Clapotis? C'est fini!

On Thursday, we got on the road to Ottawa at about 10:30am. As we were driving through Cobourg, it began to snow and continued pretty much for the rest of the drive. Near Brockville, traffic completely stopped just before an exit so we decided to take the exit and drive on a lesser highway beyond whatever stopped the traffic. It was a slippery road parallel to the big highway. We didn’t actually see what stopped the traffic but were able to get on the highway at the very next exit. By this time so much snow was falling that we stayed in the right lane for it was to ‘slithery’ to try to get into the left lane to pass. I drove until we started up the 416 - the highway up to Ottawa from the 401. We switched drivers and continued on our way; quite surprised the road had not yet been plowed even though there was quite a bit of traffic, this first business day after Christmas.

We gratefully arrived at my cousin, Jeannie’s at about 5:15pm - just in time for dinner! We were both very glad to get off the roads. I don’t have snow tires and was unable to back up the hill to get into Jeannie’s driveway. I attempted to go around the block but was unable to get up the hill one street over and ended up sliding backwards down the hill with the ABS grinding. There were no cars on the street so I just turned the steering wheel and back up to the curb and then was able to turn and go down the hill. I returned back to Jeannie’s street and was able to get enough momentum to get into the driveway.

We had a lovely dinner - a variety of leftovers from previous dinners. Yum. Jeannie and Robert went to a Senators’ hockey game and my aunt, Margaret, Skip and I stayed in and watched “The Queen”. I finished the clapotis (pronounced cla-po-TEE) with only 1 inch (2.5cm) to spare!













Here's a closeup:



Then I noticed that I hadn’t dropped one of the stitches and had to frog it back to redo it. I wanted to frog it back one repeat further so I wouldn’t have to sweat the last few rows.

This morning we slept in but finally got going just before lunch. We headed to Bank St. to the Indian Restaurant we had eaten at last time we were here - the New Nupur Restaurant on Bank Street in the Glebe. After the buffet lunch, we went to the yarn store next door, Yarn Forward. I bought 4 skeins of Bernat Cottontots yarn for the modular baby blanket for Carrie’s baby.

We then went to the War Museum which I was able to enter for free with my Ontario College of Teachers card. We had toured the cramped, old one a few years ago. The new museum has all of the old artifacts and more but more spread out and impressively displayed. We had to rush through the post WWII section because the museum was closing. We didn’t get to see the War Brides exhibit so may return tomorrow. I can also get free admission to the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, QC (formerly Hull, Quebec).

Back at Jeannie’s I recommenced the finishing of the clapotis. This time I remembered to drop all the required stitched and still only finished with 1 inch to spare again! I must not have ripped back one repeat as I hoped to. I was getting really nervous for the last few rows. I wove the ends in too soon to get a picture. I will block it when I get home but for now, it makes a very fetching scarf.

Yesterday, we walked over to the Rideau Centre and had lunch at Richtree. I had rosti and a Napoleon pastry. Yum. We then wandered over to Chapters for coffee at Starbucks and just to browse. They didn't have any "Hairspray" DVDs. It was a nice day for walking - temperatures just above freezing and sunny. The wind dried up a lot of the melting snow.

Last night Margaret treated us to ordered-in Chinese food. We then just relaxed after dinner. Skip watched football, Jeannie and Margaret read the paper and I knit. I started a mitered square baby blanket for Carrie's baby, due in February. We know she's going to be a girl so I selected 4 different colourways of pink and white yarn. The squares are about 7.5" square. I will make 16 in a patchwork quilt pattern. I knit 3.5 squares the last couple of nights and almost two squares in the car today in only 2.5 hours.

Here it is to this point: