Sunset Number One

We're surreptitiously using wifi from an unknown source, so I won't upload all the pictures I'm taking until I get home, but here's a taste of our first evening here.



We're in the Kawarthas this year, and it's lovely so far. We drove in through the rain, but it cleared up a bit later. Today's been a bit overcast, and we're waiting out a thunderstorm right now, but before then, it was nice enough for a quick dip in the lake.

Happy Sunday!

Noro in Zigzag

I am heading off today to our second annual week at the cottage! I am excited to bits, and just hoping we get at least some decent weather. But am packing lots of decks of cards, books, board games, dvds, and - of course - knitting projects just in case we are housebound. I don't think we'll be all that heartbroken to have to sit inside to do nothing some of the time.

Just in time to get it posted before leaving, I finished my first pair for the Summer of Socks.



These are destined to be a birthday gift for a friend. She already knows about them, so no stealth required.



As a matter of fact, she's even tried one on. This lead to the discovery that I was knitting them too short in the foot. So I added an extra pattern repeat to the second sock, by then in progress, and finally ripped out and reknit the first sock's toe. Hence the different toe colours. Up to that point, I was so matchy-matchy it made me giddy.



I love all the colours, but it's the little punch of copper at the heel that really pleases me the most.



Pattern: Zigzag Socks, by Christine Walter, from the Vogue Ultimate Sock Book.
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock, colourway S40
Mods: None.

I like this pattern. I also like this yarn. It's a bit rough while knitting up, but I didn't have too much vegetable matter - maybe four little bits in total, and nothing that jabbed me. It is a bit thick/thin in places, which took some getting used to. But none of that is noticeable in the finished socks, so it's all good.

It's also quite a generous skein. after completing the two socks, I still have just about another full colour repeat, meaning I could (should I choose to) get a third sock out of this skein. I'm thinking baby bootees, maybe.

Have a fabulous week! I'll be hitting the road soon, and if all goes well, might be back once or twice to tease with some fabulous pictures.

Go. Now.

Just in case you've somehow managed to be on the internet and not have heard about it, I must direct you to Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog. There are not words for how awesome and amazing and funny it is, and you only have until tomorrow to see it free online. You can also buy all three episodes from iTunes, and the DVD will be available later, with all kinds of ooey gooey good extras.



Know that it's Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Filion and singing and supervillians.

Aw - my first commercial blog entry. Sniff. It's a very geeky moment for me.

Dabbling and Dangling in Randomnicityness

I'm doing it again. I get a gap in the blogging thing, and then I feel like I have to do something special and interesting to get back into it, but I don't have time for that (I have much to play with the internet and yarn and such) and so I don't post at all.

So here's some randomness.

A few weeks ago, I went to the Dundas Busker's Festival with some friends. It was one of the first truly summer-type days.


I celebrated with my very first case of heatstroke. (Sunstroke? Are they the same?) I don't recommend it, in any case. Ugh.


But there were people doing interesting and dangerous-seeming things, and here are some pictures.


Dundas is a pretty little town, and still has some nice architecture. I got to look at this building for quite a while, since it was across from my 'recovery bench' in the shade.

I like getting out to little celebrations and seeing different communities put on a show. There are so many places that host events in the summer, it's hard not to stumble on a few. Looking back over the years, I've been to the CornFest, Freedom Festival, Strawberry Festival, Art in the Park, Art by the Marina, the Mudcat Festival, Taste of Windsor, Carousel of Nations, and the Harrow Fair.

The best, though, in terms of food at least, is the Tecumseh corn fest. Or, not even so much the corn festival itself, but the corn. The corn from Essex county is the best corn there is. You may think you have had great corn, but if you haven't had it from Essex county, you haven't had the best. I'm wrong about many, many things, but I have yet to be proven wrong about this.

In the summer, it was always a wonderful treat to go out 'into the county' to one of the fields hosting a corn stand. You'd stand in line and wait, first of all, because there was always a line. And that was okay. Because you were waiting for more corn to be brought directly from the field to the little shack. People in back would shuck, and hand off to people inside, who would dump the cobs into giant, bubbling cauldrons. A couple of minutes later, the cobs were fished out and dipped into big pots of melted butter, before being handed over to you on rapidly disintegrating paper plate along with a salt shaker. Heaven.

I think I need to plan a visit home soon. I think it's corn season.