Summer Storage

One of the many advantages of living in the Bronx instead of any other place is that even the one bedroom apartments are not too small. My building is a post WW 2 walk up and the space is descent size for one person. But I have way too much stuff for a one person, but I am working on changing that little by little.

Of course is doesn't help that I have a yarn addiction that has taken over my living room. I had to desperately clean up the corner of the room so that I could actually get to the window.
So after some searching, four day wait...a cab ride to the Bronx and the hauling up the stairs...I have this.
This comes from Target.com and it serves me well. I needed something that would look good and that wouldn't take up too much space.
Trust me .. it did not take me too long to fill it up.


I barely found space for the last four skeins of sock yarn. The first shelf is full of sock yarn, I have way too much Regia sock yarn.


All the Debbie Bliss yarn will be used up soon, I have to start working on some cute baby items and that will use up a lot of the baby cashmerino I have been hoarding. Now I have to find something to do with the eleven skeins of Lambs Pride I bought last year for a sweater which I still haven't used and don't know if I like anymore.

So who is getting addicted to Etsy? I am blaming Chante for my new found addiction to Etsy.

The little things

So there is this tagging thing going on these days...sharing about share 7 to 8 things about yourself and then sending it to other people and so on. So I will do the random things about myself but I really don't have that many people to tag ... so I am flying solo.

1. Something that took me awhile to realize is that I am the youngest of nine kids, not 5 as I grew up with. I have four brothers on my mom side who I grew up with and then there are the kids my dad had a long long time before I came around. Those other siblings weren't a part of my life. My dad didn't make the effort to have us know each other, so my new found connection with another brother and sister did not happen until my dad's passing.

2. I secretly have always wanted to be a backup singer. One of those standing behind a mic stand doing the ohhs and ahhs. Just enjoying the singing and the touring but the one problem is that I cannot sing. One chance to sing backup for a salsa band is all I need ... lol

3. Remember all those Freddy films and Chucky movies, those infamous horror films that came out in the 80's and 90's ... haven't seen any of them and I never will.

4. Someday I will get on that hot air balloon. Almost did it in San Diego but my mom would have had a heart attack if I went up in the air.

5. In my closet I still have my Donny and Marie dolls. There were a Christmas gift and they are still in good condition. I loved watching the Donny and Marie shows and all those variety shows in the 1970's. My Donny doll was heavily involved with my Barbie doll for a bit there.

6. It is ironic that out of most of my friends I am the one who is still single and with no kids. Trust me is not from wanting or the looking for 'mr right' but I was always the one who was domestic and should have been settled down by now.

7. I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICHES ... enough said

8. I was once totally obsessed Montgomery Clift and I even found the brownstone that he lived at in 60's. I still have issues with his friendship with Liz Taylor.

See I am just a simple, good girl from the Bronx.

New Orleans...part 3

One of the best parts of my trip to New Orleans is hanging out with my friend Cindy and her family. Even though Cindy now lives in North Carolina, she travels to her family in New Orleans. This amazing lady is Dot..or Grandma to everyone else. Dot has officially renamed me Caramel and I love it...but she is the only one who can call me that.
At 85 and standing strong, Dot is still independent as she is the matriarch of the family and it is beautiful to see how everyone rallies around her.
The whole family welcomed me to the city...and that is a big family.


Cindy made every effort to make the city come alive for me. From taking to the Garden District and showing me all the beautiful homes to all the parts which are still struggling years after Hurricane Katrina.
It is amazing to think of the hardship that everyone is still dealing with on the daily basis. Even in the oldest areas, the old "money", the homes are not the same. There is that feeling of total frustration and fear of flooding happening again.

There is an underlying amount of love and warmth in this city but it is still clouded with fear and uncertainty.

My last night in New Orleans was all about Bourbon Street. Starting with an amazing dinner to too many margaritas and lots & lots of dancing. Cindy and I had a fantastic time strutting our butts down Bourbon Street..and we were not the only ones.

Lets just say...what happens on Bourbon Street stays on Bourbon Street.

Brunch of course was at Brennan's ... Bananas Foster enough said..( which was created by Cindy's husbands grandfather) .

