Festivals 2010

In the large downtown park, a series of different Festivals are held throughout the summer.

The first one is Sunfest and it is great for Latino and South American music and a variety of food and lots of colour. Vendors are more the "flea market" type with three or four booths having the same merchandise. There are some local vendors and some crafters also.

The major sponsor now is TD Canada Trust. Canada Trust was a trust banking company that started in this area, maintains a headquarters here and a few years ago was bought out by the Toronto Dominion Bank. Instead of going by just the TD name they wisely have kept both names, the local connection, the longer hours of Canada Trust and a lot of the customers. I know that is why I have stayed with them. More power to them for their ongoing committment to this city.

There were quite a few people out as they had a lovely warm weekend weather-wise. Couple of short light rainfalls but it cleared before you could reach the edge of the park.

The following weekend was Home County Festival which is my favorite. Folk music and juried craft booths which is more of an interest to me. Not as many people which seemed a shame but they also hold workshops at various other locations around town so that also has an impact. Didn't get to the free show Saturday evening with Bruce Cockburn but the other shows I saw were excellent. And also had a very good chicken marinated in wine with the grilled vegetables. Usually sold in a pita but since I am trying to eliminate gluten and wheat from my diet, I had it without so they give you a little bit more. It was so good that I had it both days I went.

Then there comes Rock The Park which is an expensive 3 day "Rocking" time in a nearby park where they can control entrance. Guess the cost is fine when you can see Alice Cooper and such.

Now this weekend is "Rib Fest" which sort of is an eat your way through the park. Some music and flea market type vendors but a fairly large children's area, I believe. Haven't been for a couple of years but have plans to go this weekend.

Also have been busy knitting.
My "Bubbles Scarf" from a Lucy Neatby pattern is long enough to look interesting now and the colour changes are really nice.


It is a technique called "Double Knitting" and you work both sides at the same time. I am very slow at it but having fun seeing the changes and deciding exactly where I want to put the bubbles. And yes, they are stuffed to give that 3D effect.













My other major project is a shawl called Harlequin designed by MMario. He did the charts for it but it hasn't been knit so I decided to do it. It is circular and not that much open work which I thought would be good for a baby's shawl. Writing the instructions at the same time so that takes up some time but coming along nicely. There are only two charts and this picture was taken at the end of the first chart. 84 rows of knitting done with a total of 178 rows in his charts.

Now to get the stitches back on the needles not that the picture has been taken. Don't worry, there is a piece of crochet cotton threaded through each stitch before I moved any of them. Makes it a very easy matter to pick them back up but most of the markers for each repeat has come out so that will take some counting to get them back in place.

Then I have to write out some rows from the chart so I can start knitting the shawl again.

Hope you are enjoying your day.