Fabulous Flowers



I had a wonderful time this past Sunday at the New York Botanical Garden Orchid Show. I had never been there before and while late winter is certainly less than ideal as nothing was in bloom it was worth it to see so many varieties of my favorite flower. Without further ado here are some pics:














The one above is my favorite. I love the contrast of the pale yellow with the fuschia 'veins' of the flower.



I'm definitely coming back in the spring to see the garden in full bloom.

Choices, Choices, and More Choices

With less than 4 months until my wedding I've been super busy with the planning as you can imagine. In some ways it is somewhat torturous for someone like me who is incapable of making the simplest decisions: "Paper or plastic?" "Umm....I don't know. Let's see...paper seems better for the environment but plastic is easier to carry. But then again...."

There are a few things that seemed just right though. I know it's cliche but when I put my wedding gown on for the first time I just knew it was the right dress. I had figured out the best way to go about trying on gowns was to close my eyes while I was being zipped into it and the train was being arranged and then open them to get the full effect. Once I put the veil on my choice was sealed. I just felt so beautiful and special I didn't want to take it off!

I also felt confident we chose the right florist. I remember we visited three florists in one day. The first one was a large company that seemed kind of like a wedding factory. I knew something was off when they said they never turn down a wedding. I felt as though I was going to get something very generic when what I was looking for was something unique.

The second place we visited was the one we went with. It's run by a couple who at one point sold their florist shop to focus on doing the flowers for events and run the business out of their house. For one thing they have 3 cats roaming their house and the name of the business is even named after a cat: The Cheshire Tree. Secondly the owner really sat down and listened to everything I had to say, helped guide my choices in terms of what flowers would be in season for the colors I wanted, and she even remembered the specific flower arrangements she had done for other weddings in order to show me pictures.

We did end up going to another florist which was the one recommended by our catering hall. But again they just seemed very generic and not very helpful in trying to customize what we wanted. I felt like I was expected to know everything about flowers when at the time I didn't know an iris from an orchid. (Now I'm at a point where I walk past bouquets and can name every flower!)

I also love the place we chose for the reception and ceremony. They have a beautiful garden looking out onto a lake for the ceremony and then an outdoor tent for cocktails. I also liked that the ballroom had large windows looking out on the lake which let in a lot of sunlight. The nicest part for me is that it's down the street from the house I grew up in. My mother used to take me swimming at the same lake and occasionally we could make out a bride and groom on the other side. Now I'll be that bride!

So when I start to doubt my choices in other areas I try to think of these things where it just felt right. There's no knitting to show in this post as I'm making some things for the wedding and prefer to keep them a secret until that day... but I promise lots of pics afterwards. It's hard for me to even think of afterwards. The whole last year has been focused on this one day it seems surreal as if the whole world will just stop after that.

Hurray for V-Day!

I was coming home from a rough day at work thinking nothing was going to perk up my mood. Then voila:



Nothing like roses and chocolates to make a girl feel special. We went for a late sushi dinner at Kotobuki, a Japanese restaurant in Roslyn out on Long Island. We had a good time eating lots of fish and listening to the trumpet player they had there. The restaurant was also giving out single roses to all the women there, thus the really tall flower peeking out over the rest.



JF talks up a whole spiel every year about Valentine's Day being this fake holiday where you feel obligated to spend money and go out...then he never fails to surprise me with little gifts. I can't tell whether he says all that stuff just to throw me off or he just gives in 'cause he knows I like all that cheesy V-day stuff. I realize it's a manufactured holiday and all but like any holiday it's nice to celebrate and have another chance to show someone that you care whether it's a romantic interest or your friends and family.

In that spirit happy Valentine's Day to everyone out there in blogland! Thanks for reading all my posts and sending your comments. It always raises my spirits to get the emails especially when I'm having a tough day on the job.



This is a cat bed that JF's mom gave Cosette for a Valentine's Day present. We both liked it but weren't sure if she would go for this cushy type of bed.