All I know is that I have to back to New Orleans. The beautiful and lovely people, they were helpful and grateful for all the visitors and on top of all that...the are still so proud of their home.

I love New Orleans ... Part 2

The four days that I spent New Orleans were just enough and then again not nearly enough time to enjoy this wonderful city. I spent the first day on my own walking around the French Quarter but then on Friday I met up with Cindy.

Cindy flew in to Baton Rouge from North Carolina and she drove to meet up with me. The skies decided to open up and let the rain come down. I have never seen rain like that in my life, but we were not letting that stop us at all. We headed to the Central Market to have my first muffaletta... yes I did try all the food that was to be had.
I had to make a stop at the oldest voodoo shop in the Quarter...weird for a good Catholic girl like me.


Of course I would choose to go to NOLA during Jazz Fest. Since it rained on Friday, the festival was packed on Saturday and the heat was amazing. I have never felt that kind of heat in such a short period of time and I am still dealing with the sunburn a week later. Cindy wanted me to get the full Jazz Fest experience from all the food to the Southern Comfort hurricanes, but when the sun decided to beam on me and her daughter Kaitlin, we decided that it was time to go. The event was amazing and the people plan there year around this week long festival.

The beauty of the city was enhanced for me when Cindy drove me around the town. All the plantation style homes, the oldest homes in Louisiana and of course Anne Rice's home which is beautiful and now it belongs to the city again. The St. Charles trolley is not running yet which was so disappointing. Cindy took me to some of the oldest parts of the city, along with seeing Tulane and Loyola Universities.
The hardest parts of the city to see where those that were still dealing with the after effects of Hurricane Katrina. I can't even express the how hard it was to see those homes with water lines where the water settled, and those 'x' marks made by the rescue teams. The canals that overflowed and the walls that broke. The water had no where to go...I can't even imagine living and trying to survive those days.


So of course I had to make the effort to find a yarn store in New Orleans. The one I ended up going to was not the one I was looking for but it was quick find and on the corner of Jackson Square. The ladies at the Visitor's Center wasn't surprised when I told her I was looking for a knitting store....hmmm

I found this sweet store called The Quarter Stitch. Now this a new store and they specialize in needlepoint and they have a lot of novelty yarns but they had the one thing that made me stop and shop...KOIGU.
So I found myself some of the coolest purple sock yarn but this is how they wrapped the yarn.

I DON'T WANT TO OPEN UP THIS PACKAGE...THE KOIGU IS INSIDE........HELP ME !!!

The ladies at the shop were hilarious, telling me stories of working at the New Orleans Zoo and their amazing gorillas.

Part 3 in a few days.

New Orleans ... I love the Big Easy ! part one

So earlier this year when trying to decide where I wanted to go on vacation, I went through what everyone goes through...all the websites and travel magazines and trying to see what I could afford.
I decided on the one place that I have wanted to go to for years and the place that needed my money more than those Spaniards.

NEW ORLEANS ...

My fantastic friend Cindy ( who left me to move to North Carolina ) had lived in New Orleans all her life. A school teacher who left her hometown after the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Cindy was blessed in evacuating her family and her loved ones early but she did see everything we saw on television first hand.
So after making the decision to move and looking for a new job, Cindy ended up in NYC working at my store...and my bookstore was never the same again. She brought with her all the heat of Louisiana and lots of love to share with everyone.
So after hearing all the stories, I made the decision to go visit this amazing city and contribute to their "recovery"
Cindy arranged her new life in North Carolina around meeting me in NOLA to show me her hometown the right way.
I was so lucky to have Cindy be my tour guide...and she pulled some strings for me while there.

If anyone ever goes to visit NOLA and they want to stay in the French Quarter, I highly recommend the Hotel Montleone. Now its a little pricey and I lucked out with a very good deal, but its so worth it. With its famous Carousel Bar and amazing service, this hotel is just one block away from Bourbon Street and the Acme Oyster Bar.

