03.31.06
Posted in Dying, Fiber Artwork, Knitting, NYC at 6:55 pm by delipics
I had a spontaneous meet-for-a-Friday-night-drink with a friend at a bar/restaurant near Grand Central Station. I wish I had paid attention because I do not know the name of the place. It is underneath the overpass to Grand Central, and if you listen carefully over all the bar chatter, you can hear the cars driving above.
I walked there from work (Chelsea) to 42nd Street and the city was just amazing. This was the first day to hit the 70’s and the city was hopping! I walked up Park Avenue South and there are about three blocks worth of blooming trees right before Grand Central. I wish I had my camera, yet, no — sometimes it is more important to have the memory.
So now I am home eating the tofu teriyaki Bento box from my local sushi place, Las Vegas on the tube and catching up on my blog reading:
Thanks so much to Fluffa for the compliments on The My Guy Hat NYC Trek. Check out CurlsandPurlsNYC to be updated on her sock knitting and to see her cute, spring-ready, open-toe-shoe toes. I learned from Fig & Plum that tomorrow, April 1st, is Flash Your Stash Day 2006. Tres Chic Veronique is rocking with her Rapunzel! And see the links to some cool knitting projects via Not Martha.
Now for this weekend — I am refocusing. Does this happen to you? You are busy busy busy with a fiber project(s), then !BAM! you are not doing a darn thing related to yarn. Although you do look longingly at your stash.
One of the following may happen:
Phew!
*All right, this is the last Spring titled entry! Really, I promise! Well, maybe just for the month of March.
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03.29.06
Posted in NYC, Photos at 6:45 pm by delipics
Springtime in New York is one of my favorite times of the year in the city. Darren and I have been tromping all over Manhattan and enjoying this weather. We took the Roosevelt Island Tram. This was a first for me and I loved viewing the city from a whole new perspective –
A well-lit sign in the Upper East Side –
New York City Opera at Lincoln Center –
A long stroll in Morningside Heights and through Riverside Park, visiting Grant’s Tomb –
Riverside Church across the way –
Sunset and the view towards New Jersey –
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03.27.06
Posted in Crochet, Felt, Knitting, Yarn at 7:23 pm by delipics
Finished looking over the spring/summer Knit Simple. And this is the most important thing I got out of it –
How does one get the job “Yarn Coordinator”? I’m extremely curious about this - what type of background do you need to qualify? Education? Job experience? What do I have to do to change career paths?
No, really — I liked the article on stash knitting and the other article on using the Fibonacci sequence to help design and choose colors. The patterns featured did not excite me but the crochet flowers were charming. There is something very appealing about flowers as an accessory.
But what I am really itching for is Erika Knight’s latest book, “Essential Crochet: Create 30 Irresistible Projects with a Few Basic Stitches.” Also, I got my North American Felters’ Network newsletter in the mail today - hurrah! I just subscribed to it so I have been looking forward to receiving it - it will make good subway commuting reading.
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03.25.06
Posted in Photos, Yarn at 9:02 am by delipics
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind in the non-blog land, otherwise known as work/friends/family, but quickly –
Even the stellar Debbie Stoller has tips on organization this spring!
Debbie Stoller was featured in the March 22nd New York Metro, a daily newspaper that is distributed free in New York, usually at the subway. (I tried to find a link to the article but have not been able to locate it - if you find it, let me know). There is a photo from her book and features Debbie looking fetching in what I surmise is a crochet ensemble. I am digging that red cowboy hat! The article, titled String Theory, was brief, mentioning her crochet book, “Stitch ‘n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker,” and how she stores her yarn and keeps organized. Basically, there are four tips:
- Separate your projects in totebags
- Store yarn in plastic bins that seal tightly
- Showcase the pretty yarn in an attractive basket - DS allows only one
- Creativity in storage, such as knitting needles in a vase
What I do instead:
1. I usually store my projects in large, sealable plastic Glad bags because then I can just toss the whole thing in whatever bag I decide to carry that day (I’m a bit of a bag slut - but that’s for another day).
