Sunday, August 26, 2007

Boston ... not too bad

Last weekend I went to Boston with my friend Heather to see what the excitement is ... and I did enjoy my time there and the city's beauty and history.

It was a lot smaller than I expected and walking is a must for everything, and since I do so much of it here in NYC it was a piece of cake...chocolate layered brownie cake.

Of course we did everything from the Duck tours to the cemetery walk as part of the Freedom Trail.


Sam Adams ... Paul Revere and John Hancock are the highlights.

the Boston harbor

The student tour at Harvard... but is this really him?

Such a pretty campus...Rory would have loved it.

Nothing like a Grecian goddess hanging out at the Fine Arts Museum, she looked lonely.

Ben Franklin was really into pyramids... its all about the symbols in this cemetery.

Maybe he wants to date the Grecian lady, a Cleopatra - Anthony thing only in reverse.

Public gardens for the walking

and a lake for the swans a swimming.

Outside the museum, he is crying for the love of the Grecian goddess... talk about a historical romance novel.

So pretty at night.

Hey Heather ... wanna get some more ice cream?

Washington was waiting for us to come by for a stroll.

Trinity Church .. wow

Quincy Market night

So this is how he plans his newest brew. Samuel Adams was a shorty who would have been proofed at any pub.


And a Renoir ...enough said.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I am starting to un-Ravel

So I survived Boston even with every single Red Soxs fan following me around the city. Getting in and out of my hotel room was rough with all those people but all I had to do was flash my Bronx t-shirt and they all ran away.

News on my trip later except for the yarn crawl. Of course going to a new city means new yarn stores. I found three stores within the city limits and since they were within our paths along the city, it didn't take too much to convince my friend Heather to just simply go by the stores.

I really did not need to buy any more yarn at this moment, I am trying to be good until Rhinebeck, but yarn purchased on vacations doesn't count.

I was not fond of the two fancy stores on Newbury Street. I am not going to shop in any store where I don't even get a hello when I walk in, overpriced because of the address and then when the store is full of more needlepoint stuff than good yarn ... I walk out empty handed.

After our tour of Harvard and having some coffee I saw a geeky looking guy with two bags. One full of comic books and the other with yarn...shame he was just too geeky for me. I scared him in the coffee shop when I asked him where did he get the yarn, and after five minutes of confusing directions I was headed to Woolcott & Co. Three blocks from Harvard Square the place was nice. The young girls working on socks in the store were friendly and since they knew that I really was in my element they just smiled, offered help and kept knitting. Most of the stuff in the store was familiar and lovely. I just picked up two balls of Regia Silk which I haven't had the pleasure of knitting with yet and some bamboo circular needles which are plane and Magic Loop friendly.


I promised pictures of the infamous ( they took me forever ) Koigu Groovy Socks. I am not totally thrilled with them but they are not going to be unraveled again. I will wear them proudly and as a reminder of my short row heel hardship.



Then in the continuing baby gifts saga I had decided that I was going to make the Anouk from Knitty.com, I had all the yarn stash colors picked out and I starting knitting immediately. I finished the whole back piece in three days.



Doesn't it look good so far. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in coral and red...so pretty.



After ... love that ball winder.



I just wasn't happy with the piece I had completed and how it was going to hang. I knew that the gift would be loved, but at this point in my knitting skill I could be better. So I unraveled it and it didn't hurt. That is the true sign for me, if it doesn't hurt as you take it apart then it needs to be redone. I found a new pattern in a Vogue baby book and it will be a simple jumper in the same fabulous colors.

Oh by the way... RAVELRY has called upon me to join the other lovers of the knit and stitch. I have answered the call and give me a few days to get all my stuff rolling and pretty.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Belle in Beantown... what the f***

For those of you who don't know me ... there is only one baseball team that matters to me... the Bronx Bombers ... those who have won 26 World Championships ... The New York Yankees.

I grew up two blocks from the stadium, playing in and around the stadium and once in a while seeing a player or two.

So where is the last place I should go ...


Boston... and there is where I am going this weekend. With my good friend Heather we are heading to Beantown to see its grandeur and historical wonders. I am a lover of history and that is what I am looking forward to seeing the most.

The one place I can't go near is Fenway Park. Now I am not going to do anything stupid, mami did not raise a fool, but I have maintain my loyalty.

I have scouted out a few yarn/crafts stores in the area and hopefully they won't be hard to find, and I won't be caught without a sock in my bag for the bus ride up there. I am on the foot of a Lorna's Laces sock in the Bittersweet colorway, a fast and simple pattern from the new Easy Knitted Socks book, the one on the cover. I just needed a super fast pattern that wasn't all stockinette stitch.

Hey... the new Vogue Knitting the Ultimate Sock book is out .. can you say HOT DAMN !!!

Everyone have a great knitting weekend

Nancy... I have two words for you ....bail money ( just in case)

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Goodies... heat and all

So if you live in NYC there is nothing worse that the heat at the moment. It seems that August decided to come in with a major heat wave. Now I expect it to happen since it is the summer and all, but damn.

You know its bad when I did no knitting at home unless my portable air conditioner was sitting right in front of me or only at work in the cold a.c. So for this reason I have yet to finish my first koigu "groovy" socks. I am close and hopefully I will have them done by tomorrow night and ready to share with everyone.

But I have been able to finish a baby ensemble for a co-worker, it is so adorable. These are the times I wish I had a baby of my own to knit for....but until then, someone else gets my knitted goodies.

Now .. what happens when you just take some time to browse through Etsy. Another beautiful purchase from White Oak Studios.
I am of big fans of two televsion shows with the initals GG. One the Golden Girls and the second being the Gilmore Girls. I am still in mourning for the loss of the Gilmore Girls this past June.
So when I was on Etsy, I took a look at this vendors site again and there was her sock yarn in the Gilmore Girls colorway. She has a whole line of tv inspired colorways. I had bought the Buffy the Vampire Slayer for Nancy for her birthday.

Isn't it just perfect. It has the brown for all their coffee consumption and the best blue for the color of their eyes and of course girlie pink.
This yarn is going to make me an amazing pair of socks. I was recommended to do the RPM's from Knitty.com


One of the benefits of being a knitter is when you are lucky enough to get goodies from someones family. One of my dearest friends Jeff lost a family member and I was lucky to get all her knitting and crocheting stash. I was blessed to receive yarn which I shared with my knitting group. Needles and markers and holders, most of which ended up in my knitting cube and again I shared the wealth. I kept the booklets and some amazing lace weight yarn with no labels. The best part is this bag with embroidered stitching saying "Knitting is my Bag".. its adorable and all mine now.


Thank you Jeff, Wayne and Maria for all my new goodies.

So for now I am still in baby clothes making mode, I am still using up some yarn stash to make a jumper and some baby bibs. The petal bib from One Skein Knitting is so much fun to make and so easy and quick. I made one in less than two hours this morning.

And as a PSA ... if anyone need to recover from any illness or needs some TLC ... I highly recommend Nancy's house. I was so under the weather last weekend and Nancy took care of me for the day. It meant the world to me and its what I really needed.

Ciao Ciao