Romeo, Tybalt and Mercutio ...oh my

Besides all the hunky men in t-shirts, another great thing about NYC in the summer are all the free concerts and events.
The top one on my list is Shakespeare in the Park. Waking up at 5 in the morning after closing my store the night before, waiting on line in Central Park for six hours and then having to come back seven hours later for the show is worth it. This year the first show is Romeo and Juliet and it was fabulous. There is nothing better than seeing handsome Romeo dueling hunky Tybalt in a pool of water, and why is it that no matter the production, Mercutio is always HOT!

Well back to the knitting ...


After two different patterns and four false starts, I have finally appeased the sock knitting gods and I am progressing well on my new sock.

Koigu is my yarn of choice and the pattern is a new one from SockPixie called Groovy Sock.
I got the link from the podcast Socks in the City. It is the easiest repeat and it knits up quickly, so I recommend it to anyone who has had a small battle with the sock gods and just needs to redeem themselves. Of course I agree with Dharmafey and all others who say that sock knitting will live forever and who really needs all those shawls anyway.

Now to redeem myself to others ... I will do the short row heel on this sock. Yes I will try it and since I will be able to carefully measure the heel this time it might work out better for my precious little foot. Now let me state right now for the record, if I don't like the way it looks...back to my loyal heel flap I go !

Happy Knitting to all.

Happy Birthday ...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANCY !!!

Hope your day is full of love, joy and happiness and of course lots and lots of Iced Chai...

Nothing but the best for you ... always
love ya!!!

Paris...oh paris

My sleepless nights are over.

I can feel free to leave my home now and not be attached to my cell phone if she called.

After 23 days of not cleaning my apartment are over.. I will be able to see my floor now.

After 23 of not fulfilling any erotic fantasies are over...now I just have to find an gorgeous Australian bungee jumper who dances salsa and enjoys peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I will be able to knit for fun and not to push away the tears from flowing freely on the train as I read headlines from newspapers.

I will be able to stand proudly and wear my new Jimmy Choo shoes and my Free Paris t-shirt.

Paris is free ... Paris is free.

Yeah right...who said membership doesn't have its privileges.

I will celebrate when those falsely accused are released from jail and they all should run into their moms SUV after waving to hundreds of photographers and getting paid millions for a television interview.

I stubbed my toe...again

Those who know me well know that I am a natural born klutz, I can see the something clearly and then still crash into it.
So when I decided to try toe up socks my biggest concern was the short rows. I have not had much luck with them . So after much boo hooing and complaining I broke down and tried them. The toe was easier than I thought and then the foot was cool. With help from some great knitters I did the short rows and the heel was working well. But...that is where it ends.
No matter how much measuring I did and fitting and refitting, this sock does not look or feel right to me.

So...Before



After...
I did not like the heel .. even after the third time working the short rows and the heel flap. I was not happy with the fit and the look of the cuff at all.

I would like to thank the ladies who gave me all their wisdom and attention this weekend with this sock....Ann(you were so right), Nancy and Chante.
I would like to thank the makers of Koigu for giving me the only pleasure while making this sock.
I would like to thank my booksellers who just listen to me vent and bitch about this sock today at work.
And I would like to tell the knitting gods that someday I will try toe up socks again, but until then give me a cuff first...anytime.

HOOTERS and MR SOFTEE

How I spent my summer vacation...

No Ann... it is not what you think, but it is partially how I spent my week's vacation. I started off the week celebrating my beautiful heritage with the Puerto Rican Day Parade and I ended it crashing on my futon watching old Nancy Drew movies I had on the DVR.

Let me explain.

I have been blessed to have some amazing friends in my life, those people who I turn to on the daily basis for support and love. Nancy and I have been friends since the sixth grade and that is over 27 years now.

Frances and I have been friends since our Holy Communion and we were next door neighbors on Gerard Avenue near Yankee Stadium, and that is close to 26 years. Frances and I had special signals on the wall which was between our apartments. Knocking by the window meant look out the window, and series of knocks by the door meant its time to hang out in the hallway.
Our weekends were spent roller skating, reading, playing games and causing trouble in the large hallway in front of our apartments. The doors were open and our parents knew where we were and we were safe.
Frances and her family moved to Florida years later but we constantly kept in touch. Tons of letters and phone calls and I still go on a yearly trip to wherever she is. Frances has been blessed with an amazing family. A loving husband Alain who I consider to be a brother, and four beautiful kids.
I am still in awe on how both Frances and Nancy juggle their busy lives, and still remain strong women and I am just their to support them both as much as I can.

So this week Frances and her husband came to the Big Apple. They have not been in the city in over 9 years and medical conference came in just in time for some pizza and cute FDNY.

We hit four out of five boroughs, the best restaurant in Little Italy, Chinatown (twice), the South Street Seaport, WTC, The Staten Island ferry, Times Square, Greenwich Village, Chelsea, Rockefeller Center and of course the Bronx.


I found a Hooters in the city for a t-shirt for Frances and of course any one who grew up in NYC has some fond memories and connection to Mr. Softee ice cream, always with rainbow sprinkles and we shared many many margaritas and pizza slices before the weekend was over.

