I had two chocolate chip cookies for breakfast. Because, you know, I have a wedding in two days.
Yesterday was LOADS of fun. Lorette is everything and more than her blog promises. Although she was a bit quiet so I hope my big mouthed enthusiasm wasn’t too overwhelming. Really. I’m a good listener! Wanna know how enthusiastic I was? Welp, at School Products I pulled out the shawl to show Lorette. At Purl Patchwork I pulled out the shawl to show Kay and Lorette and poor Joelle. Kay had to talk me down from all the glorious fiber. I chose SPINNING as the OTHER hobby. NONONONONONO to sewing and quilting! JUST SAY NO! And then later on I showed Jen and Lorette the shawl at Seaport, where we got to take a survey about vitamin water and got $10 bucks off! I told Lorette is was a business disguised as a yarn shop. It was fabulous to meet Lorette! Great to see Jen! THE BEST to play with Xavi! And, as usual, too cool for school to hang with my world traveler and renowned author friend Kay. (Although I know now that I will have to fight her if there’s a baby in the room!)
Speaking of the Mason-Dixon girls, MAN have I drunk up the Kool-Aid!
I told Kay I bought the Gee’s Bend book and she was all like what made you buy it? Where did you hear about it? Um. Kay honey. I read your book. DUH! And that there on top of the book is some rilly fine Euroflax linen for handtowels. The handtowels in my guest bathroom are looking kind of ratty so I thought I’d spiff up the place. I’m a goner as you can plainly see.
I’ve decided if you come to New York there are three yarns stores that are MUST visits. There are a gazillion yarn stores all over the city (well, not a gazillion, but if you look at it statistically by how many actual knitters there are in this city of 8 million or so people, then there are quite a few.) I’ve actually been kind of down on the yarn store lately – feeling like if you’ve been in one you’ve been in them all and since I don’t really have a knitting community (besides, you know, you all) I don’t have any particular allegience to any particular shop. There are, though, quite a few I actually can’t stand, but that’s another random Wednesday. Anyway, I’m basing this observation on many, many yarn store visits around and about Manhattan. First off, you’ve got to hit Habu. It’s just so out there – the yarns and the shop – that you won’t find anything like it anywhere. It’s quite the experience. (And while you’re at Habu, you might as well stop at School Products, because, well, it’s around the corner.)
The next shop I think you should not miss is Purl. Just for the sheer beauty of it. It’s incredibly tiny and more than five people you’re like looking for an exit but the walls are covered in color. Gorgeous, rich color. The prices are eh and the yarns are all yarns you’ve seen before, but it’s the environment you need to soak up. (The Point is a few blocks away and I know lots of people hang out and knit there. It’s okay – I’m not enamored with the layout – yarn in baskets on the walls – but I do like the big table in the middle perfect for a nice big knitting party.)
The final shop I think anyone MUST see in New York is Seaport. By now you probably now the story behind the store – it’s an actual office with actual office workers working amidst piles and piles and rooms and rooms of yarn. Andrea, the owner, has hands down the best variety of yarn and excellent prices and the fact that they only take cash is a nuisance overcome by the ATM machine in the Duane Reade across the street. She also has the best book and pattern selection anywhere. Seaport is messy and overwhelming and site to behold. A must stop.
I know there are many other stores around the city – including a new one – Knitty City. This might get an add on to the list because it had the best atmosphere – warm and inviting. Sadly you don’t get that very often in stores around the city unless you’re part of the “in” crowd. I’m not “in” anywhere. (That’s why I have a blog so I can pretend I’m in somewhere!) At Knitty City it felt like you were in if you were a knitter – or aspired to be one. Those were the only requirements. And it’s a beautiful store – I just wish it wasn’t quite so uptown!
Wanna come for a visit?
Yesterday was a much needed day of adult (and baby) interaction. I’ve been home alone A LOT lately – G’s been working working working – and while The Donner Party is fun and all to hang with – real people who don’t dine on each other can be a special treat as well. When I got home last night I was so excited and exhausted and exhilirated I set out to BLOCK MY SHAWL RIGHT NOW! So I prepared the guest room/den (pulled up the futon and dumped the clean clothes on my bed) so I could lay out the damn thing on the floor. I got a nice tepid temperature running in the sink and submerged the shawl into a relaxing lavendar bath. And IMMEDIATELY realized I had forgotten to weave in the ends. Duh! (Although the Zen master tells me she does this all the time – weave in the ends after the blocking. Made me feel so much better. As opposed to the HEN master who laughed at me.) I persevered though, on my hands and knees, and blocked the fucker home!