On my first day in New Orleans I was on my own. After checking in and plotting my route I headed out to explore. The French Quarter is not big and so easy to get around, it reminded me of Old San Juan. I headed straight to Jackson Square and of course the first thing I saw were musicians playing up a storm.


Jackson Square is beautiful. With the St. Louis Cathedral at the top and the Mississippi River at the bottom, it was full of musicians and artists and fortune tellers. The Cathedral is the oldest active cathedral in the US. The area is surrounded by some amazing buildings, the architecture is beautiful.

The apartments surrounding Jackson Square are some of the oldest standing apartments in the US and they were not damaged by the flood.



So if anyone who loves coffee and delicious goodies must go to the Cafe Du Monde the minute they hit Jackson Square. OH MY GOD...this was heaven.

Cafe Au Lait and Beignets before ...

Cafe Au Lait and Beignets after...


I took the Riverboat Natchez tour up the Mississippi River, it was a two hour ride and as you went along the river we were given ample information and history of the area.

I was able to get some pictures of the infamous Ninth Ward from the steamboat. Seeing a FEMA trailer park which is still the home to many who did not leave after the flooding. The trailers are still all over and there are still many people living in them because they do not have anywhere else to go.

As you can see the river wall is not high at all and you can see how easy it was for the water to take control and destroy homes and lives. The walls and levees were no match for this amazing river. From 250,000 residents in this parish, only about 25,000 remain. There is so much more to tell you later on about the outlying areas which I saw with Cindy on Friday.

After finishing up the riverboat tour and finding a yarn shop in the Quarter (you all know those are the knitters travel rules), I headed back to the hotel to relax and then treat myself to an amazing dinner... yes I did try turtle soup. Walking down Bourbon Street in the early evening is an experience and later in the evening its wild.

Anyone can have a great time just walking around the French Quarter, going in and out of shops and just being in awe of this city that has been through devastation and its trying to survive and recover day by day.

Im back.

Hello everyone.

I am back from the Big Easy....

Just a little hung over and sunburned from Jazz Fest. I had a great time and I will blog about it sometime this week.

For now just to show that there is still knitting in my life...here is the Hedera Sock from Knitty.com that I am working on.
I did take the sock with me to New Orleans but I had to take the sock off my circular needle and put it on dpns. What a sock shock to my system, it slowed me down so much. I didn't continue after two rounds.
I put them back on my circular needle this morning to continue with my magic loop love fest.


Still knitting from my stash, this is yarn is from Knit Picks.
I did have a little yarn diet detour in New Orleans...but yarn bought on vacation is allowed.

More to come.

What a Heel !

What a heel! and I do not mean the last guy I dated.

So what happens when you get sock obsessed? You finish your first pair of lace socks in under two weeks. I really wanted to show off these socks at my knitting group this past weekend and I wanted to be just like Chante.
This pattern is from the Favorite Socks book put out by Interweave Press, they are actually on the cover but in a different color. I used up some Spirit Trail sock yarn that I purchased last year in Rhinebeck. I simply love the color and this pattern was so easy to remember.

The most exciting part of it all was my toe. I have had no luck in perfecting the infamous kitchener stitch, but I know that I am not the first to suffer the woes of grafting those toes. I did panic and I even looked at some online videos...nothing helped...NADA
Until I turned to the little booklet that taught me the Magic Loop, it has a simple little paragraph with four little steps...and that is all I needed. The toe took me a minute to finish and then I was doing the cha cha in my apartment.

I loved my heel most of all...it was perfect ( the tears of joy )


So this past Sunday, we had a knitting day at Nancy's house.

As her hubby Rinaldo grilled some great burgers with lots of cheese for me and the kids played, the ladies knitted and purled and grafted some roving and spun some yarn.


I really had no intention of trying the spinning wheel which Rinaldo and I bought Nancy for Christmas. But in honor of my mami and her love of spinning wheels, I tried it.
Don't get it twisted... this picture is not speaking the truth. It was harder than I thought. I was trying to breathe and not let the roving fly all over the place.

I have decided for now that I like my yarn in the old fashion way.... ordered from a catalog on the Internet.

Our lovely teacher Chante was having a ball on the wheel and she came with her little portable one. She makes it look so easy...yeah right.



