January 24, 2006

F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!


HOW GORGEOUS IS THIS SCARF! My hands are itching and my pockets are screaming to buy some yarn to start this. It is called Frilly Scarf and you can find it here. It is so romantic and reminds me of strolling the streets of London on a beautifully chilly day. Okay, I'm reaching, but I am smitten. I was actually surfing the net for some lace patterns to begin a shawl for my mother (I am so over the ripple shawl. I wasn't thrilled about it). I decided to do a variation of the dayflower lace pattern using yarn I purchased at Brooklyn General. The yarn is a beautiful blend of deep purples, lavenders and mauves. I promise to post pictures later. I have also decided on doing a scarf in a Seaweed and Shells lace pattern variation for my Grandmother. She is constantly complaining how cold it is in Syracuse. It looks like I have my projects cut out for me. I started making a sweater for my nephew but it is pure stockingette stitch. After about the 50th row, I was seeing double, dropping stitches, putting increases where they didn't belong and crying from the monotony. I will fininsh it though. I am making it in a sz larger than he needs. So I have time to play with my laces. Woo Hoo! Knit On!

January 21, 2006

No Adjustments Needed . . .

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. You have found the right place. No need to adjust your browsers. Last night while on the phone with my Mom, I found myself in the middle of a spurt of creative energy. While she lamented over the latest drama to hit the house in Jamaica, Queens, the left side of my brain decided to stage a creative coup . . . and amazingly enough, I heard every word she said. 2 hours and another drama later, the result is my new blog template. I was searching on the net for a graphic for a client and came across a knit graphic. Of course I had to change it to reflect me. What do you think? I was thinking about doing some other versions of the graphic and putting it on a journal or cards. . . maybe selling them on Cafe Press. We'll see. Right now I am basking in the glow. Now only if she will call when I have a deadline, maybe then I can finish some of my work and stop procrastinating.

January 19, 2006

Nassir

I've decided to be a good Auntie and knit a sweater for my nephew, Nassir. This past weekend was the perfect time to start since the weather was so nasty and I am NOT a cold weather person. I actually bought the yarn - Louet Sales Opal before I thought about the pattern. The yarn is more "celery" green than "pea" green". I just knew I wanted to make "something" for him, besides a blanket. So, I pulled out the books and decided on the Baby crossover Top from Debbie Bliss Easy Knits. It looks like an easy enough sweater to knit in no time. So far the back is half done and it took me one night. Hopefully I can stop laughing at American Idol (my guilty pleasure) long enough to focus.

January 08, 2006

Harlem On My Mind

FINALLY . . . a Girl's Day Out with the gang! It's been a long time coming. We actually haven't been out since Laurie got married in August. Needless to say, we were long overdue. So after the threeways and the catching up, we decided to meet at the Harlem Tea Room for a light lunch and then head downtown to see Memoirs of a Geisha.
The minute I stepped out of the train station I immediately was transported back in time when every Saturday was spent on 125th. Street. I felt the warmth of my mother's hand wrapped around mine as I recalled how we used to we high step it through the streets after my dance class at Ruth William's. After meeting up with my Grandmother and catching a quick bite at Woolworth's, we would often dodge in and out of the stores, searching for nothing in particular but loving being among the people. Women with cornrows and fros and men with shiny domes! HA! Those were the times. My big eyes took in everything, from the women pushing baby carriages to the hustlers pushing drugs. That was Harlem . . . beautiful, colorful and always at the tipping point.
As I made my way up Madison Avenue, I couldn't believe how much "Uptown" had changed. Brand new co-ops have replaced the burned out buildings and lots full of debris.
Harlem has a new attitude but there is a hefty price being paid. Those who have been in Harlem for generations are now being pushed out by neighborhood improvement efforts. It is really bittersweet . . . (I'll save the revolutionary rhetoric for another time. I am much to mellow at the moment)

After my nostalgic moment, I was greeted by the soothing vibe of the Harlem Tea Room.
It was so relaxing and lovely. I had the Tropical Cyclone Tea (
green sencha and assam blended with hibiscus rose petals, blue mallow blossoms, sunflower petals, and mango/passion fruit/ pineapple flavor) with a scone and a Curry Chicken Salad sandwich. I was in heaven. relaxing with the girls and catching up on all the gossip. Later, relaxed, contented and feeling good, we made our way to Times Square to see Memoirs of a Geisha. This is the perfect movie to see with your "Girls". It is truly a beautiful movie and the imagery is incredible! I would love to see it again. Since the day had a "tea" theme, to commemorate the day, I decided to order this for everyone. Before parting ways, we vowed not to go so long without seeing eachother again. Spending time in the company of your "sisters" is so vital, especially when we are so busy doing for others. This time, doing for ourselves felt realllllly good. I can see this becoming a (good) habit.

January 06, 2006

Loving it!

I shocked even myself with how cute this came out. After finishing, I showed it to Vincent and he already had the plans for an assembly line mapped out. He even tried to calculate production costs and markups! I really hope Briana likes it. Even if she can't use it for her Nintendo DS, she can use it as a little purse to carry things in. I got the idea of the flower from here. I came across the baby hat pattern when looking for a gift to knit a friend. It is soooo cute. I may still make it and pair it with a sweater. As with everything, TIME is a big factor.

January 05, 2006

Ms. Briana

See, what had happened was I started knitting Ms. Briana (my adorable little cousin) a panta. But since she is in the South, I thought, against it. Her mother told me she received a Nintendo DS for Christmas. So I frogged the panta and knit her a case for her DS. All that is left to do is knit up the sides and knit the flower that I want to place on the cover and VOILA! A cute case for a cute girl. Girl Gaming Power!
Sidebar: I love Debbie Bliss's Cashmerino Chunky. I was thinking as a project for practice to knit a baby sweater and booties. Hmm.......

January 04, 2006

Cover Up



My Ipod Cover. I honestly forgot the name of the yarn I used. That's not good. However, I knit it double strand in stockingette stitch. Simple enough. Now all I need is button.

January 03, 2006

An Irie Kitchen


I stopped crying long enough to do a happy dance because Kathy received the trio of dishcloths I made for her kitchen. I have to admit, they came out really nice. The red one was really simple. CO 46 stitches, Knit rows 1 & 2. Rows 3&4, K2, *K1,P1*across to last 2 stitches then K2. The yellow is a feather and fan pattern found at the Dishcloth Boutique. The green was knit from a Checkerboard pattern I remembered. Cast on 46 stitches, Knit 3 rows, Pattern - Row 4: K2,*K6,P6* to last 2 stitches, K2, Row 5: K2,*P6,K6* to last 2 stitches, K2, Repeat Rows 4 and 5 five more times then reverse.
Row 11: K2,*P6,K6* to last 2 stitches, K2. Row 12:K2,*K6,P6* to last 2 stitches, K2. Reapeat Pattern. The checkerboard pattern is her favorite and she asked me to make a dishtowel for her. Because the dishtowel is longer, I may increase the pattern a couple of rows. Stay tuned . . .

January 02, 2006

A Reflective New Year

I have been in a state of complete reflection since New Years Eve. Since it was the first New Year's in a long time that we would be together, we thought it would be a great idea to go to Church. We have all been through so many ups and downs throughout the year, we thought some spiritual upliftment would be good for us all. The Reverend's words hit a core within me and like the crab that I am, I retreated into my shell. While cleaning the house I was listening to Leela James. Her rendition of Sam Cooke's " A Change is Gonna Come" brought me to tears. I cried for a loooonnngggg time. This is the year for change. something has to change and I know it has to start with me.