This mofo is BIG!
Unpinned, ends woven in pictures later. Gotta have something for tomorrow and hopefully the red dress will come today and it will be fantabulous on my chocolate chip cookie enhanced body and all will be good. I’m not real worried though because I tried on the dress I wore to my San Simeon adventure and it fits. Worse comes to worst, I can wear that, with my shawl draped over my head so I can look like an old Italian widow. So hot!
Dear Comment Spammer: I’m a little bit worried about you. I know you’re trying to convince me that certain parts of the body, which I may or may not have, would do well with a little enhancement, but maybe this isn’t the best way to go about it:
Basically nothin
g seems worth thinking about. I haven’t been up to much these days. I just don’t have much to say right now. I can’t be bothered with anything , but whatever.OR
I just don’t have much to say these days, but so it goes. Today was a total loss. I guess it doesn’t bother me.
DUDE! Way to bring the party down! MamaCate, Colleen and I have a suggestion though – it may just help this nihilistic streak you’ve got going.
When the world seems dark and cold, there’s no meaning left in the sun and stars and the flowers, you’re alone with your empty carton of milk and your double thick oreos, I have a suggestion. KNIT SOCKS!
Just keep on casting on my friend. Too many are never enough!
* My homage to my High Energy Friend! GO SEND HER THE BEST VIBES! Love you COMPADRE!
Socks, socks, socks…what the world needs more is SOCKS! Socks that Rock and socks that don’t! Sock it to me, baby!
I’ve heard EVERYONE (but me) makes it to NYC sooner or later. You could be visiting yarn stores NON-STOP with an invitation like that. I’d be on the next plane if I could.
That is one beautiful Mofo shawl…
Awesome pinkness there!
Thanks for hookin’ us up with the NYC LYS suggestions! I’m dying to make another trip out there (it’s been waaaay too long). Now I’ll know where to go!
Aw, thanks, amiga! We’re back and all is well so far. They got 7 eggs. I’ll call you later after a short nap! 😉
p.s. DAMN that shawl is gorgeous!
The shawl is fantastic. And I always weave my ends in after blocking, too.
Hey Cara, I’m a dork and couldn’t find your email address, thus the totally off-topic comment . . . I and two other knitbloggy friends from Dallas are going to be at the Maryland festival . . . can we join your list for Sunday?
I’m obsessed with your greek socks.
PS? I’m not “in” anywhere either. You can come hang with me anytime 🙂
Drunk up the Kool-Aid *snort* I don’t think I was even halfway finished with the book before I called my friend who works at a yarn store and asked him if they carried the linen…which they do…and I haven’t succumbed yet.
Thanks for the suggestions for the yarn stores! I’m probably going to be up in NYC next month, now I know where to stop. That is, if I have any yarn money left after MDS$W
The only shop I got to on my recent trip to NYC was Purl and you’re so right about it. So cute but bursting with color. My husband loved that they asked if we needed any of the yarn rolled in a ball before we left. It was a very nice touch.
BTW. I just realized that I forgot to weave in one end on a bag I just finished. Problem is… it’s felted. Egad! Not sure what I’ll do about that one.
you’re making me want to take another trip into the city ASAP for more yarn stores… i’ve been to Purl, Downtown Yarns and Yarn Co., but I MUST go to Seaport now!!
(really freaky on the Debbie Downer messages you’ve been getting)
Can’t wait to see more shawl pics!! (now aren’t you SUPER Happy you stopped!?)
I almost always wait ’til after blocking to weave in the ends. At least, I do when I’m knitting lace. That way I know they won’t pop out when the finished object gets brutally stretched. 😉
I love New York!
