Taking It Easy Today.

After all the excitement, activity and fun of the last few weeks and days, I spent today totally indulging myself. It was a pyjama day spent finishing listening to an audiobook (Ann Patchett's 'The Dutch House**), sending messages and emails to lots of folks this morning, and this afternoon, making another retreat mat.

I used 70 squares I cut from jelly roll strips. It meant for a lot of sewing but I'm loving the result. The fabric line is 'Hydrangea Passion'.

I had quilted the interior fabric to the batting quite a while ago. I used 6 additional squares to make the lined pocket. Two other strips in the roll were perfect for the binding.

Of course I added my little 'logo'.

This is the back of it. The finished size is 19 1/2" x 13 1/2"This design would also work great for a folio with interior pockets - some of them with zippers. I still have a couple of jelly rolls I could use for this.

I have no idea when or where I purchased this 'fabric roll'.

Looking back in my archives (blog) I see I used some of the strips to make Poppy a project bag back in 2002.

The case for my new iPhone 17 Pro arrived on Friday. The corners look extra durable. My previous phone had more of a silicone case which protected it very well - even when the phone was dropped.

I went for a really pretty case that also came with a screen protector. I haven't installed the screen protector yet as it involved more steps than I had the bandwidth for that day.

Isn't is pretty?

I haven't fully figured out all the capabilities of the new phone so will be doing some research. I await receipt of the trade-in kit so I can get the $225 for the old iPhone 12 Pro that I bought myself for my birthday back in 2021.

I forgot to make note of the progress on the Helix sock. The waste yarn for the afterthought heel was inserted (the yellow stitches under the white line) and the stocking stitch foot is underway.

At stitching on Monday, I had to pick out most of what I did on the project I was working on so I switched to 'This Bee's Got Knees' pincushion and filled in the lighter green on the leaves. 

Not sure what I'll work on tomorrow at stitching but it will need to be something I don't have to carefully count.

** this is the second Ann Patchett book I have listened to and enjoyed. The first one was 'Tom Lake' which I particularly enjoyed because of its setting. I like novels like this that develop the story of people in families and how the relationships evolve over the years. I look forward to reading more of them.

I Had The.Best.Time.

A few days ago, I was contacted by two former students who both live in London, and were interested in coming to visit me. Chris had two dates he was available - today and a Saturday in October. I suggested today and Andrew was available, too. We met at the Symposium Café in Ajax and parked ourselves at a booth for the afternoon. Fortunately there were only a couple of other tables of diners so our prolonged lunch didn't prevent anyone else from getting a table.

The last time we got together was in July 2009 at Andrew's home.

And before that, the last time we had been together was Chris' ordination as a Catholic priest in 1997.

It was so fun today catching up on what we'd been doing these past 17 years. Neither of them are very active on social media but I'm sure we've exchanged messages or texts a couple of times over the years and, of course, they always receive my annual Christmas newsletter, the Glen Hill Times.

As I've mentioned before, spending fun times with long-time friends is the best experience ever. I taught these guys music in the mid-80s starting when they were in Grade 9. Andrew played clarinet and Chris started out on saxophone then became a bassoonist. He even played bassoon in a community band up to a decade or two ago. I encouraged him to rent a bassoon and come to music camp next year. He's seriously considering it.

Before we knew it, 4 1/2 hours had gone by and it was time for them to head back to London. Of course, we had to have a group photo before going our separate ways.

My afternoon was like breathing pure oxygen. I met these guys when they were 14 and got to see their social, musical, and intellectual development through the rest of high school. I have continued to follow their post-secondary pursuits, life events, and career choices and successes. It has been such a joy to have these guys in my life. I am so fortunate.

In knitting news, I started a Sophie scarf last night with some lovely laceweight yarn (possibly Malabrigo).  The pattern increases on one side every 8 rows but I'm increasing every 6 rows instead. This will made a wider scarf and use up more of the yarn. I haven't decided how long I'll make it. The stitch marker reminds me what side to do the increases on. The Knit Lounge has several Facebook reels on this project starting with this one. The actual knitting starts with this one. 

Basically it's garter stitch (knit every row) with a lovely i-cord edge. Once it's as wide as I want it, I'll decrease back down to the number of stitches I started with. 

You'd think a simple pattern like this would be easy to keep track of the rows. But oh, no! It was hard to read the dark yarn and I was watching TV while knitting. I found checking off each row with pencil and paper to be very tedious, then remembered I had a row counter that goes over my finger which I had bought in 2016 (the counter was still in the mailer in which I received it). I created a little avalanche of knitting accouterments while rummaging around on a shelf for it but I found it!

