A curly haired knitter speaks from NYC
AMEN SISTER!! "When real people fall down, they get right back up and start walking again."
I put out the word last week that I was DESPERATE for a skein (or two or three) of Rowan Cork, having suddenly been informed that it has been discontinued. (or should I just say, "dissed." Seems appropriate to say that, no?) And, like Knitting Knights in Shining Armour, many of you came forward with a skein (or two or three or four)(coughSTEPHANIEcough) in just the colours I was looking for (or didn't know I was looking for). Big thank yous to everyone who offered up their yarn or volunteered to go to their LYS to see what they could find, or who did an internet search on my behalf. THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU. I am happy to report that the desired yarn is on its way to NYC, waiting anxiously for its knitting destiny. (Knitting destiny?More about that later!!)
It seems that two or three times a year I often find myself on the hunt for a nearly or newly discontinued yarn. What does THAT say about ME? As I readied my home for the arrival of some new yarn, I went through my stash. What did I find? Several bags of Rowan Linen Drape, a lovely bag or Rowan Magpie, and another lovely bag of Phil Ruban. Discontinued. Discontinued. Discontinued!!! Do I see a pattern? Of course, there was lots of other yarn as well. A bag of chocolate brown Cascade 220, a bag or two of Rowan All Seasons Cotton in pink, and skein upon skein upon skein of Koigu. Need I go on? If someone were to do a yarntopsy on my stash (something like an autopsy, only instead of analyzing a body, one analyzes a knitter's stash) what would my stash say about me? That I have a desire to obtain the unobtainable? That I think I can knit more projects than I actually do? That I am overly ambitious? That I like red, orange, brown, pink, and purple and sometimes all of the above in one multicoloured skein? That I prefer wool over cotton? So much to ponder as I salivate over all the lovely yarn morsels that are tucked away in every nook and cranny in my apartment. What does your stash say about you?
And, while you ponder these questions, have a look at my newest finished object: a simple rolled hat for a small child! I used one skein of Classic Elite Lush, in soft pink. I found this yarn in my stash (but of course) and when I did, I wondered why I did not have more of it. The pattern comes from Yankee Knitter and is an all time favorite of mine. The hat was a gift for a little girl who just turned 6! Jamie modeled the hat right before I wrapped it up! Later in the day she wondered over to my desk, pulled off a skein of cascade 220 in hot pink and said, "hat." One hot pink hat, coming right up!
File this photo under, "Personal History: CurlsandPurlsNYC." This is a door. Yes, a door. But, not just ANY door, rather, it is the door to my very first apartment in NYC -- Apartment No. 248 on a street somewhere in Chelsea. The year was 1984, I was in my second year of law school, and the apartment a small, dark, cork covered studio with a futon mattress (that one of my friends fondly referred to as "the crouton."). Back then, Chelsea was a different neighborhood -- gritty, undiscovered, and unglamorous -- a far cry from the hip, gentrified place it is today. And, man, did I think that was COOL. Not too far from my apartment was this v. cool bar that served HUGE frozen margaritas that came with lots of little drink toys floating in it and mardi gras beads. I completely forgot about this apartment and only remembered it when I accidentally walked past it the other day. It looks shabbier that it did back when I lived there, much to my surprise, and different, although I cannot say how. "Did I really live here once, " I asked myself. Yes. Yes. Yes. I did.
ATTENTION ROWAN YARN STASHERS!!!! Does anyone have a skein or two of Rowan Cork that they might like to sell me? Looking for red, orange, brown, or wine!! Was I the only one who liked this yarn. (Probably, as usual!!)
While the first Monday in October marks the start of a new US Supreme Court term, the first Sunday in NYC almost always marks the running of the NYC Marathon. For two consecutive years, I devoted at least six months of my life to training for this loooooonnnnggggg race. And, man, was I fit and trim! Training for and finishing this race, twice, is one of my greatest personal accomplishments. And even though now I am a mere shell of the athlete I once was, I take comfort in knowing that at one time in my life I had what it takes to put one foot in front of the other and go the 26.2 mile distance.
Last week was a really, really tough week. Jamie and I were both sick, enough so that she stayed home from school and me work, work has become difficult, draining, and totally unfulfilling, I lost the sunglasses clips to my v. expensive glasses, and I left Jamie's stroller (the Maclaren) in a taxi, a taxi that sped off with me trailing behind it shouting, waaaaaiiitttttt after I realized what I had left in the trunk. And, to top it off, last Friday marked the two year anniversary of my father's death. On Marathon Sunday I am always reminded of both my father and his brother, my favorite Uncle Muzzi, who faithfully sat in the bleachers worrying and waiting for me to cross the finish line. And just like that wonderful moment in The Natural where Robert Redford finds Glenn Close in the stadium seats, I found the sweet smiling faces of my father and his brother. Upon seeing me they both stood up, with a look of love and great relief on their faces, blowing kisses and waiving their hands. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of my father. I miss him more than words can express. I wish that he could have met my Jamie, for I know that he would have adored her. Ditto for Uncle Muzzi. Fall, what was once always my favorite time of year, is now a bittersweet time for me. It is now a time of sweet remembrance and painful loss.
I started a new project this weekend, a sweater for a favorite little boy, one of Jamie's pals, who at the tender age of three, requested that I knit a sweater for him. The project? A modified version of the Sand Castle Sweater from Miss Bea's Seaside:
How am I modifying the pattern? I am ditching the texture chart and making up my own. This sweater calls for knitting with Rowan denim, but being the bargain finder I am, I opted for the nearly identical, less expensive version of denim that Elann carries. I am not sure how I feel about knitting with denim and if I am going to like the colour of this yarn once it fades in the wash. I do know, however, that the little boy this sweater is being knit for will love it. And that is really all that matters, isn't it?