Hello, February

Another Think, Write, Thursday This week's topic is Hello, February.

February is starting off with a bang. Today I had to shovel snow!

Knitting-wise, I am making a tea cosy for my vintage KAL. It is a very simple thing, but it's in what might be called "half-brioche" or some sort of fake brioche stitch. It's not quite this Fisherman's Rib. It's not quite the same as this variation of brioche, according to Woolly Wormhead. You knit one row, and on the second row you purl one, knit one in the row below. And that is it for the whole tea cosy! I had to rip out about an inch and a half because no size is given in the pattern and the cosy would have swamped my poor pot, so I started again with about 10 fewer stitches.

Other than knitting, well...

1. It is the beginning of birthday season around here. We do all four family birthdays between the middle of February and the end of April, and by some strange luck we go in order from youngest to oldest!
2. On Sunday I am going to the opera, something I have not done before. It is five hours long, and that's about all I know about it. 
3. At the end of the month, there is a big celebration in the empty Honest Ed's store. Honest Ed Mirvish was Toronto's big showman/ salesman/ rags-to-riches guy. He built up his business till he owned a whole block, covered his store in light bulbs and silly signs, had door-crasher specials and Christmas turkey give-aways. People have lots of stories about their immigrant families buying stuff at Honest Ed's, about buying things when they first set up house, as students, as newcomers to Toronto... I am volunteering at the final party, and even though it's only about 3 weeks away, I really have no idea how it's all going to work, but I'll keep you posted. And in a few years, that block will be covered in 20-storey towers and a whole new park. 
4. Stephen is going away for a week and Arthur is coming here for a week. 
5. I'm going to the first meeting to talk about volunteering at Hot Docs 2017. Whoo-hoo!
6. I'm training to volunteer at the Textile Museum.
7. I have a potluck dinner planned with my pals.
8. I plan to write to my MPP about road tolls in the city and my MP about election reform. I think that telling my elected officials how to do their job might be my Canada150 project! A letter a month, two in February to make up for a lack in January. 

I'm exhausted even thinking about it. 

A real Honest Ed's sign, on the way to the exit.