Of course the battery was 'deader than a mackerel' as Skip used to say. So I found the appropriate mini Phillips screwdriver and opened it up. The battery was one of those little button batteries like go in hearing aids and wouldn't you know it? I had some spare ones! (People think I'm joking when I tell them I own everything, but it's pretty true). 

It took a couple of tries to get the battery and the innards oriented properly but finally I was successful! A number appeared in the window! Hurray! (I was so proud of myself - Scooter just shook his head - LOL).

Just tap the big button when you finish a row and the little button resets to zero. So handy!

They're $3CAD or less on Amazon and would be a great treat to hand out at knitting events/retreats. Golfers could also use them to count strokes.

And finally, I spent some time yesterday working on the finishing of the triangular sunflower scissor case.

I made SO MANY MISTAKES putting it together which did involve some bad language. One boo boo was not inserting the cording on the tip of the flap for the loop closure before turning everything right side out. 

I used Sulky Petites thread for the cording - 4 strands folded in half for 8 strands total. I think I can tuck the ends of the cording into the tip and secure it. Then all I'll have to do is add the pearl bead closure and the HotFix jewels in the spots on the front in the 4-sided Kloster blocks where eyelets were supposed to go.

Some Sewing and a New Mexican Restaurant

After cutting out the project bag pieces yesterday, I sewed the first one together today. Everything went together well except for my bonehead move attaching the back wrong way around - with the lining on the outside. No big deal as I had just basted around the edges with a narrow zigzag stitch - easily taken out with my seam ripper.

I like to baste with a zigzag stitch before attaching the binding. Things just go a lot smoother that way.

I'm leaving the hand-sewing of the binding onto the back for Jeanette to do. I just have it pinned in place on the back for these photos. 

This panel of fabric commemorates the big stitching event in Swindon UK last summer, attended by Jen1, Barb, Jeanette, Poppy, Yvonne, and Victoria. 

The lining fabric is very cute - little houses.

The fabric for the back is the same as around the panel on the front. 

Scooter and I tried out the new Mexican restaurant in downtown Oshawa for supper this evening. Cactus Cocina Mexicana .

Scooter had a chicken chimichanga,

and I had carne asada tacos.

It tasted very authentic and yummy. I would definitely dine there again.

I did a bit more knitting on the helix sock last night.

The cuff will be 8" long before I insert the waste yarn for the afterthought heel.

I'm also very intrigued with the Sophie scarf.

Basically you weigh your ball of yarn, cast on and knit garter stitch with i-cord edges, increasing every 8 rows until half the yarn is used up, then decrease every 8 rows until back down to the number of stitches you cast on. 

It can be wrapped several times around your neck.

I plan to make it a bit wider so will do the increases every 6 rows and knit until it's about 10" wide, then do the decreases.

Another Pair of Helical Socks

I wanted another mindless knitting project so I scrounged around in my stash for some contrasting yarn for a pair of helical socks.

Scooter housesat for me last week and has stayed on this week so we watch TV in the evenings. I crochet or knit during this time so two nights ago I cast on the socks - 72 stitches, with a 3 x1 ribbed leg; 2.5mm needles. I'll probably do afterthought heels with the black yarn as well as the toes.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to create ‘identical twin’ socks. It will depend on the striping sequence of the colourful yarn.

I continue to feel quite slothful since returning home from camp on Sunday. I have accomplished a few things, though. I got my camp laundry done, some grocery shopping, bought a new iPhone 17 Pro as my 5 year-old iPhone 12 had no more memory even after deleting a bunch of space-hogging apps. I spent the last couple of hours setting it up and still need to buy a case and screen protector for it. 

I also cut out the fabric pieces from the Nicola Parkman project bag panel. I offered to make the project bags for Jeanette so we texted back and forth about some choices that need to be made. We have settled on this (there were three options for the fabric above the zipper above the floral fabric). 

However the bag’s construction came to a screeching halt when I realized I didn’t have the right zippers in my stash. Acquiring them will be a task for tomorrow.

Out in the garden the sunflower has continued to grow taller and has bloomed. The first photo was taken on August 12 and the second one, today.

I need to remember to plant more next year.

Lakefield Adult Music Camp 2026

A week ago Sunday, Jen1 and I loaded up the car and headed to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo ON to attend Lakefield Music Camp. It's kind of a misnomer now because the camp is no longer held at Lakefield College School outside of Lakefield ON on the shores of Lake Katchewanooka. Now that it's operating at Laurier U, it's really no longer a 'camp' setting either but it has been running for 49 years so it continues to be called Lakefield Music Camp for tradition's sake.

Check in was easy - same process as last year. Just as I finished getting my dorm keys, I heard a voice call, 'Geri!; behind me. It was, Duncan, a band buddy from long ago, whom I played with in the Pickering Community Concert Band from 1990 to 2002. 

