unlike some knitters who put away their wool when the weather turns warm, i keep going at the craft year round. of late, i've been struggling with lace again. i swear, i bring the frustration on myself. however, this shawl was much easier than my last tangle. i did drop a stitch which was impossible to neatly recover in the pretty design so i had to rip back a fair amount but i'm happy to say that the piece is now complete.
my yarn shop boss jennifer politely loaned me her blocking board so i could spread the shawl out
the author of the book, ysolda teague, also designed an ishbel beret to match that features a different kind of cast-on so i expect i'll soon be conquering it. this young scottish designer has churned out a wealth of wonderful patterns. in addition to all the lovely ones in her first book, i discovered a couple freebies on her website.
one seemed especially appropriate for my cousin ruthie so i printed out the chart and dug into my stash. the scarf employed the shadow knitting application which calls for the alternation of two contrasting yarns which through careful placement of knit & purl stitches subtly reveal a hidden image. the best yarn i could lay my hands upon though was multi-colored so it complicated the outcome.
still, i think the scarf looks just fine without knowing of its secret design...
...although if one does discover the surprise skulls, they are pretty awesome!
thank you, ms. ysolda for these patterns which have kept my fingers happy during the first half of june. i predict i will be trying my hands at many more of your designs in the days, weeks, and months to come.
by the way, why didn't our paths cross when i was based outside edinburgh for 6 months in 2007?!? oh, yeah, because i was afraid of getting sucked into ravelry... now, it's two years later, and i still haven't gone to the dark side. my loss!
i try my best to stay loosely informed about italian happenings in nyc. less than a week ago, i learnt that lincoln center would be hosting a italian film series. in glancing over the list, i saw that one of my favorite italian musicians, jovanotti, would be introducing and leading a discussion following the premiere of a documentary about a famous, recently deceased folk singer, fabrizio de andré. so-called the italian 'bob dylan', i didn't know him or his music but the trailer looked promising so i wrangled audra (a true bob fan) into coming along with me for the event tonight.
this is a detail of the silk skirt i wore which was a surprise super early birthday pressie from my dear pal emily; it arrived with impeccable timing last night on the heels of a heatwave that forced me to opt for lighter ware
i met audra at the walter reade theatre where i boldly resisted the temptation to join the fans thronging jovanotti though i did remark upon his oh-so-italian panache in his purposeful sporting of bright white shoes. solo gli uomini italiani possono portare le scarpe bianche! some of those brooklyn boys may try it but they just can't pull it off, much like the revival of the 'stache! ahem...
the documentary was good and gave us a thorough background on de andré's beginnings (sweetly filmed vignettes on public television) and delved reasonably deep into his controversial refusal to play the part of a pop star. i didn't love all of his songs but made mental notes about a few that i'd like to look up. in particular, he translated leonard cohen's suzanne and released a concept album in the 70s based on edgar lee master's spoon river anthology.
this is a brief audio-only outtake in which jova discusses de andré's interaction with another italian pop star
i was pleased to learn that de andré complimented jova in his youth when the latter was being chastised by the media for his popularity. judging from the response of the expatriate fans at this event, jovanotti is undeniably quite a superstar at home on the boot but he seems to have a level head which keeps him from acting too pompous. perhaps de andré recognized this quality in jova when they briefly met years ago.
as we exited the theatre, i happened to spy another star, willem dafoe! audra missed him but when she confessed to being a fan i insisted that we loop around for a second glance. it was totally worth the effort for a few moments of glee. however, we didn't harass either of our stars but quietly made our escape.
i took this shot in the subway as we were waiting for a train to transport us to a late dinner on the lower east side
we met up with audra's bf chris at 'inoteca where we drank sardinian wine and toasted fabrizio, jova, & company. we also nibbled at a plate of italian cheeses and a beet salad.
it looks a bit alien here but i promise this dish of polenta topped by fresh peas and fava beans was actually delizioso
'inoteca was getting a bit sceney in the wee hours so we stumbled through the mostly deserted streets until we came to a dive of a bar where we had another round to toast i cantanti bravi. cin-cin, gentlemen!
the yarn shop was closed on this sunday of memorial day weekend so i figured what better way to make use of the bonus time off than with a hike into the wilds of katonah. i sneakily convinced fellow friend & knitter audra to join me on this expedition with the promise of an opportunity to greet 26 new lambs at the end of the road. she trained up from brooklyn to the 'burbs and after a brunch of bagels, we set off.