Nancy is so eager to become a great spinner and I have no doubt that she will be the "mad spinner" in no time. She has the lovely light coming in from her back yard and she knows it will take some time to master.

Tisha was too scared to touch the wheel and she didn't even get to do any knitting either. Her yarn was all knotted up and it took hours for Nancy to unravel it.

Now I have started my first Knitty pattern. I am doing the Hedera socks and they are lovely.
Do you think I like knitting lacy socks .... yep

So friends.. I am heading to New Orleans this Thursday morning. I figured if I am going to spend my hard earned money anywhere, it would be there and I know they need it. I will meeting one of my good friends Cindy who lived in the Big Easy until Katrina hit. She has set me up for a wonderful weekend and my first stop after arriving at the hotel ....

The Cafe du Monde....Beignets anyone ?

I LOVE NEW YORK ...

The city of Brotherly Love...hmmm

For everyone who knows me, knows that I am a tried and true New Yorker...Bronx girl forever, but I do consider myself a world traveller, both coasts of our country and I have even stepped off this continent a few times.
So when my home girl Nancy got tickets for us to go see the KING TUT exhibit at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, I jumped at the chance to drool over the artifacts of the Boy King and to see a new city.

After several trains we arrived in the city known for is historical content and its loving heart.
We walked by this lovely sign and we took the time to see some of the famous buildings...dear William Penn must be tired of being on top of City Hall.


Ben Franklin holds court over the Franklin Institute and he is looking pretty good for his age. But you would think that the lighting would be better, he really needs to talk to someone about that.



Not being able to take pictures inside the museum we had to make due with that we had. The major pieces of the exhibit were home in Egypt where they belong. ( Or the Egyptian government had to worry about my travel companion and her love of everything gold and shiny)
I was totally in awe of the amazing workmanship on the pieces in the exhibit. I can't fathom how it all was done, all with simple tools and hard work. Heck I complain when my printer doesn't have enough ink.



We even had the chance to swing by the Liberty Bell and see it in all its glory. I couldn't believe the long line that we had to go through to have our bags scanned and to be reviewed by security.



So by the end of the long train rides and all the walking ... we all decided on one simple thing...

WE WANTED TO COME HOME !!!

Lets just say that we came across some interesting characters and situations that would make our great city seem boring and like a cream puff.

I was in total shock to see what I was a witness to while on the road and in person. It makes me wonder what are the priorities of the state government and city officials, do they really see what is happening in there state. I admit to the fault of NYC ... all its good and bad, but I have never felt worried or scared while just walking down the street during the day with my best friend, god son and some other dear friends or having a quick meal at the mall.

So the city of brotherly love... I am not sure that is so true anymore.

The best part of all the travelling was having the chance to work on my new sock. Its from the new Interweave book ... Favorite Socks. I am actually working on the ones on the cover using some of the Spirit Trail yarn I bought at the Sheep and Wool festival. I am having a great time working on these socks. For being my first charted pattern, they knit up so fast and I am having a ball working on them. The best thing is that the socks are for the best person I know...ME!



I hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays and hopefully spring will show up someday soon.

Holden ...Oh Holden

So in the past couple of months, I have completed a few projects. A sock here or there, a hat here or there and a few quick scaves for gifts. But here is the biggest accomplishment of the year.

May I introduce you to the most handsome dog on the Upper East Side .... HOLDEN !!!

Holden is owned by Catherine, a bookseller at my store. She had been talking about how cold it has been and how cold her dog Holden would get. Holden is a picky doggie and so spoiled... he is extremely fond of Godiva stuffed bears. But he does not like anything heavy against his skin.
So I offered a handknit doggie sweater.

By the end of the night I found this pattern in the new book Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Loved Them.
We chose the ever faithful Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky in black and walnut instead of the Lorna's Laces ( seriously ... merino wool and silk for a dog sweater ) and within a few days I was working on this extremely simple sweater.

So Holden no longer shivers during his walks in Central Park and he is getting hit on by all the poodles in Central Park ( those bitches ).

I am quite proud of my first dog sweater...