Duncan had seen my Facebook post about camp last year and made a mental note to look into attending. And he did! He didn't even know if I'd be there this year so it was a very pleasant surprise for both of us! Although he's not very active on social media, I have somewhat kept up with what he's been up to all these years.

Up in our dorm rooms, Jen1 and I got settled; installing the foam mattress pads we had brought, making up the beds, and unpacking for the week. Ernest and Thomas settled right in.

That night was the welcome meeting in the recital hall. Andrew Wolf, the head of the camp went over some details of what to expect and introduced the faculty.

Classes started at 9:20am on Monday. They are an hour long with a 20 minute break in the morning and 10 minutes between classes the rest of the day. Breakfast in the dining hall starts at 8 and finishes at 9. Lunch is from 1 to 2. However there are drop-in classes for 45 minutes, starting at 1:45. Classes resume at 2:40pm and end at 6, which is when supper starts.

Then there's a break until recitals begin at 8pm. There were over 15 hours of recitals over the week. Culminating recitals started on Friday evening. Saturday morning were large ensemble rehearsals, then recital time again at 3pm and again at 8pm.

Wednesday night was Cabaret night so we met at the Turret, a campus bar. Many of our fellow campers entertained us. It was also the only opportunity we could purchase alcoholic drinks on campus. 

Thomas posed beside Duncan's beer can.

Ernest inspected my gin and tonic. No 'roofies' for me!

I really enjoyed every one of my classes this year. First period was Choir for All. Of the 113 campers about 80 of us participated in the choir.

I am a pretty good sight-reader and have a strong voice. Lots of altos (my new best friends) wanted to stand beside or in front of me so my loud singing would help them out. I have never felt so popular!!

After snack time, second period was Spirituals Choir. We were emailed the music as .pdfs ahead of time and were able to find the same settings (SSA) to watch and play along on YouTube before coming to camp. Although I didn't really internalize the pieces at that point, I was pretty confident I'd do OK in the smaller ensemble. 

There were 17 of us plus Lyndsay, our director, and Kathleen, our accompanist. Kathleen was also our handbells teacher.

Third period we had ukulele with Sara. 

She was an excellent instructor, taking us right back to the basics of ukulele playing; lots of helpful technical tips, such as, holding it by the 'small bump', pinching the neck with the thumb, plucking technique, picking out scale notes, etc.

She also lead a play-along at the lunchtime 45 where we played along with videos - all accessible on YouTube. I only attended this once because I had a 'spare' in period 4 and usually headed back to the dorm after lunch to rest before my period 5 Concert Band class. Duncan, being a clarinet player, sat beside me in band.

It's really important to pace oneself as the day is not over when classes are over. There is a lot of sitting around, waiting for things to start. Lots of knitting opportunities. With recitals starting at 8pm, the last 3 nights they ran until almost 11 each night.

Friday night, I was involved with three performances so I actually put on lipstick!

At some point last week Jennifer and I took a selfie with the boys.

The campus at Laurier U is very well maintained with lots of beautiful flowers in beds and planters.

Our last period was Handbells. The 3 octaves of bells only need 11 players so the class is very much in demand. By a stroke of luck (and emailing Andrew as soon as registration opened) Duncan and I got into the class as well as our new best friend, Katherine. Several of us are going to suggest there be 2 handbell classes; one for beginners, and another for those of us who have played before.

Each of us was assigned two notes on the staff and any sharps or flats for that note. Middle C is always notated in Bass Clef. My notes were middle C and the B just below it. Basically the note in the space is the left bell and the note on the line is the right bell.

The music is clustered notes of the chords. The bell ringer must pick theirs out and synchronize ringing with the others playing at the same time. 

We also learned a couple of other techniques: swinging the bell (Sw) to create somewhat of a doppler effect, tapping the ringing bell on the padded table (upward curved arrows), and striking the bells with padded mallets.

We also learned to damp the one bell at the same time as ringing the other one. This was achieved by resting the ringing bell on our upper chests, like this:

It was a really great way to end our day's instruction. 

One night, we had a 'fireless campfire' singalong in the atrium at the recital hall.

Happy campers. Photo taken by Jen1. That's me in the pink shirt, Duncan to my left, and another 'new best friend', alto singer, and clarinet player, MaryJo, in the white shirt on the far left.

Jen1 and I packed up, loaded the car, and left Waterloo before breakfast on Sunday. We stopped at the Cambridge ON Route for a bite of breakfast and got home by 10:30. 

It was a very intense week of activity, music, and friendship. We hope to talk more of our friends into joining us next year.

Geri then (1972) and now.