to marry him. She feels he is still a stranger but likes him (maybe even loves him) enough to say "yes". Alan works as a travelling salesman so he's not around a lot which suits Matilda fine. 

One night Alan comes home from a sales trip and Matilda is watching him from the window unload his car. He does something odd so the next day she starts tracking his previous sales trips and discovers that women have been murdered near where he's been. She suspects her husband might be a serial killer. Not wanting to accuse him in case she is wrong, which would ruin their marriage, Matilda contacts Lily, a friend she hasn't talked with since university, who had helped her out of a bad situation years ago. Lily agrees to check out Alan and asks Harry, her private investigator friend, to help.

I thought this story was okay. It was farfetched at times but I went with it. As with this author's other books, there are fun twists and turns. I thought it was odd how Matilda jumped to the conclusion that Alan was a serial killer because of a single random gesture. It was sad that when Matilda needed help the only person she thought to turn to was Lily, someone she hasn't had any contact with in many years ... and assumed Lily would want to help ... and Lily jumped into action, risking her life. I liked the ultimate ending but not how it was carried out (I thought it was a bit lame).

This is the third in the Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner series ... it works as a stand alone but it helps if you've read that first two (I have) to know the history and dynamics between Henry and Lily. It's written in first person perspective in Lily's voice and third person perspective otherwise (sometimes even when Lily is in the scene). Usually I don't mind the mixing of perspectives but I found this a bit confusing at times. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Corner to corner knitted lap blanket

I finished knitting a lap and/or pet blanket. I used 2 skeins of Loops & Threads Sweet Snuggles Lite (the colour is lemondrop dot) and 6.5mm needles. It's really soft and cuddly and about 30 inches by 30 inches.

Cast on 4 stitches.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end. Turn work.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end. Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over until you've used half the yarn.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end. Turn work.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end. Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over.

Cast off the final 4 stitches and darn in the ends.

Egg Sunrise Grill, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had brunch today at Egg Sunrise Grill on Dundas Street W (just east of Gladstone). As always, it’s a busy spot on the weekends! 

Gord had bacon and eggs. He’d swapped his home fries for fruit, which he ended up getting to-go.

Book ~ "Brothers" (2024) Alex Van Halen

From Goodreads ~ In this intimate and open account - nothing like any rock-and-roll memoir you’ve ever read - Alex Van Halen shares his personal story of family, friendship, music and brotherly love in a remarkable tribute to his beloved brother and band mate.

Told with acclaimed New Yorker writer Ariel Levy, "Brothers" is seventy-year-old drummer Alex Van Halen’s love letter to his younger brother, Edward, (maybe “Ed” but never “Eddie”), written while still mourning his untimely death.

In his rough yet sweet voice, Alex recounts the brothers’ childhood, first in the Netherlands and then in working class Pasadena, California, with an itinerant musician father and a very proper Indonesian-born mother - the kind of mom who admonished her boys to “always wear a suit” no matter how famous they became - a woman who was both proud and practical, nonchalant about taking a doggie bag from a star-studded dinner. He also shares tales of musical politics, infighting and plenty of bad-boy behavior. But mostly his is a story of brotherhood, music, and enduring love.

"I was with him from day one,” Alex writes. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 square foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming famous, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime."

There has never been an accurate account of them or the band and Alex wants to set the record straight on Edward’s life and death.

Brothers includes never-before-seen photos from the author’s private archives.

I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of Van Halen but I like some of their songs. My sister borrowed this book ... I like reading bios/memoirs so I thought I'd read it too.

It's written by Alex, the older of the Van Halen brothers. The book starts before he and Ed were born, with their parents ... a Dutch father and Indonesian mother meeting and getting married. Growing up, their first language was Dutch so they knew no English when the family moved to California when the boys were young. Their mother made them learn how to play the piano. They loved music, they eventually moved on to Alex learning to play the guitar and Ed learning to play the drums. They swapped instruments and the rest is history.

Alex and Ed weren't stellar students ... they wanted to play music and formed a few bands before finding the right combination with Michael Anthony and David Lee Roth and becoming Van Halen. There was a lot of paying their dues playing in bars, schools, etc. before moving on to be opening acts for Journey, Black Sabbath and more. Along the way, they recorded albums which went platinum. The book ends in 1984 with the release of the album 1984.

I liked this book more than I expected I would. I liked the writing style and it was interesting to read the stories of them being young men on the road touring (it sounds like they had a lot of fun, which was destructive and expensive). It was obvious Alex and Ed were tight as brothers. Alex doesn't through a lot of shade but there are some honest stories of people who did them wrong. I like that there were lots of photographs at the end.