Where I spent my winter vacation !

So I hear that people have been looking for me. A little upset that I have not blogged in some time.
Have I been missed?

I have been spending my winter in the best place I know. There is this small little hotel on Mosholu Pkwy that connects easily to public transportation, near some restaurants and a private bath.
The great thing about this place.. and I do believe that more hotels should provide this service...there was a big yarn stash and lots of books and needles to knit with... I was amazed .. I slept with the owner.
Don't worry everyone.. I am back, rested and feeling bloggerish ( is that a word ) and I actually have some goodies to show everyone soon.

So what is the gossip? Anyone sharing knitting needles behind others backs? I don't want to know of anyone raiding others stash without them knowing, that would be just too much to handle. Any dirty knitting tricks I missed.

Please forgive me ... I have missed you all.

Happy New Year .... First Project Complete !

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

So its 2007 ... another 365 days - so what do you have planned? Vacations? Remodeling? Dieting? ... or just a whole lot of knitting.


Here's wishing everyone a fantastic new year full of love, joy, health and fun.

So to start this year showing off ... here is my first finished project of the new year. About 3:00pm in the new year I finished this scarf for the Red Scarf Project. Not to take away from my knitting greatness ( I was in my pj's all day watching movies) I used up two skeins of Rowan Ribbon Yarn to work up this seed stitch scarf.

It looks great and the I have already started another hat using some of my stash ( Karabella that I bought 4 years ago).... I am taking this knit along to heart this year.

My kind of Knit -a - long

Lets just say I am not a knit along kind of girl. I like doing things at my own pace and when I want to do them, but this one interest me. In this past year I had tried to put myself on a yarn diet...that did not work at all. I have tried to use some of my stash for projects but with stores going out of business and those evil sheep and wool festivals I gained more weight...literally.

I got this from Nancy's blog... and she got it from a few others. Its an industrious knit along.



The corner of my living room can be mistaken for a small yarn store and I need to lighten the inventory.
I have already started using my stash for the scarf for the Red Scarf project and I have to finish some caps.
So luckily there will be enough to use up a lot of my stash in this coming new year.... can we all say socks socks and socks.
Hey...maybe I will finally start that messenger bag ... hot damn !

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all !!!

Hope Santa is very good to everyone and that no one gets coal or acrylic yarn in their stocking.

FELIZ NAVIDAD

Twas the night before Christmas ...

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a thing was organized, no not in my house.

It has been a while since my last blog entry and for this I apologize but I work retail and that is all I have to say.

The few knitted gifts that I planned have been wrapped except for the cardigan that I was planning to give my mom. I really should have started a lot earlier than I did, she will get it this winter... considering it is 55 degrees in December she will have it ready for the summer snowfall.

I have worked the last six days and it is finally catching up to me and if it wasn't for the nap that I took today...I would be asleep underneath this table.

So for now this is my quasi entry for the night....more to come.

I promise there will be more soon.....

Get the cookies ready for Santa !!!

My Thanksgiving Day.... Im Pooped

Happy Thanksgiving to all !!!

Time for rest for all.

Today like millions of people in this country my family and friends celebrated Thanksgiving Day. There are many of us that are scattered all over this city and we don't get to see each other often. So Thanksgiving Day is our family day. For years it was New Years Eve but it has moved earlier and earlier in the past few years.

It was my turn... to be the one to get the turkey together. Well my mom and I shared the turkey duty. I have been watching her for years, I know the routine like I know how to knit and purl. But my mom is my mom and she has to step in... so the turkey was 75% me and 25% her. I must say so myself... my turkey was fabulous. The pernil ( roast pork shoulder) was perfect and of course the rest of the food.

This was our table before the hungry masses attacked it.


And this is after !
I was pushed and shoved as I carved the big bird.


I am so Thankful for my family and friends.
They are so deverse and amazing ... through the good times and bad... we are always there for each other.
The family had a great time and we all had a blast. We joked laughed and had a few too many drinks. There are pictures of family members dancing in a black short bob wig... but those are for those important blackmail moments.