We purchased this blue cat bed at the shelter pet store because we just needed something at the moment. It's basically a mat with raised sides but she loves it.



As predicted she wasn't very interested in the new bed. Even when I sprayed catnip on it she was only interested in it for about an hour. Then we got the idea to put the old bed inside the new bed and it worked like a charm.



It's a bit of a tight squeeze but as long as she's happy...although she was disappointed we didn't bring her out for sushi as tuna is her fav food!

Holy Kippah!



JF and I were planning to make kippahs for the men in the bridal party at our wedding. For those not in the know these are the head coverings also known as yarmulkas (or "little hat thingies" as a friend once said) that Jewish men wear. We bought this Lorna's Laces Shepard sock yarn at Webs. I thought the colors were really beautiful. JF found this pattern online.



The first one we tried was on size 2 needles using the version for fingering weight yarn. I cast on and did the first few rows, JF did the middle part, then I did the decreases. It came out on the large side as you can see above. It's unblocked and looks more like a sombrero than a kippah but you get the idea.



The next version was the fingering weight yarn pattern but on size 1 needles. This was where the project transitioned to me knitting the whole thing....but that's another story. Just like in the Goldilocks story this one was now too small.



You can really see the size difference here. The pattern is intended for the reverse stockinette side to be the public size of the work. We both thought the variegated yarn looked better on the regular stockinette side. For the next prototype I'm going to try the instructions for extra fine yarn on size 1's. Hopefully that will be a keeper as I need to move on to other wedding-related items to knit. This kind of thing always sounds like a good idea until the reality of making all this stuff on a timeline sets in!



This is a little knitting cell phone charm I bought on impulse at the checkout line at WEBS. Unfortunately when I got home I couldn't figure out how to attach it to my Treo. Never one to give up on a knitting related accessory I looped it around the cord of my camera instead.

The government is finally catching on to what knitters already know...

Crazy for Calendars!



I had submitted a design for the Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar last year. I figured I didn't get in since I had sent it so close to the deadline I had probably missed it plus the fact that I never heard back from them. I re-sent it for next year's calendar and got an email back this time stating that my pattern was already in the 2008 calendar. I was December 8th and they would send me a free copy in the mail. That was the best surpise ever!



If you bought this calendar you can be patient and wait or just skip ahead to December and check it out. It was actually co-designed by me and JF. It was his vision then we worked out the math together and I chose the yarn and knit it up.



I made it to go with his Jimmie Johnson NASCAR jacket. If you've seen JF out and about you've probably seen him wearing his Racing Stripes Scarf. It was good to work on this pattern together because I never would have thought to mimic the stripes on the hood of a race car on my own!



Even though I knew way ahead of time about my other calendar design I was still super excited to get this package in the mail. It came from Bust magazine since that's where Debbie Stoller works as editor-in-chief.



Inside was the Stitch 'n Bitch Page-A-Day 2008 Calendar. I had this calendar last year and enjoyed looking forward to little knitting tidbits each day.



Again, if you don't mind skipping ahead check me out on October 24th. My Arrowhead Socks are the 'Socks of the Month.' JF took that pic of me (err rather my feet) in Charles Schultz Park. It's a great little park on the Upper East Side by my old apartment. They have benches where you can sit and look out at the water. I endured multiple stares as I positioned myself on my back on the bench with my feet up in the air and JF shouting, "Hold still... show me some heel...now more toe..I said more toe!"

Quick Knits and Cat Communication

Lately, I've been working on complicated pieces that involved a lot of colorwork or shaping. While it's interesting to learn new skills and rewarding when I (eventually) finish a piece like that I've been feeling a craving for some quick knits. I find winter is the one time of year I get to display some of my handiwork and if I didn't start soon these would be destined for next season!

These mittens were made from a pattern in Ann Budd's The Handy Book of Patterns. This book is a great resource as it gives you charts to make any basic project such as hats or even sweaters in many gauges of yarn. The only modification I made was to cast on more stitches for the thumb than was indicated so it wasn't too tight. I managed to whip these up in just 4 days starting on a Saturday and binding off the thumbs at knitting group on Wednesday.