Basic chunky knitted slippers

Gord asked me to knit him some slippers and I used this pattern (I made small). They were quick and easy. I used Bernat Softee Chunky (the colour is teal) and 6.5mm needle.

Sizes:
To fit lady’s shoe size 5/6 (7/8 - 9/10).

Finished Foot length
Small 5/6 - 9" (23 cm)
Medium 7/8 - 9½" (24 cm)
Large 9/10 - 10½" (26.5 cm)

Abbreviations:
Beg = Beginning
Inc = Increase 1 stitch by knitting into front and back of next stitch
K = Knit
K2tog = Knit next 2 stitches together
Rep = Repeat
Rem = Remaining
RS = Right side
St(s) = Stitch(es)
WS = Wrong side

Instructions:
Note: The instructions are written for smallest size. If changes are necessary for larger sizes the instructions will be written thus ( ).

• Beg at back, cast on 2 sts.
• 1st row: (RS). Knit.
• 2nd row: Inc 1 st in first st. K1.
• 3rd and 4th rows: Knit.
• 5th row: Inc 1 st in first st. Knit to end of row.
• Rep 3rd to 5th rows 4 times more. 8 sts.
• Next 2 rows: Cast on 10 sts. Knit to end of row. 28 sts after 2nd row. Place marker on last st of last row.

Work in garter st (knit every row) until work from marked row, measures 4½" [11.5 cm]. Place second set of markers at each end of last row.

Knit for a further 3 (3½ - 4)" [7.5 (9 -10) cm] from 2nd set of markers, ending with a WS row.

Shape toe:

• 1st row: K3. *K2tog. K3. Rep from * to end of row. 23 sts.
• 2nd and 4th rows: Knit.
• 3rd row: K3. *K2tog. K2. Rep from * to end of row. 18 sts.
• 5th row: *K2tog. K1. Rep from * to end of row. 12 sts.
• 6th row: (K2tog) 6 times. 6 sts.
• Break yarn, leaving a long end. Thread end through rem sts and draw up firmly. Fasten securely. Using a flat seam, sew instep to 2nd set of markers.
• Sew edges of back triangle to cast on sts of sides to form heel.
• Sew a pompom to each slipper if desired.

Be a Santa for a Senior Holiday Gift Drive, Toronto, ON

When I'm watching TV, I like to keep my hands busy so I knit small quick projects.

This is the fourth year I've knitted for the Be a Santa for a Senior Holiday Gift Drive program, run by Gwen (she's in my 'hood). Gifts donated go to recipients of the Meals on Wheels program run out of West Neighbourhood House (Ossington/Dundas W). Most of these men and women are over 55 and live alone. 

I knitted 95 hats (79 were the same spiral pattern and 16 were random patterns) with different colours, yarns and weights and 5 scarves, and Gwen picked them up this afternoon.

Book ~ "Murder on the Inside: The True Story of the Deadly Riot at Kingston Penitentiary" (2021) Catherine Fogarty

From Goodreads ~ On April 14, 1971, a handful of prisoners attacked the guards at Kingston Penitentiary and seized control, making headlines around the world. For four intense days, the prisoners held the guards hostage while their leaders negotiated with a citizens' committee of journalists and lawyers, drawing attention to the dehumanizing realities of their incarceration, including overcrowding, harsh punishment and extreme isolation. But when another group of convicts turned their pent-up rage towards some of the weakest prisoners, tensions inside the old stone walls erupted, with tragic consequences. As heavily armed soldiers prepared to regain control of the prison through a full military assault, the inmates were finally forced to surrender.

"Murder on the Inside" tells the harrowing story of a prison in crisis against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in the history of human rights. Occurring just months before the uprising at Attica Prison, the Kingston riot has remained largely undocumented, and few have known the details--yet the tense drama chronicled here is more relevant today than ever. A gripping account of the standoff and the efforts for justice and reform it inspired, Murder on the Inside is essential reading for our times.

I like reading true stories and Canadian stories so this book caught my eye. It's about the riot that happened at the Kingston Penitentiary in April 1971. I was young and don't remember it happening.

Kingston Penitentiary was a federal prison that opened in June 1835 and was the oldest prison in Canada before it closed in 2013 (now it's a museum). It was widely considered to be the harshest prison in Canada and in 1971 was overcrowded with 641 prisoners. Prisoners were not permitted to speak outside of their cells and solitary confinement was frequently used as a punishment for inmates. 

