NYC and All That Yarn

I had this all ready to go back before Easter but blogger is having serious image issues. So here you go, most image formatting issues still present. Enjoy!

It's Easter Break! Usually that means nothing but cramming as much homework into the time that my family does not have in their death grip. But this year they all came to visit me. They're not staying at my apartment, but it just reinforced the fact that I'm living on my own.

I'm loving having everyone here. I didn't make it home for spring break last month because I was in New York City. I know, I know, how horrible that I got to spend an entire week in one of the most exciting places on earth. But seriously, it really was all work, some play, and no rest. I went to do research at the New York Public Library, which was really cool. Really really cool. And when I wasn't there I was going wherever I could get to in Manhattan on foot (Lincoln Center to Columbus Circle to the UN via Central Park -- you try it in 2.5 hours. See how your feet feel). Or Midtown Comics which Frank and Andrew introduced me to. Yes, Echo Alert Frank and Andrew. All Echo Alert hosts were in the same place at the same time talking together. The world imploded and pizza was sexy again.

I also went to the Frick Collection, which is the most amazing museum I have ever been in (and I've been in a lot. I'm a history major after all). It was only $5 for students and it was absolutely breath taking. I was *this* close to paintings by Monet, Degas, Van Eyck, Renoir, and more. I couldn't believe it. So many I had seen in books and films since I was a kid. In fact, a ton of them are important enough that we teach them in Western Civ. Needless to say I was geeking out.

I didn't get to any knitting places this trip (though I did go to a cool haberdashery with my aunt where we bought hats), but there were a few places I went last time that need to be mentioned. First and most exciting among them is M&J Trimmings.

If you're a knitter or any kind of garment crafty person, you must go here. It is just giant rooms of trimmings. Most exciting for me? The button store-front. I was overwhelmed. The place is enormous and has every button and size of that button and color variations on that button that you can imagine. I bought some little pearls for my Pixie Mitts. See?

The other cool knitting place I went to was Knitty City. This store was so welcoming, well organized, and stuffed to the rafters. The cool thing, at least I thought, was that the people working there didn't come up to you and hover or try to talk to you as soon as you came in the door, an experience I've had far too often. Instead, I was able to just browse the walls and lose myself in the beauty of the yarn. And did I mention I saw malabrigo there? Oh yes, it's gorgeous.

My purchases there made my Browncoat Hat, so named because I used the Serenity pin Heidi sent to me after 2008 Comic Con. The hat itself is Piper by Christa Giles (surely I'm not the only one who immediately thinks of Charmed. Did you know they're getting a comic book continuation?) and was a ton of fun to make. I have enough yarn left to do another one if I felt so inclined. The whole thing is knit top down in one piece. The piping is made by knitting a few rows below, which is delicious fun, and the brim is folded and knit back into the bottom of the hat. So cute!

I have been knitting a little lately. But nothing of consequence yet. I'll let you know when I finally finish a project (or at least get halfway through).

In the meantime, remember, knitting needles are not only for knitting. They also work well for scaring away tourists who want to sit a little too close on the subway.