I used yarn I had in my stash from Brooks Farm. I'm having trouble figuring out which yarn it was but it appears to be a wool/mohair blend and is on the chunky side. I made a pair of these mittens from a similar pattern a couple years ago but my downfall was leaving tails that were too short and I ended up busting open the thumbs after a couple of wears. This time I learned my lesson and left generously long tails to wind in several times.



Remember that day last week when it was sudddenly about 10 degrees out? JF begged me to whip him up a quick hat the night before, even threatening to buy a hat which at this point would be sacrilege! I felt a little guilty as the '48' hat I had started for him has been sitting around unworked on since I made a mistake in the chart and have been too fed up to take out 2 rows of 130 stitches each in 3 color intarsia!



This hat was completed in one night of speed knitting using Lion Brand Thick 'n Quick. JF had bought a ball of this to use as a trim on a sweater he's been working on we figured there was enough to spare. The edging is a 2x2 seed stitch pattern. It looks nice but isn't as effective as ribbing in terms of conforming to the head. JF added the pom-pom on top which I think is a nice touch.



Finally our very quiet cat has gotten creative in finding ways to communicate with us. The other day she ate her wet food in the shape of a backwards "C." This could mean many things...cat, Cosette, Christmas....or is our kitty just dyslexic??



"No, dummy, I was trying to say put down the yarn and play with me...or at least give me some yarn to play with too!"

It's Showtime!

Some of the best presents I gave or recieved this year were going to see shows with friends and family.

JF gave me tickets to see The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center. It's the original production by the New York City Ballet. I was thrilled as I was in a local production when I used to do ballet as a kid. I played one of the mice. I remembered the thrill of traveling to different locations to perform and feeling a little sad when the Mouse King was done in by the Nutcracker.

The costumes and special effects in this version were truly magnificent. They had a Christmas tree that grew to be as tall as the stage and at the end Clara and her prince appear to fly off the stage in a sled pulled by reindeer. Afterwards we kept noticing how much the music from The Nutcracker is used in commercials and had fun trying to figure out which song was being used to sell what product.

If you ever need a place to eat before a show at Lincoln Center check out the restaurant Compass. It's on the UWS on 70th St between Amsterdam and West End Ave. They have a prix fixe dinner and the food, decor, and service were outstanding. Would definately go back again.

My sister and I took our mom to see Spelling Bee on Broadway. It was a really cute show. Audience members can register before the show starts to be contestants. One of my sister's friends who had gotten picked told her what questions they would ask. All her practicing paid off as they actually chose to be in it! She let me know right before the show started but it was a big shock to my mom. My sister was on stage for probably about 15 minutes. She spelled her first word 'jihad' right but left with a complimentary juice box when they asked her to spell 'kumus.' I think they said it's curdled camel's milk. Apparently it's a delicacy in the Middle East-bleh!

My Citysearch skills were successful again in picking out the restaurant Eatery on 9th Ave and 53rd St. We had a very yummy brunch there. I had the sweet potato pancakes with mango guacomole. My only complaint was the noise level but I guess it comes with the territory when you pick a popular place to eat at.

And for the knitting related content of this post here's a gingerbread man I made:

At the Upper East Side Knitters holiday party we all made our own versions. Here's a pic of them all playing in the 'snow.'

Happy New Year's!

Baby's First Pacifier Clip

I wanted to knit something for my niece, Ainsley's, first Hanukah. At the book signing for Itty Bitty Nursery at Knitty City in November the author, Susan B. Anderson, had displayed some adorable looking pacifier clips. Then I remembered that in the goodie bag from Stitch 'n Pitch back in August a free pattern for said pacifier clip had been included in a promotional brochure from the book! It's also available free from the author's blog here.