I am officially the best tour guide in the city !!!
Since Alain had a medical conference on Friday evening and all day Saturday, Frances and I had the city to ourselves for most of the time. It was great, and this time she was on my turf.
There was another trip to Chinatown for some goodies shopping and some Chinese food before Frances and Alain had dinner reservations and tickets for Lion King.
By Saturday afternoon Frances was barely holding on while waiting for the 'R' train on Canal Street.


Frances and hubby left on Sunday morning, braving a wild ride to the airport and carrying tons of goodies for the family and lots of great memories.

So by Sunday I was exhausted. I bonded with my futon and I was so tired that I could not even knit on stitch.

Can't wait till next year when they plan on returning.

One Drunken Hedera and an Orphan

So they are finished...finally

I revived up my sock knitting skills and finally finished my pair of Hedera socks. The first one was a piece of cake...chocolate cake (my favorite). Like any simple lace pattern, it was easy to memorized and then I was good to go. Until I hit the wall, the dreaded second sock syndrome wall. It was a shock to me, I love making lacy socks and now that I have found a grafting technique that is easy to do, I have no issues...yeah right.
It took me a bit of time but they were finished this weekend. The last home stretch was made at Nancy's house sitting on her deck as her hubby grilled some turkey burgers. But the one main lesson to be learned here was the fact that Coronas and Lace do not go well together. I realized as I was almost to the last three rounds of the pattern that I had ignored the last 9 sts in the pattern. So with some discreet ktog and some psso I was able to fix the boo boo and it is barely visible. Heck the socks are mine and no one is going to be able to see the sock that low near my toes.

As part of this years resolution I did use up some of my sock stash. This is Knit Picks Essential Sock Yarn in the Cocoa colorway.

Even though it looks good, I think this yarn is better for a rib or just plain st st, I wasn't thrilled with the way the lace sts hold up. I have started a new pair of stocks as well as the famous Baby Kimono, but that will come later.


So I have become a little Etsy obsessed. All I really try to do these days is just look and drool, but I broke down bought something. Now before you all say that I was not supposed to buy any yarn, this is sock yarn and it was an orphan. It seems that the original intended buyer never came through, so I was able to get this yarn for a steal.

The yarn was hand dyed by WhiteWillow on Etsy and its in the Lichen colorway. It is 440 yards of merino wool for only $10.00. Now you see why I had to adopt it and give it a good home. The colors are deeper than they look here but I used the natural light on my fire escape instead of my apt.
I have also been looking around for someones birthday gift. I wonder what I might find...hmmm

PRECIOSA ...

• Here is what I know to be fact:
• This beautiful flag is over 100 years old, created in 1895 as part of the new revolution to gain independence from Spain.
• The flag became the national symbol for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in 1952.
• Red Stripes for the three branches of government.
• White Stripes for liberty and rights kept in balance by the legislature.
• Blue Triangle for "republican" representation of government in the three branches.
• White Star is the symbol for the Commonwealth.

Over the years the flags meaning has changed from the spirit of revolution for independence from Spain to the similarity in color hues to the flag of the US in the tradition of "Old Glory" as Puerto Rico became property of the US as a Commonwealth.



Here is what I know from my heart.

• This flag is a symbol of my parents and island from where they came.
• I adore and cherish its history and power.
• I do not need t-shirts or hats to prove that I am Boricua
• I do not go to parade yearly to prove that I am a proud Puerto Rican woman. I carry myself every day the way my mami taught me ... a strong and smart woman.
• It angers me when my "people" choose to be ignorant and stereotypical
  
• I know my history
• I know my language
• I know my music and food

but don't get it twisted ... YO SOY BORICUA ... PA QUE LO SEPA !

So every year we celebrate in NYC by having the largest parade. The National Puerto Rican Day Parade is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and I will be there. There are times when I just get that urge, the need to be part of the celebration, to be loud and proud.
Yes it has had its controveries, and too many floats and too many dancers shaking their booties up 5th avenue and too many just being crazy.
But there is nothing better than seeing a proud parent with their child waving the flag, a old timer jibaro in his guayabera and straw hat still dancing and singing. The music and the pagentry... but its worth it, for as loud and crazy as it can be, and for the panic on the faces of the money makers on 5th avenue and for the chance to scream at the top of my lungs with mami

QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO !!!

Yo sé lo que son los encantos
de mi borinquen hermosa
por eso la quiero yo tanto
por siempre la llamaré Preciosa
yo sé de sus hembras trigueñas
sé del olor de sus rosas
por eso a mi tierra riqueña
por siempre la llamaré Preciosa...

porque ahora es que comprendo
porque ahora es que comprendo
que aunque pase lo que pase
yo seré puertoriqueño
yo seré puertoriqueño
por donde quiera que ande, ooohhh
por que lo llevo en la sangre
por herencia de mis padres
y con orgullo repito
yo te quiero Puerto Rico
yo te quiero Puerto Rico


I know what's enchanting
about my beautiful Borinquen
That's why I love her so much
And I'll always call her Precious

I know about her dark-skinned women
I know about the smell of her roses
That's why to my rich country
I'll always call her Precious

Because it's now that I understand
Because it's now that I understand
that regardless of what happens
I will always be Puerto Rican
I will always be Puerto Rican
Because wherever I walk, oooohhhh
Because I carry it in my blood
Because of my parent's heritage
And with pride I repeat
I love you Puerto Rico
I love you Puerto Rico

.... Precisosa by Marc Anthony