the walk was a long one, nearly 6 miles, but we found interesting sights along the way such as a sculpture park of sorts featuring a variety of old iron farm equipment
the woodsy landscape surrounding us kept the excessive rays of the sun at bay but we enjoyed its light upon this picturesque lily pad pond
audra & i have a light argument going about whether katonah is the 'country' or the 'suburbs'; today, i scored points for my camp (country) when we came across this signage close to the sheep farm
many of the little ones were chowing down when we arrived but eventually made their way over to greet us
this sheep clearly had discovered that the grass was greener (and perhaps tastier, too) on the other side
'why do they need to run? where do they have to be?'
how cute is this wee one with his wrinkly coat and spindly legs?
'what do you think he's saying? what are you doing? why are you over there?'
after communing with the lambs, we poked our heads inside the little cottage on the property that doubles as a part-time wool shop
i fell in love with these charming miniatures perched on the windowsill
a may shower had been brewing throughout our long walk. we had nearly made it to the farm without getting wet when the skies opened up. we sheltered briefly under some trees until it passed. however, a heavier storm was clearly on its way so we called marlene to come rescue us.
before departing, i picked up a few balls of the squishy sport weight merino in grape and tea-stained tones along with some cute bark buttons. marlene & audra were both curious to know what i'd make and i replied that i'd hopefully transform the materials into a baby sweater when i determined the right recipient.
back home, audra donned an awesome t-rex mask that jonah had gotten at a playmate's birthday
i stirred together a mushroom risotto and we joined the family on the porch for a delightful dinner outdoors. here's hoping we can all share more lovely days like this in the longer days to come.
less than a week after my participation in the 69 meters installation, more craftiness came to town in the way of the spring BUST craftacular. this one is smaller than the holiday extravaganza but this sunday the crowds still came out en masse. the warsaw, a club in brooklyn that reminds me of an elementary school gym, could barely hold everyone. i shouldered my way through the swarms of shoppers and managed to snatch up a few oddities like silly school-themed socks, a handmade tee from these folks, and an egocentric barrette--well, i can't find a picture but you can guess whose name is on it!
the crafty crowds overwhelmed me a bit so i escaped early than expected and refreshed myself with a red eye chai (chai with espresso--what an awesome combo!) at a nearby café. i headed down into the subway so i could return to manhattan and i found a stream was running underground!
it was a little creepy but also a little cool so i had to record it
back in the city center, i met up with my good friend judah who was making a little trip along the east coast. she had spent a few days in d.c. and now had come to see me & nyc. we are both fans of fine food so she was keen to visit artisanal since i had talked up my previous visits there.
over time, i've found i prefer eating in the bar area because it's more comfortable and i can stare at the amazing designs in the floor without making a scene
i decided to treat myself to a cheese flight known as the 'sinful experience' which featured two fantastic french fromages (brillat-savarin & langres) alongside a hybrid cow-sheep variety from the boot (robiola a due latti)
there were sinful sipping wines as well to wash everything down: chasselas château d’Auvenier switzerland 07, riesling ‘vom shloss’ graf hardegg austria 07, and rosé brut ‘taché’ taltarni tasmania 06
i love the decor scattered throughout the restaurant including this new yorker cartoon found on the bathroom wall
the whole place has an art nouveau style including this glass etching alerting female patrons to their presence in the proper space
after catching up over dinner, judah & i both confessed to being tired and knew that we had much more to do in the days to come so we headed back to katonah before it was too late. monday was judah's birthday and she wanted to spend as much of it as possible in the city. so we caught a mid-morning train and were on our way to more urban adventures. upon arriving in midtown, we passed between the lions and into the grandiose new york public library. i had walked by the stone beasts numerous times but it took judah's curiosity to get me inside for the first time.
the infamous 'sex in the city' marble stairs transported us up to an amazing rotunda and eventually afforded us a view of the outside from within
then we ran an errand of sorts trekking over to east midtown to visit ideal cheese which, hurrah, carries the highly sought after, chimay, a belgian fromage bathed in trappist monk's ale! judah was also quite pleased to find norwegian gjetost or sweet brown cheese.