2. I do not store my yarn in plastic bins but I do have a shelf dedicated to the majority of my yarn -
All my books and magazines are on top. Yarn on the top and middle shelf. The bottom shelf holds art-related materials. I am particularly proud of my plastic trash bins holding yarn. I have a little apartment and I wanted a small footprint in terms of my storage. One bin is supposed to hold gray & black yarns and the other bin has white & neutral yarns but as you can see, brighter colors have snuck in there. To the right of the shelf, the plastic storage bins that DS says I should use for yarn, are instead holding ceramic pieces I made after college, but the top one - that one has wool roving for felting projects. On top of that is a stash of yarn I actually won in a random drawing from
Berroco!
3. Yarn in pretty baskets! Only one! HA! Let’s look at the Delica’s Yarns reality: One small and one large baskets by the couch. A felted bag I made holds yarn and resides on another chair. A small hanging basket on the door contains more yarn. Two wicker baskets on the right side of my work table also has yarn and felted pieces -
I am not even going to begin to describe the work table. As you can see, it is a bit of a disaster and needs to be tidied. Plus, notice I did not show you what is under the table!
4. Creativity - well, I don’t store my knitting needles in a vase but I store them in a pretty, summer type bag I got at the 99 cent store.
I do like Debbie’s tip on throwing in peppermint tea bags with the yarn. Maybe I will be lucky and find a knitting-needle-vase during the Brooklyn spring stoop and sidewalk sales that people will start to have soon.
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03.22.06
Posted in Dying, Knitting, NYC, Subway at 7:00 am by delipics
I have created a Fiber Binder.
I went out and bought a bright, orange binder, plastic page sleeves and business card holder inserts. I finally have in one place all notes on my blog, yarn dying , FTP , Mac / I-Book , Flickr , and all my yarn/fiber/weaving/artists/and other related business cards in one, easy to find section (as opposed to scattered about my desk). I looooove being organized.
Other purchases - but nothing to do with organization:
And completely unrelated but totally news worthy:
I saw Debbie Stoller - of Stitch ‘n Bitch Fame!
My first celebrity knitter sighting! She was carrying a Bust bag with her with knitting needles sticking out of it. We were in a specialty food store in my neighborhood. My boyfriend wanted me to show her the hat I just knitted him. I totally chickened out and did not say anything to her. I am no good when it comes to famous people. The last famous person I saw was Jacques Pepin on the 6 train going uptown. I was standing right in front of him, holding on to a pole and I just stared at him. I should have asked him if he wanted to have lunch with me!
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03.20.06
Posted in NYC at 1:38 pm by delipics
Spring arrived officially at 1:26 p.m. today. Can you tell where you are? Here in Brooklyn and NYC, it certainly does not feel like it in temperature but I am seeing glimpses of it. Croci and daffodils are coming up in neighborhood gardens, and the trees are showing buds. For me, spring is truly here when the forsythia bushes start to bloom in Brooklyn.
Spring does mean sales. Here’s one going on at M&J Trimming I learned about from a friend who went there to buy leather cord for a men’s scarf she is crocheting.
M&J Trimming
Beaded Fringe & Winter Sale
Save up to 50%
Sale ends March 31, 2006
1008 6th Avenue, NYC
between 37th & 38th Streets
www.mjtrim.com
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03.19.06
Posted in Cleo, NYC, Photos, Weaving at 6:26 pm by delipics
There is a small and fascinating textile show at the Metropolitan Museum called, “The Fabric of Life: Ikat Textiles of Indonesia.” As a fiber artist I make it a priority to see what is out there in the textile world. You never know where inspiration may come from or what you may learn.
I knew that ikat was a dying process, but I had no idea of the level of complexity and intricacy involved. This show explained the process clearly — verbally and visually. I have a completely new level of appreciation for the artists of Indonesia.
This is a little loom on display in the show.
The brace on the right goes behind the weaver’s back. The other end is tied to a tree or, I imagine, some other type of stationery object. To adjust the tension in the warp threads, the weaver leans forward or back.
Here I am looking at head scarves. (Thank you Mr. Photographer for lying down on the floor to get the whole image!) You cannot tell in this photo, but the head scarves have open-work woven into the pieces.
The end of a long day walking in
Central Park and looking at art.
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