Hello my little garrulous nut job. Yer killin’ me. xox Kay
Now I have to buy the Diamond Fantasy Shawl pattern. It looks fantastic and I bet you have to feel fantastic wearing it. And I definitely need to come yarn shopping in NYC. 🙂
Okay, now I want to come back and visit and do a yarn tour! We lived in New Jersey when my husband played for the NY Giants back in the day and I didn’t knit then–if I did I would have been one relaxed football wife in the stands as opposed to a nervous, anxiety ridden nutcase! And I would have had a better place to spend our money than the Short Hills Mall! (And a helluva stash too…)
See, I told you not to make it any bigger. It is to die for.
But, about working so much in black… I see that you are compensating with pink, with a side of red, with a side of pink. Excellent choice.
Dude, your spammer must be the same guy we used to get calling here all the time before the lovely opt-out center for telemarketing. Good Golly, the guy would go into a long drawn out sob story on the answering machine (I’m almost positive it was a pre-recorded call)–he totally sounded like Eeyore, and honestly expected people to pick up and give him a job as a contractor or whatever. I. Don’t. Think. So. What in the world goes through people’s minds?
Yes, I would like to come for a visit! 🙂
Yes, I would like to visit 🙂 (And, unless you gained a gazillion pounds since your knitting olympics party, you are so. not. fat.!
I always weave the ends in after blocking lace. If you do it beforehand, you can wind up making a mess because you’ve sewn them in too tightly. So tell Ann neenerneerer for me, please.
Yes, I do want to visit, actually. Thanks for the invite!
OMG your shawl is fab! Good call not going with the extra repeat! When’s the group yarn crawl to NYC? Count me in!
Thanks for the NY yarn shopping advice. Even though I live close enough to NYC (I live in RI), I usually don’t go there. Maybe it is time to take up that visit invitation from my friend. I hope for her sake that she picked up knitting since we last saw each other!
So, will next week work for a visit? 😉 Aren’t ya glad you didn’t do that extra repeat on the shawl? Where would you have blocked it? I can’t wait to see the finished photo.
I liked Knitty City too, for exactly the reasons you described. It’s great to have a LYS to trek to when I vist my mom that’s not that other Upper West Side emporium. You know, the one where my total lack of cool is brought home to me at every second?
I loved Purl as well. Their patchwork venture makes me want to give quilting another try.
When I come back to NY this summer, I’ll have to check out Seaport and Knitty City. I never go to Seaport because it’s so downtown, and I get lost when the streets become names rather than numbers! It’s pathetic for someone who lived in NY for 21 years! I’m glad to hear that there is a store in the city with such a warm environment. Have you been to the new Suss? I’m planning to go there this summer too.
One of these days I’m obviously going to have to suck it up and go across the river to these yarn shops . . .
Your list of yarn shops reminds me of our little sojourn around NYC. Wish I was there. Right. Now.
The shawl is GORGEOUS. Will we get some action shots soon?
The shawl looks great!
For NYC stores: I went to Seaport only once, I hate the no CC rule. Oh, and I recently went down to Suss and it was really a gorgeous space, worth going to at least once just to see it, it’s so different! And I totally agree about the baskets at the Point, you can’t see what’s in there!
Have you ever been up to String? If you ever come in, be sure to say hi! (feel free to edit this out if you feel it’s spam, since I obviously work there!)
We just got home tonight and I already want to come back NOW for another visit! Thanks for the visit and guided tour; I had an absolute blast!
And me, quiet? Hmmm. Can you email my husband and tell him that one?
And that shawl? Fabulous!
YES I’d like to visit!
In fact I’m coming to New York next April and it would be very nice if you would like to say hello. I’ve just read that STR might be available in the UK in the summer which nearly made me wet myself.
I will be coming to NY via SE Asia, Japan and NZ so hopefully I’ll have lots of knitting tales to tell you. And I’m quite loud so you don’t have to worry about overwhelming me.
xxxx
I love the suggestions for yarn stores in NYC. I was there last year for the first time and didn’t have much time for lys-hopping and as we ended up by the Seaport area, my brain thought (on the subway mind you), hey, isn’t there a yarn shop in that area? I called information and got the address and we walked there. Seaport is a great store and what I loved most about it, is that it is really like my lys at home. Big, messy, lots of yarn, great selections and the prices are better than anywhere else in town. The next time I go, I definitely want to go back.
The Beaded shawl is beautiful. Hope you look hot, hot, hot with your red dress.