armed with stinky purchases to prevent any strangers bothering us, we tried to find the dessert truck but it was not at it's usual daytime spot. i guess it was a sign that we were not meant to upset the balance of things and eat dessert first so we headed down to union square for another twist on street food.
dogmatic sells a variety of sausages and dining is encouraged at a giant communal table
i'd love to see a veggie soysage on their menu one day but in the meantime, i tried the asparagus (not a sausage) option coated in a truffle-gruyere sauce
the tiny interior feels much larger thanks to light, airy space complemented by a funky mural
i focused in on charming bits of the drawing like this section with a robot that reminded me of bender from futurama
the drawing style and quirky comments also made me think of the interior design at another specialized eatery: rice to riches
after lunch, we walked to the opposite side of the square to make an exploratory visit to trader joe's. judah lives in texas where whole foods dominates the upscale grocery scene. t.j.'s was packed as usual but we weathered the long line so we could later munch upon some of their to-die-for almonds covered in belgian dark chocolate, sea salt, & turbinado sugar. they are absolutely worth the trek of 50 miles or more!
outside t.j.'s, i spied this truck with its funny front bumper decor that should amuse any fan of shaun of the dead
the guys inside the truck were equally amused that i was so entertained by their decorating skills to insist upon zooming in on the mask
next we went out to brooklyn heights so i could take judah on a tour of the 69 meters project and in particular, show off my knitted koozy
in this neighborhood, there were many trees and much greenery to combat the usual concrete jungle atmosphere of city life
we returned to manhattan for a birthday dinner at bar artisanal, the newly opened sister eatery to the original fromagerie
judah got a cheese & wine flight this time featuring 3 different goat cheeses. unfortunately, i didn't take careful enough notes about what they were but i'm sure they were delicious. i was seduced by other exotic items on this new menu such as the chickpea fritters and manchego cubes which i washed down with a very yummy cocktail featuring mint & rhubarb ingredients.
though the dessert list was intriguing, judah was desperate to find the aforementioned truck so we headed over to its evening location. unfortunately, it was not our lucky day but i didn't want the birthday girl to go to bed without a tasty treat so i suggested payard.
it was pretty late by the time we reached the upper east side chocolate bar but we were still able to sample a variety of miniature pastries
we sat in the front area under the pumpkin shaped lights that always feel festive...
...if a little cartoony, and that is a further good thing!
tuesday, we once again returned to the city for a final day of adventurous eating among other things. every time she visits, judah schedules a haircut at her favorite salon on the lower east side and this was no exception.
here she is 'before' as we await the arrival of the train that will transport us from katonah to grand central
however, prior to having her locks go under the knife, we determinedly returned to the dessert truck daytime spot in midtown and hurrah, they were open!
this is judah hemming and hawing over what to order at long last
she went for the chocolate bread pudding that comes with sides of vanilla and bacon, yes, bacon, dipping sauces!
i decided to try the molten chocolate cake which was indeed a lava-esque explosion in my mouth complemented by flavors of sea salt and hazelnuts--wow!
while judah got her hair trimmed, i hid because it had been nearly a year since my hair had met with a pair of scissors and i was hesitant to pay the high price that fringe demands. instead, i visited my favorite vegan shoe shop, moo shoes, around the corner and picked up a new non-leather belt.
here's judah after the cut, and you can see me as well in the window's reflection
we picked up some gelato at il laboratorio del gelato. i wanted something lighter after the richness of our decadent desserts. we had a teeny bit of extra time so i asked judah where she would like to go and she confessed that she had so enjoyed the dogmatic experience that she would love to return there. it was a definite possibility so we scurried back to union square for another sausage on a stick. this time, i decided to try their chips with a spicy cheddar-jalapeño dipping sauce, much better than the movie theatre version.
then it was time for us to catch the last off-peak train. at 125th street, judah got off so she could take the m60 bus out to la guardia. i journeyed on back to katonah, reminiscing about our the last two decadent, delicious days that we had spent together. there's a good chance that judah may achieve her goal of moving to paris in the near future so perhaps the next time we meet it will be on foreign soil. i look forward with relish to days spent tripping round parisienne rues in search of the best bread and most flavorful fromage!
