Flashlight at the Dakota

Last weekend Flashlight Radio played their first gig since their CD release at the end of August. I got to play photog with my new lens! The show was at the Dakota, on Ossington, which is quickly becoming my favourite bar. The lights, the decor, the atmosphere; it's just so cozy and fun! I was a little disappointed since Liam was supposed to play pedal steel, which I love, but he's been recording his new album, so hasn't had much time to practice. Not to worry, since that meant he was playing guitar instead, so it all worked out. Kieran Adams played drums.

I absolutely love this picture, thems be some wicked shoes Benny!

And of course, Ben's dad Ken cam out to play a tune on the piano. Nothing like some father/son photos to round it all out.

A Book Knit

Just a quick peek at the knitting that is going on right now. It's starting to get into holiday time, so I can't talk much about it, but don't you just love the Starry?!

I've also picked up an old, favourite series of books. I first read these in highschool, and the spines of all three books are creased from re-readings. I was feeling in the mood to read the His Dark Materials series again after seeing them in a book store yesterday, but my copies are packed away in a box. These have been sitting on my shelf and calling to be read for a few months now, so when I couldn't sleep it was easier to grab these than go rooting through boxes. Sabriel is the first in a trilogy of light fantasy for older teens by Garth Nix. If you liked all that Twilight business, but want something with more substance I might suggest these. Well fleshed out characters, a compelling story line and exceptionally well written. Much better than that other stuff.

One of these things....

I was wondering why the decreases were taking so long... turns out it helps if you knit them the same.


Needless to say I've frogged back to the thumb to fix another mistake I made, though I've almost knit it all back up.

Found: Mittens

While I didn't love the pattern/yarn combo before, I did love the colours. So when my little four year old friend asked for pink and purple mittens I knew exactly which colours to reach for. I decided to keep using the charcoal as a contrast since I still had a bunch of that left over as well. They will be a perfect bit of cheeriness on grey days.

Galileo on LSD

It is my belief that very knitter has it, every knitter does it. They pick a pattern, pick some yarn, pick some needles and knit it up. The pattern will be lovely, the yarn is top notch, and yet it just won't come together into something that actually makes sense.

Such was my problem with the Galileo Mittens. I started them last November, to help Laura sort out some kinks in the pattern and merrily knit the first one. Now, this was back before the whole fair isle mitten spree that I've done in the past year, so I was still new at this mittens business. Despite my best attempts to make the mitten bigger, as I knew Laura's was running small, the dang thing was still tiny. In hindsight it was my mistake to use Lorna's Laces instead of the suggested Koigu, or something closer to sport weight, but still. Also, the colour striping of the Candy Apple colourway I chose is kind of on crack. If Galileo ever wanted to actually wear these, it would be because he was halucinating on LSD.

I knit the other one in an exercise in futility, and set them aside to wait for their thumbs. I was really thinking of frogging them until about a month ago when Katie was over and for some reason I had her try them on. She is a bit of a miniature person, so they actually fit her! Yesterday I got off my but and knit up the thumbs, to varying amounts of success and convinced my mom to wear them for photos today. They are far from my best work, but they are done and are going to be usefull, so I don't really care.


Now I've just got to knit the leftovers into mittens for a four year old. I'm thinking stripes.

Warmed Up

Last night, when I did finished the last colourwork row on my Warm Hands cardigan, I could hardly wait to try it on. I ran around the house showing it off.

While my mom and I were taking pictures this morning the neighbourhood cat came by to say hello. He's been hanging out in our yard for about 8 years now, so it's almost like he's ours. He certainly knows when it's dinner time!


Of course, it's not quite done. I still have to cut the steek... eep! I've been looking at tutorials on line, but I'm going to ask advice tonight at Lettuce as to how to proceed. This is not something to be taken lightly.

In the mean time I've started knitting the Beaumont Tam from Jared Flood's Made in Brooklyn, out of Blue Skies Alpaca's Alpaca & Silk. Mmmm.... soft.....
Off to make cookies and have a tea party!

Pumpkin Fun

Halloween is one of my favourite times of year, and this year was no exception. The smell of leaves, the fresh air and little children running around in sugar comas. Perfect! This year I got together with some friends to carve pumpkins, something I hadn't done in years. We were very focused in our carving as you can see. What an amazing way to spend an afternoon.


We also discovered the perfect use for Aaron's delivery bike. On the way home we put some LED
lights in it too. It got some funny looks, but I can't think of anything more festive than a black bike with a cheery orange pumpkin bungeed to it!

Penguin Claps

Way back in before I left for New York I bumped into some neighbours of ours who's kids I look after some times. I noticed that their little 2 year old boy was wearing socks on his hands instead of mittens. They're in the midst of a messy renovation of their house, so I wasn't surprised. I'm sure they're tucked away in storage and they just haven't had the time to dig them out again. That being said, I decided to whip up a little pair of mittens to cover some little hands.


They have no thumbs, and penquin buttons I found in my stash for the string. The yarn is leftover Cascade Eco+ knit at a very tight gauge on 3.25mm needles. They have been gifted and worn. Nothing brightens up your day more than the sound of mitten claps and the sight of a smiling toddler!