Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving

Home from our long weekend at camp. This was a fairly typical, and enjoyable, Thanksgiving weekend for me (Lynda). It's the last weekend at camp which means we "close up" for the year. This means bringing in all the outdoor furniture and ... burrrr ... bringing in the water (and draining the water from the cottage, and pouring anti-freeze in, etc etc). Luckily I don't have to do the actual getting in the lake part myself. It's a "manly" job so a job for Al, with assistance from Dad (supervision) and brother-in-law Mark (laughing his head off). Lake Huron is pretty darn cool at this time of year. Happily the weather was brisk but dry, the sun was out during the day.

Saturday was the Gemmell dinner at our place (spaghetti) and I continue to be amazed at how much young men (early 20's) can eat!! Sunday was the BIG DINNER at Aunt Fran's cottage. Mom (now younger sister Heather) & Aunt Fran (now her kids) prepare two full turkey dinners and then set them out together for the family. We had 20 sitting down this year with the age range from 10 (ish) to 80 (ish). It was loud and crowded and great fun!

Al and I also did some last work on the kitchen and more insulation but I did get some knitting done. I'm the "helper" so I can sit and knit between helping measure and lift things or hold something while screws are being applied ...

I knit up a pair of Shirl's Mittlet's as a sample for the show I'm doing this coming weekend in Woodstock. They are, surprise! exactly my size. The colour is off a bit in my photograph I think, but they're a rich gold and the yarn is a lovely silk/wool blend. Perfect for keeping my hands warm while working on the computer.

The shrivelled little item on the right is the start of a shawl that I was knitting on the drive home. I've got Evelyn A. Clark's extremely excellent book Knitting Lace Triangles. Well worth adding to your collection. I'm using a soft bison, cashmere, fine merino blend from FibreIsles and it is going to make a wonderful shawl. I will have some of this beautiful yarn at Stitches East show in CT that I'm doing in two weeks (ie not this weekend coming, but the following weekend).

We won't be at the Creative Festival in Toronto this weekend (I'll be at the Fibre Festival in Woodstock) but Jennifer & Miko, owners of The Purple Purl in Toronto will be there, featuring our Northern Lights wool. Please stop by and say "hi" to them if you're there (the show is this weekend at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre).

Here's the cupboards back up again, freshly painted, against the new panelling (the cutie in the background is Al). The cupboards were built by my Dad and his uncle over 50 years ago. They used to be in Grandma's cottage kitchen but when it was pulled down (before it fell down) some items were rescued and now reside in our place.

-Lynda