Woodsmoke and Sock Yarn

It's fine times here this weekend. To start things off, I had my pre-birthday dinner at Enoteca last night. The weather was perfect, the food was terrific, the drinks delicious, the friends awesome. The only hitch was that, while we got there at 5:30 to confirm we'd find a seat on the patio* (they only take reservations inside, which we had as a fall-back), some idiot woman took the one spot in the shade that could work for 6. She had to have arrived before they opened so I guess she wins.

At any rate, the sun was behind a building within an hour and the night could not have been better. Little twinkly lights, superb service (as always). I do love a place that comps me (disclaimer - I eat there often) - our desserts were gifts as was a round of bitters when the meal was over. It was all toasts to Kristin, all the time. I can't say I'm one of those people who freaks out if you sing happy birthday to her on a patio :-)

The walk home was temperature-perfection and I was shocked to find it was 10:30 when I opened my front door. That evening flew by.

Today I went out to buy myself a few treats. First up, I've figured out how to make socks with no remnants to contend with. Since I use 75g per pair of socks, 300g of yarn (generally split into 3 100g skeins, as sock yarn is wont to be packaged) turns into 4 pairs of socks. Three of those 4 are made from the individual skeins of yarn. The 4th is a mash up of the remains of the first 3. The key is to make sure (or to hope) that the yarns for the 4 pair of socks will work together.

I went for these options because I couldn't stand knitting with another solid while everything around me is so colourful:

The grey yarn at the top is Koigu (a perennial fave that comes in 50g skeins - hence 2 balls). The other yarns are made by Regia, a German yarn which is indestructible. I'm sure I've mentioned that I'm still wearing one pair 3 years later...

These skeins are fun because they're self-striping. The blue/purple combo  does this crazy pattern, all on its own:

Regia Arne & Carloss - Tokke

I've wanted to try it for a while because, that's a lot of pattern for yarn you just hold an knit.

This is what the grey yarn looks like, once knit:

Regia Relax Color - Stone

I've been all over the greys and neutrals lately (not that the Tokke sock is particularly neutral) so I'm sticking with my preferred palette.

I also got myself a new body scrubber and a box of Paine's Cedar:

You know of my endless love of wood smoke. These little pellets burn in about 10 minutes and they make your house smell like a forest or an expensive fence! Not incense-y like something you find at the hippie store.

Just ordered my fave vegetarian delivery - Fresh. I've got a Big Salad (with avocado, hemp hearts and marinated tofu), my fave Cacao/maca smoothie and quinoa onion rings wending their way to me.

Sure, it would have been smarter to do yoga before I ordered the food - how can I pair the yummies with a chilled Rioja if yoga awaits? Something's gotta give and I really don't know which one it's going to be?!

Scott's off visiting his parents and M is working (mercifully). Today she advised me that she has disowned me and changed my name on her phone from Mum to Kristin. I did opt to dig a little by asking her whether she'd spelled it correctly...

Quick Update: The food just arrived and the onion rings are hot. I believe the Rioja wins.

Update on the Update: I ate the onion rings only, waited 45 min and then did yoga. Awesome forward bend practice. Now for the salad and Rioja.

* Note: On a gorgeous Friday evening in Toronto, you do not fuck around when it comes to getting a seat on a good patio , even if the food is meh. At a great restaurant, you do what you must to be there when the place opens. There was not a seat to be had outside from 6 until 10 pm.