When the federal government started construction of a new prison at Millhaven to replace Kingston Penitentiary, there were rumors that Millhaven would be more harsh than Kingston Penitentiary. Billy Knight planned an uprising to protest conditions at Kingston penitentiary and it happened on April 14, 1971. Six guards were taken hostage but protected by a few inmates. Knight presented their demands which included better living conditions. Some prisoners eventually lost patience and, figuring they had nothing to lose, tortured the "undesirables" (child molesters, rapists, child killers and police informers). Eventually the prisoners, led by Barrie MacKenzie, surrendered. Many had to accept the consequences and were beaten by guards and/or faced their day in court for their actions.

If you're looking for a detailed account of the 1971 Kingston Penitentiary riot, you should read this book. In addition to information, there is also 24 pages of photographs.

Corner to corner knitted lap blanket

I finished knitting a lap and/or pet blanket. I used 2 skeins of Loops & Threads Sweet Snuggles Lite (the colour is coral dot) and 6.5mm needles. It's really soft and cuddly and about 30 inches by 30 inches.

Cast on 4 stitches.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end. Turn work.

Knit 2, YO, Knit to end. Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over until you've used half the yarn.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end. Turn work.

Knit 1, K2tog, YO, K1, K2tog, knit to end. Turn work.

Keep doing this over and over and over and over and over.

Cast off the final 4 stitches and darn in the ends.

"The Bee's Knees", The Theatre Centre, Toronto, ON

I spent the afternoon volunteering at The Theatre Centre on Queen Street W (west of Dovercourt Road) ushering The Bee's Knees, which was really good. 

It’s the early 1920s and for the first time, women can run for parliament. Bernie, a rebellious young flapper convinces her older sister, Dolores to run for office. Her opponent is the local incumbent Jerry Fields, a charismatic yet unscrupulous politician and self-proclaimed 20th-century man.

For a woman of her time, going into politics is a scandalous, dangerous act. The sisters must deal with smear campaigns and death threats, a catatonic mother, the betrayal of friends and family, and Dolores falling in love, all while running a campaign.

With original jazz-era music, The Bee’s Knees is entertaining and hopeful. It takes you back to the Roaring Twenties but shines a lens on the 2020s, forcing the audience to examine the landscape of modern leadership (because for women in politics, fashions may have changed, but not much else).

It’s a good reminder of just how far women have come. It takes place in the early 1920s ... women in Ontario had recently gotten the right to vote and it was expected that our role was to marry and have children. As the audience is entering the theatre, there are a couple musicians playing music from that era, which was fun. It’s at The Theatre Centre until November 24 so go check it out.

Book ~ "Murder: Twelve True Stories of Homicide in Canada" (2011) Edward Butts

From Goodreads ~ Who committed Toronto’s Silk Stocking Murder? Why did a quiet accountant in Guelph, Ontario, murder his wife and two daughters? When did police in Alberta hire a self-styled mind reader to solve a mass murder? How did an American confidence man from Arizona find himself facing a murder charge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia? 

These questions and more are answered in "Twelve True Stories of Homicide in Canada", the latest collection of thrilling true Canadian crime stories by Edward Butts. 

The keenly researched chapters tell the stories behind some of Canada’s most fascinating murder cases, from colonial times to the 20th century, and from the Atlantic provinces to the west coast and up to the Arctic. 

You’ll meet John Paul Radelmuller, the Gibraltar Point lighthouse keeper whose murder remains an unsolved mystery; wife-killer Dr. William Henry King; and Sinnisiak and Uluksuk, Inuit hunters whose trial for the murder of two priests became a national sensation. 

Butts also profiles the investigators who tracked the killers down, and in some cases sent them to the gallows in this collection of true tales that range from shocking and macabre to downright weird.

I like reading true stories and Canadian stories so this book caught my eye. It contains 12 true stories of homicide in Canada ... some I'd heard of but most I hadn't. They ranged from the 18th century to around the time of WWII.

I found this book interesting and I liked that there were pictures with some of the stories. I liked the writing style ... there was enough information but it wasn't too detailed. It's crazy what led some of these people to commit murder and expect to get away it.

“God is a Scottish Drag Queen 2: The Second Coming”, CAA Theatre, Toronto, ON

Franca and I saw God is a Scottish Drag Queen 2: The Second Coming this evening. 

God, dressed in a floral power suit, comes down to set the record straight and expound on everything from Pocahontas to the Platypus and answer humankind’s most asked questions in a hilarious and unforgettable sequel! Loved by Preachers and Atheists alike, this franchise has quickly become one of the most popular one man shows touring today and has received critical acclaim for its non-stop brilliant look at pop culture and humanity through the eyes of a silly, foul mouthed, and very loveable Scottish Deity.

Me and Franca

We didn’t know what to expect. The fun started with the audience singing The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). Mike Delamont is God in 1980s flowered dress suits complete with shoulder pads and was so funny! Go see it! We both agreed we’ll go see “God” the next time they come to town.