Truthfully, I had never heard of a pacifier clip before. It's basically a device that you attach to the pacifier on one side and clip onto the child's clothing on the other side. That way when the child inevitably opens their mouth the pacifier just hangs down rather than falling on the ground and getting dirty. To make the project you need to buy the clips at Target or anywhere that sells baby supplies and cut out the ribbon that comes with it. Then you knit your own flower and sew it onto the clip. If you get the book Itty Bitty Nursery she has also patterns for an elephant and a frog that are really cute.




I'm happy with the way it turned out. I used Paton's Cotton Grace in Rose, Ginger, and Blush. I found the directions were a bit vague with how to assemble all the pieces so I had to kind of make it up as I went. I also found it necessary to sew the petals down onto each other to avoid their tendency to otherwise flop all over the place.

If you're making one of these remember to pick up a matching pacifier so it makes a complete gift when you present it. Also, you might want to hint around to see if the mother has an anti-pacifier philosophy. Otherwise your beautiful creation may just sit in a drawer rather than being used and enjoyed!

"Please, Sir, I'd Like Some More"

Dia De Los Muertos Stitch Markers


Pretty in Purple Swarovski Crystal Stitch Markers

If you check out my Etsy Shop Code Purl I promise to show you some pics of actual knitting in the next post :-)

New Shop Items

Green Globe Swaovski Stitch Markers


Blue Oasis Swarovski Stitch Markers

Check out my Etsy Store Code Purl for these and other items. I'm going to add a couple more sets this week.

Hat-tac-ular

Cold wintry weather signals the start of hat-knitting season. Let's give a warm welcome to the newest head covering FO's:


This fun child's hat was knit by JF for his 2 year old niece. It's modeled here by one of my Cabbage Patch Kids who was excited to put it on as she hasn't had anything new to wear in the last couple decades!


I'm having trouble finding the tag to tell you what the yarn is. All I remember is it's an Italian yarn we bought at WEBS. As you can see it's both thick and thin and also has boucle bobbles making it a bit of a challenge to work with but well worth it. I think the floppy pom-pom JF added really puts the cuteness factor over the top. It went into the mail to Texas today. Apparently there are a few days during the Texas winter when it's cold enough to be hat-worthy (and I don't mean cowboy hats!)


Next up is my purple alpaca hat I knit from yarn I purchased at Rhinebeck. (You'll have to excuse my memory as I'm not doing too well on naming yarns in this post.) It's modeled by our very own half goat, half ram puppet, the one and only Goatram.


Here's the side view. I didn't originally intend for it to have ear flaps but after it was all done and I tried it on it felt too short. It looked alright but I prefer for my winter hats to cover my ears, lobes and all. These mini-ear flaps are just big enough to get the job done without looking like a full on ski hat. At first they kept flipping up a la Pippi Longstocking braids but a little blocking fixed that. I had originally made a flower to go on it but am debating whether it will be a bit much now with the ear flaps and all. On the plus side the color of the yarn coordinates perfectly with my new glasses. It's the little things in life ;-)


Finally, here is my current intarsia piece in progress. It's version 2.0 of JF's original '48' hat he made last year. The '48' is for his favorite NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson (who, for those who care, won the Nextel cup this past season). I've only been able to work on it at home and all the color changes are making me a bit nuts but I'm happy with the way the logo is coming out.


Here is the first version of the hat. At first glance it looks ok. However the yarn was so chunky that the '48' looks felted and somewhat obscured. Since it was knit in the round there are a million little ends on the back that make the logo very stiff and thick. Plus it's an inch or so too big and the top was finished in black and grey when JF ran out of blue yarn.

JF designed the logo both times. The plan for version 2.0 was to knit it flat until past the logo, sew a seam then finish knitting in the round. Since the intarsia part was being knit flat there would be less ends to sew in at the end. I'm knitting it this time, however, as he decided after casting on that 130 stitches across just wasn't his thing. One night I had nothing on the needles and picked it up off the coffee table and started knitting it so it became my project. I'm going to attempt to bring it out of the house so I can make some more progress on it. Wish me luck!

Happy Hanukah!

Here's to eight days of knitting....err, I mean lights ;-)