Canada

One month on, and we are home from Canada. I’ve not had much chance to blog until now and been quite busy sorting things out at home before going back to work. It was an amazing trip, and I would fully recommend visiting in winter. Yes it was cold, but it was completely different to any other holiday we have ever done. The Rideau Skateway and Winterlude festival in Ottawa and seeing the frozen Niagara Falls were seasonal must-dos. I have taken 1400 photos (!) and I am having trouble deciding what to put up here. Consequently, I am only going to post a few favourites and suggest you have a look at M’s photos here and here.

During our time away there were lots of sources of inspiration, not least these exhibitions:

Kai Chan: A Spider’s Logic at Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto

Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women at Gladstone Hotel, Toronto

Tim Burton Retrospective at TIFF Lightbox, Toronto

We also made a trip to Drawn and Quarterly in Montreal which was fantastic! I came home with comics in every checked bag and hand luggage on the way home! I have a list of books I would also like to purchase when I have saved up some more cash. It was on this visit that I discovered the wonderful ‘The Believer’. This months issue has a great article on crochet as well as lots more interesting comics/literature related articles. I cannot rate it highly enough and have subscribed already. If you are unaware of McSweeney’s and what they do, I urge you to take a look.

I could go on for pages in a blow by blow account of the whole trip, but that could get a bit tedious. We loved it and look forward to being able to make a return trip, not only to visit our friends in Ottawa, but also to spend more time in Toronto. Queen Street West was our favourite area, and I could see myself spending many more days there than we had available this time.

Whilst we were away I did a fair amount of knitting, and as well as the cowl I posted last time, I managed to get a rather large shawl finished. I made it with Lang Jawool Magic sock yarn purchased at Knit Knackers in Ottawa, and the pattern was Whippoorwill by Carina Spencer (Sweet Mama Small Sugar) via Ravelry. It took between 80 and 100 hours, and looks rather good on.

Since getting back I have started work on amigurami for this years birthdays, but I will only post pictures once they are in the hands of their intended owners.

Now for a short piece about food and household planning. Whilst we were away, we did a bit of brain storming about how we could be more economical with food and make good use of our produce grown at the allotment. We have three objectives: (1) Eat fresh, local produce and make things from scratch as much as possible; (2) Save money; (3) Support local businesses. Whilst we were away an alarming number of small businesses have gone bust with little warning.

Our friends in Ottawa had a great blackboard in their hallway made from a reclaimed door, which has given us the idea to paint the panels of our kitchen door in blackboard paint to keep record of fresh fruit and veg we have at home, and homemade preserves we have in the basement. This is to minimise the risk of forgetting about things and allowing them to go off before being eaten. I have also decided to stick to doing a weekly shop rather than the almost daily trips where extra luxuries invariably make their way into the basket.

I made a trip to the butchers, and decided to buy whole chicken with giblets, joint the bird and freeze usable portions. At the same time I bought a side of pork belly, boned but took the ribs home.I then used half the pork to cure my own bacon, half to freeze for a roasting joint, and the ribs and chicken carcass were roasted with veg and giblets to make a fresh stock for the fridge. There was enough meat left on the bones after roasting/simmering to shred and make a meal and lunch the next day. I fried some garlic, ginger and spring onions with the meat, added white pepper and hoi sin to taste, and used it to fill filo parcels scattered with sesame seeds.

I’m not going to pretend this all took a bit of time and planning, but once we get into a routine I think the new regime will work well!

Hello from Canada!

Yarn storming Ottawa style

After many months planning and excitement we have finally arrived in Ottawa. One week into our month long trip and we are relaxed and settling into Canadian life. The climate is certainly different to home, but I think we have acclimatised now. Rule for dressing – if you think you are wearing sufficient layers, put and extra one on! My leg warmers have had a daily outing and my Lacy Bakkus scarf is worn for most of the time. I have also adapted the Dragon Gauntlets from Inside Crochet Issue 5 to make arm warmers. I hadn’t noticed how difficult it can be to get jumpers and cardigans in the UK with a full length sleeve until now, so the arm warmers bridge the gap nicely. I used some left over organic merino from my Easyknits Cable Guy Tank Top.

I have brought my interchangeable cable set with me and already found two yarns shops. I have completed a chunky seed stitch cowl in Misti Alpaca Handpaint, and have started a 3-ply shawl.

We have chosen to visit in February to coincide with Ottawa’s Winterlude Festival. So far we have seen ice carving, snow sculptures, giant ice slides and been ice skating on the amazing Rideau Canal, a 7.8km long ice rink in the winter. Having been a keen skater in my teens, but unfortunately not having had much chance to skate for a decade, this has been a real treat. I have also been tutored in the art of sledging by a 6 year old which has been the most fun I’ve had in ages, albeit exhausting!

We are lucky enough to be staying with friends and their children for the majority of our trip, so we’ve been privy to local knowledge of good sledging spots, etc. Being fed and housed together with transport and advice cannot be underrated on a trip like this and we are hugely grateful. As a token of thanks I came with knitted and crocheted gifts. The adults received knitted scarves and the children have crocheted baby bears inspired by Amigurami Two. The baby panda has been an instant hit with a certain 3 year old who will not go anywhere without him!

We spent a day visiting the Canadian War Museum here in Ottawa, and there was a surprising amount of crochet and knitting. Queen Victoria herself crocheted this scarf as a reward for the recipients' miltary service, and wives and school children knitted socks for the soldiers during the war whilst they were away.

More Canada knitting news next time!