Count down

I'm almost ready to head out and welcome the new year with some friends. Wishing you all happy celebrations with friends and family! See you next year....

I'm Back in the New York Groove

I arrived via the redeye from PDX to JFK this morning at 9:04 (an hour later than planned), waited in line for a taxi forabout 50 minutes, and was huffing up my Gramercy stairs with impossibly overstuffed bags at around 11:00 am. I am so relieved to be home. Don't get me wrong, visiting with family and friends was really terrific and needed, but I'm happy to veg out until New Year's Eve now. I plan to order in a lot of sushi tonight, and give myself a pedicure.

I also plan to post lots of pictures of my trip and recall certain memories for your reading pleasure. But for now, I must nap. I leave you with a few random photos taken on the trip.

My junior prom dress (50s vintage) rediscovered while cleaning out my old bedroom closet

One of Jenna's plushies enjoying some northwest seasonal microbrews....

A very early knitted scarf made of thrifted mohair. I think the lumpy imperfections on this are really charming.

My adorable, grumpy cat Libby in her clubhouse

An unfinished crocheted belt I worked on years ago, and a vintage 70s dress I've never worn

inspiration

I had to post this. I've been blog surfing this morning and found this amazing potter, Ayumi Horie through Design Sponge. I'm absolutely in love with everything about this woman's work- her purposefully imperfect glazing technique, the soft look of fingerprints in the baked clay, those terrific doodles on each piece! Wow. I want to start making pottery again. Maybe I should enroll in this class....

New York model sighting

Last night, my roommates and I went to the West Village for a late dinner and drinks at Employees Only. On our way down the street to the false fortune teller's shop that is the entrance to the restaurant, we walked around two giggling women on the street, dressed in skinny jeans, boots and parkas. One of them was Gisele! That's all. New York is weird.

Fuzzy details

Another post, with another FO this week? Is it possible? Apparently it is! I've hit my Christmas gift production stride, I think. For once my fuzzy and poorly lit photography is welcome as it doesn't reveal the identity of this finished product. I doubt very much that the recipient of this gift even knows about my blog, but better safe than sorry....

another FO photographed on the same ol' background

I give you my roommate's commissioned scarf! Lil' B, as he's known around these parts, will look dashing in this smart accessory made to match his Paul Smith wardrobe. He wanted something that would blend well with his career clothes, but with a little something unexpected. I appreciate the way New Yorkers blend brown, grey and black in that very sophisticated, Metropolitan way, so I used both grey (Cascade Baby Alpaca Chunky in Koala Bear) and brown chunky alpaca (from KnitPicks) for the primary stripes in this scarf. I then visited the Paul Smith shop window on 5th Ave. as well as the online store, and noted that there's a bright teal would stand out nicely against the somber neutrals (Cascade's Baby Alpacea Carribean used here). The stitch used is mistake rib, at 33 stitches per row on size 10 straights. This sucker is blocked and ready to be worn. I'll try to guilt Lil'B into doing a modeled shot for the blog this week. Watch for it!

brrrrr...

Dudes, it was 18 degrees this morning! With the wind chill, it was 2 degrees, according to Weather.com. My fingerless gloves of Manos did not stand up to the chill. Northwest winters are nothing like this. Time to start knitting polar caliber woolen goods.