a month or so ago, a west coast friend had let me know about an upcoming knitterly event. magda sayeg, the founder of knitta please, a guerilla knitting organization, was surmounting an installation of giant knitted koozies for parking meters along montague street in the brooklyn heights neighborhood. the purpose was to bring art to the streets and also add a splash of color to the sidewalks. i signed up as a volunteer knitter and fashioned my giant koozy from leftover pink and blue acrylic used to make hallowigs. this evening was the official installation. i couldn't leave katonah until 5 so i missed meeting magda but did arrive in time to help out.
i was very pleased to be able to install my own koozy; this is mid-installation as the zip ties holding it together haven't been trimmed yet
this sucker was knit up on giant size 30 needles holding three strands of worsted weight yarn together
i heard a rumor that this koozy came all the way from chile; note how i had to work around bike chain and leaking garbage!
the original pattern called for any combination of pink, blue, green, or yellow but i guess some folks didn't have enough of those particular colors at hand
this one was even more of a bear to install as i had to cinch the koozy inside two bulky bike chains; i wonder what the cyclists will think when they return to retrieve their wheels!
darkness had fallen by the time i finished putting in place the fifth and final koozy; in all, there were 69 meters covered along montague street
it was such a pleasure to participate in this awesome event. i hope magda surmounts another crazy stunt like this in the city soon because i can't wait to knit guerilla style again!
a few weeks ago, i received an evite for a college friend's baby shower. hilly lives in brooklyn and i'd last seen about a year ago when jonah & i visited her workplace, the natural history museum. at that point, there'd been no bun in the oven so it was a bit of a surprise to find out about her current condition.
i desperately wanted to attend the shower as i knew it would be a great opportunity to reconnect with scotties both local and visiting. fortunately, as it fell on mother's day, i did not have to work this sunday as both yarn shop owners wanted to enjoy their hard-earned holiday.
the baby shower evite had a sock monkey theme so i figured what better to make than a cute baby sock monkey hat?
yarn: rowan cotton jeans & handknit cotton pattern: available on knitty.com
the shower was hosted and masterminded by hilly's sister sarah (who had once been one of my many housemates in atlanta) and becky, a fellow classmate, who expects to move to the city in the near future. we played lots of silly games and had a grand old time. as predicted, i was reacquainted with a few scotties and also met many other charming friends of hilly and her partner david's.
before i left, i tossed someone my camera so that this mini c/o 97 reunion would be documented
i left the shower a tad early because i had a special errand. it being sunday, i wanted to make the most of this rare free weekend day, so i made my way over from the prospect park nabe to carroll gardens where i tracked down brooklyn general, a knitting shop! i know, i know, i have a day off from my knit shop and i make plans to visit another? well, now you know how obsessed i am with this craft. the main reason for going to this other shop today is that they are closed mondays so i can never visit on my usual day off.
anyway, it was definitely worth the effort. i picked up a few things that katonah yarn does not carry. i didn't even mind that i was missing out on my employee discount because the experience in the shop was so unique. i aim to return someday when i have another sunday free.
i made this bib for my college pal mary carol's daughter, maggie, born on 30 november; we will see if this prediction comes true in 22 years!
yarn: leftover bits and bobs of karabella dolly from an argyle vest i made last year pattern: vogue knitting to go for babies
i gave myself a week to knit this top in time for an easter parade; i didn't achieve my goal but i didn't mind so much because it was way too cold in mid-april to don it
yarn: debbie bliss 4-ply rialto and rowan kidsilk haze pattern: kim hargreaves rosa top from thrown together
this sweater/jumper was actually my third commissioned piece, and thus far most satisfactory, requested by my soon-to-be 3 year old cousin wren who is apparently a big fan of this british cartoon pig, peppa
i followed the same pattern i had for jonah's curious george sweater but forgot to put a keyhole opening in the back so i fudged a slit along the raglan decrease
yarn: the one, the only, the incomparable lorna's laces shepherd's worsted! pattern: colorblock raglan from barefoot knits impressive intarsia chart: my own!
"Let me see, Mr Vyse, I forget what is your profession?"
"I have no profession," said Cecil.
"It is another example
of my decadence. My attitude--quite an indefensible one--is
that so long as I am no trouble to any one I have a right to do as I like. I know I ought to be getting money out of people, or devoting myself to things I don't care a straw about, but somehow, I've not been able to begin."
--from E.M. Forster's A Room with a View