Of course no party would be complete without my best friends. Nancy has been a permanent fixture in my home for the past 26 years and I get pushed aside when she comes in. Now everyone is in awe of her beautiful family.
Mark has been around for 15 years and besides the fact that my mom askes for him and if he is coming ... he comes for the food... he also makes me sit down and eat since I spend most of the time making sure everyone is fed and happy... its the hostess in me. I feel the love ...


So now its time for some rest... and I actually have tomorrow off... can we all say sleep and knit.
My crazy holiday season starts this weekend and you all can find me at register #10 at my store or making sure all the new stock hits the sales floor.

Have a great weekend

A blog without pictures....oh damn

Hello All

So what is a blog about knitting without knitting pictures?

A journal entry without the goodies.

I don't know whether it is the blogger system today or my computer ( chances its my older computer ) but I cannot get the pictures to upload.

Lately I have been busy getting my store ready for the holiday rush and working to hire up some extra holiday help. I have been doing retail for a long long time and I really don't get a chance to enjoy the holiday season as much as I did when I was a kid. I do enjoy Thanksgiving Day and the whole family coming to my moms and this year she will have a surprise ( don't tell her but my nephew is flying up from Florida to surprise her -- don't worry, my mom doesn't read my blog )
Since most of the kids in the family under the age of five are in Florida except for my niece Nyrie there isn't the big hoopla for the kids, the tons of gifts and me having to wrap them all. Everything is quiet and simple but I do go to Nancy's house Christmas Eve, its our tradition. We do our thing with her boys and just hang out for the evening. I am usually exhausted by the end of the night and they are rolling me off the couch so I can get home. Maybe someday if and when I have my own family I will create my traditions.

I have to at some point sit down and write a gift list. Except for the few goodies that I am knitting, I have no clue what to buy my family and friends. Yesterday I hung out with my friend Heather to go shopping finally. Heather got some gifts and I bought myself three DVD's and CD's, a pair of pants and a top. Don't judge ... I need some spoiling too.

As for the knitting goodies they are coming along. I have become a Magic Loop guru. I have finished two pair of wool thick socks to wear at home ( see the nice pictures.. love the color).
I just finished a cap using my BrooksFarm Four Ply that I bought at Rhinebeck ( love the way it stripes.. don't you agree ) and I am starting the famous Odessa today and another hat set using the Lopi I bought in Iceland for Mark...of course in blue and black.
The major project is the cardigan for my mami, the back is almost done and then it will be the my best friend for the next month.

How is everyone doing on their gifts this season?

Rhinebeck Roadtrip

Overnight stay at the Best Western in Poughkeepsie and a new job as a doorlady ...$65.00

Assorted Brooks Farm and Spirit Trail and other goodies yarn haul ...$165.00

Apple Crisp ala mode .... $5.00

Riding in the mini van with Nancy, Katy and Sue .... PRICELESS

This past weekend was the infamous Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival. It was my first time at any sort of wool extravaganza and let me say it was a little overwhelming at times. The amount of wool, roving, fleece and handspun was wild.
I had the absolute pleasure of riding up to the festival with the best bud Nancy and of course Katy and her mom Sue.
We all had our budgets planned and a plan of action... sock yarn first and then the rest of the fair. Of course all the Socks that Rock was gone in 2.5 seconds when the doors open but I was very happy with my Spirit Trail and a good deal on Lorna Laces and Koigu.

I am simply in love with my Brooks Farm haul and some people in my life will have some great gifts this holiday season.

Overall the festival was fun, I don't know how often I will return and I did hear that it was not as exciting as last year and it is getting as crowded as Maryland...It was amazing to see so many lovers of our craft in one location.

I had a ball joking around and handing out with Sue and Katy. It was the first time that I have met them, and they made the long ride on I-9 so much fun.... silver diners, subaru dealerships and FDR will never be the same again.

At the blogger meet up I was able to see some familiar faces again, and I met some new friends. It was like a knitting fashion show and high school reunion all in one. Who would believe that fried articokes could cause such havoc or people hiding to eat fried dough in private would be so scandalous.

