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Learning Log, May 2025

đŸ§¶ Crafting

  • Finished my first colorwork sock, with a flower motif along the cuff. Next up, start the second sock!
  • Started a t-shirt dress hack from the Closet Core T-shirt. In May I printed, cut, and adapted the pattern; then I ironed and cut the fabric.

đŸ§™đŸ»â€â™€ïžÂ Side quests

First-time visit to Montreal

A rainy view of the sidewalk in front of Drawn & Quarterly, a bookstore and publisher specializing in comic books. Two people are walking by with umbrellas, and there's a hanging pot of yellow flowers at the front of the store.

My husband and I both had a fantastic time exploring Montreal—even more fun than we had expected. A few key themes:

  • It’s nice to travel just a few hours from West Coast US and feel like you’ve been transported to a European city.
  • I enjoyed how Montreal seemed to invest in fun, cultural things “just because”. Teeter totters on the side of a street, which is also closed to car traffic? Why not!
  • Food and bev was incredible (strong N/A drinks game!), and the service we received everywhere we went was relaxed and friendly. Truly, I was gratified by how welcoming everyone was and that a server did not laugh at me when I shared that “feuille” is my Achilles Heel re: French pronunciation. 😆
My husband standing on a side-drenched wooden staircase in the midst of vibrantly green deciduous trees.
Surprisingly rainy but zen walk down the Grand Staircase from Mt. Royal

Highlights: activities

  • MusĂ©e des beaux-arts de MontrĂ©al
  • Pointe-Ă -CalliĂšre, the archaeology museum
  • Walking around Vieux-Port
really just walking around anywhere
  • Walking the trails at Mount Royal Park (we spotted a beaver!!)

Highlights: food & drink

  • Cadet
  • Bar Bello for a drink and a snack
  • Alep: over-ordered here 💯
  • CafĂ© Myriade for coffee
  • Nicole Buvette du Quartier for more-upscale poutine and chill vibes
  • Mano Cornuto: cheerfully chaotic vibes here, like The Bear but with a smile
  • Bouillon Bilk: fanciest place we went to; calm and not snooty

MCAF (Montreal Comic Arts Festival)

When in Montreal, one must seek out comics. I stopped by Drawn & Quarterly and they asked me if I was in town for MCAF. No, but what a happy coincidence!

A set of comic panels blown up to poster size, displayed on standing metal grates, sort of like gridded fences or barriers. Each panel is in black and white with an accent background color, and I have no idea what's going on because it's all in French.

We decided to check it out the next day. MCAF has such a chill, community vibe. It’s basically a bunch of tents set up for vendors and programming across a few city blocks in Plateau-Mont-Royal—like a farmer’s market but with graphic novels. They also had some open-air poster exhibits sprinkled down the street. I picked up some fun books and stickers from Sarah Anderson, Little Sprout, and Boum.

đŸŒ±Â Digital gardening

This site

Updated the Observing Nature page with a bunch of observations from Merlin. Also categorized birds by “family”. I had to do this manually, as eBird doesn’t give you this data on export. The hope is to start grouping the observations by family on this site.

Snacks site

Added gummies from Sweden 🇾đŸ‡Ș

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