So I have finished my first Magic Loop sock, its a worsted weight winter sock.. and it does knit up fast. Lets see how much I like it when I am working on #1 needles. But it will be great when I have to do all those hats next week.

Duck ... Duck... No Goose

Here's my duckie, well... here is Zoe's Duckie.

I was asked by a co worker to make a duck for his niece Zoe. It seems that there is a love for ducks in the household and he wanted her to have a special duckie ... later on I added her name to the front of the duck.
I find a certain amount of joy in knitting up toys and putting all the final touches on them. One of my favorite toys book is Knitted Toys by Fiona McTague. I have made the dolls and I will make more from the book in due time.




















I used Dale of Norway- Baby Ull on this duckie and with Treasure Island closing I have to settle for another type of stuffing that wasn't fun to work with. I was on a time constraint so I couldn't order in some special stuffing.

Sorry for the short post today...I have to swatch for my mom's cardigan.

Next time .... Rhinebeck Recap.

A Summer top...Just a little late

So I finally finsihed it... just a little late. Here is the summer tank top from the Sexy Knits Book that was released this summer. I had started this in late June for a co worker Denise. She loved the pattern and asked me to put it together.

Something that could have been done in a month or so took me three
Something that I could have done on circular needles, I did on straights
And this Summer tank top 2006 will be worn Spring 2007.... Oh well

After Denise understood that I would not have the top ready for the end of the summer she was happy when I was finally done when it was handed over to her.

I was so happy to finally see it put together and looking like a top. Its the first adult top that I have put together that worked. It looks like something wearable, and pretty.


The ruffle edge was the hardest part, and the most tiring thing to do. I was up putting it together until 3 in the morning finishing that edge and then casting off those 400+ stitches. Cascade Fixation was a lot easier to work with than I thought even with the elastic in it. And completed piece is a little heavier than I had imagined, but most important thing to me was that IT FIT PERFECTLY !!!

Here is the pretty Denise modeling the tank top for me and it fit her perfectly. I was so worried since the top has a stretch to it.

And the back looks good too.

I am so proud of me ...

Have Knit Out ...will frolic

Today was the KNIT & CROCHET OUT 2006 here in NYC at Union Square Park. As many know this is the major knitting event here in this wonderful city and it is attended by hundreds of people. Last year I couldn't attend but I made a point of making sure I had the day off and no other plans.
Nancy and I met early this morning along with her oldest son/my godson Avery. He has learned to knit and is working on his own Harry Potter scarf. ( the first one I made him mysterouly disappeared at school)
We made sure that we got to the park about 20 minutes early to score some goodies and to see what booths were there this year. All the retail businesses from the city were there as well as the major stores like Michaels, AC Moore and of course people from LionBrand, Clover and Bernat.
Most were giving out patterns and magazines and yes I waited 40 minutes on the Clover line for free needles. The line was ridiculous and the Clover guys ( no women ) were too pushy but for some free bamboos we wait.

The Yarn Harlot herself, Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee was there this year and she was roaming all over the place and she was one of the mc's at the fashion show. She was hilarious especially as she tried to sound happy about all the crocheted items.
She squeezed into a booth to take a picture of Amy Singer of Knitty fame.
She was there signing any of her books and talking what she talks best.

Today was HOT ... I got a darker tan today than I did when I was in Florida last month. So about 2 we were done, the heat was too much and we had hit all the booths and it was time for lunch. Nancy's co-worker Tisha and her son Aaron had joined us by that time and we took a leisurely walk to UNOS.

The crowds were diverse and they were all having lots of fun.


Avery here was melting from the heat but he patiently waiting on line with me for his mom's needles, she has trained him well.


Some of the best booths at the event were charity related. Warm-Up America was collecting squares and both Save the Children and Knit for Kids were there giving out important about their organizations. Please take a few minutes to look up these groups, we all have extra yarn that would be perfect for these charities. There are not asking for major projects but they are asking for just at bit of your time. They have action kits and additional information which will guide you all to how to donate your knitted and crocheted items.

I finally got my Knit Picks yarn for my moms cardigan and I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the Summer Tank Top. Of course pictures will come soon.

Have a great week!!!