Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Parting the Flowing Sea

So, I feel like Moses holding back the waters of the Red Sea these days. Since the flood, I have managed to completely rip my apartment apart. Luckily our new carpet will be here Saturday and I can start putting my life back in order again.

I must say I have found new solace and serenity in my knitting. When all the world around you is chaos, and you feel like you cannot possibly make anything work out right, you must find peace in some sort of order and control. For me, picking up my knitting last night saved me from a total meltdown.

Everything in my home is a mess, things are being discovered in tatters every which way I look and I cannot seem to find anything. Abby, the puppy, makes such a mess in an already huge hoarder like environment (I'm not usually this disorganized I swear), but last night picking up my stitches brought me peace.

When everything is rocky and crazy and I don't know what to do, I now know one thing I can turn to to keep my mind at ease. I may not be a master knitter by any means, but just the fluidity and rhythm of stitching sets my mind at ease. Thank God for small comforts!

Until next time...
Broke Knitter

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Flood Gates Have Opened

The flood gates have opened at my house people. And I don't mean that in the, "I just bought a few things at the yarn store" kind of way - I mean it LITERALLY!

On Sunday night, a pipe in my landlord's house burst, and thus proceeded to FLOOD MY APARTMENT! I was just sitting enjoying a cup of tea and working on the beginnings of a Christmas knitting present (aren't you proud I am getting started now? I am!) when I heard a rushing sound.

Needless to say, the bedroom carpet and many of our "nice" things are ruined. When I was looking ahead to a weekend with fibers, it did not entail ripping up carpet and putting down some hopefully not stinky new carpet.

O well, I guess I will be buying some new items now out of necessity rather than spending time at the Rhinebeck Wool Festival.

Until next time...
Broke Knitter

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Little Guy!

I took a much needed trip upstate this past weekend. It was a wonderful change of pace and the fresh air made my head very very happy.

I did, of course, stop by the local knittery during my trip. I had visited this store in the past during trips with my mother, and I was shocked to hear how poorly the shop was doing. One would think in a very cold but also very Eco-friendly environment that knitting would be on the rise. Apparently, the shop keeper expressed fear that she would not be able to remain open in such a high-rent neighborhood.

Please support your local yarn store!

Friday, September 24, 2010

Subway Etiquette

I have noticed something about human nature that seems to exist only in the realm of public transportation. When shoved into a NYC bus or subway its common to be jostled, pushed, bumped and maybe even inappropriately winked at or hassled. It seems that during this time we, as people, seem to lose all sense of common decency and courtesy. Now I am not saying I'm above all this. You have to push and shove a bit or you will never get where you are going. However, it is quite bothersome.

The strange phenomenon I am talking about, however, is the loss of normal boundaries. Whether it is the invasion of my "bubble," or people inappropriately sticking their head into my conversation, the crossing of normal social boundaries is evident on the subway cars, platforms and even on the escalators.

My knitting story of the morning - I was working on a project this morning on the subway - something I normally avoid doing at all costs because, lets face it, the city is gross, when the woman next to me leans over and just starts touching all over my knitting. I looked at her and said "Excuse me," as "politely" as I possibly could.

The woman looked at me and just kept playing with my yarn. She did not say a single word, just kept eye contact with me and touched my stuff. I shifted my body weight so as to dislodge the knitting and then she just harrumphed and looked at me like I was the crazy person.

Can we have a knitting etiquette policy for public transportation that you must at first ask what the knitter is making and act interested before you put your grubby hands on my goods? You don't see me walking up to pregnant woman and rubbing all over their bellies. Okay, so maybe it's not the same, but what can you do?

After a year and a half living in NYC the subway still seems to amaze me. You meet every kind of person you could imagine on the subway. I love living in such an interesting and diverse place and I love getting to see first hand all that the world has to offer. I don't, however, like when it offers my pale yellow yarn a dingy patch from the creeper rubbing up on me on the subway.

Until next time....
Broke Knitter

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The Hunt for the Perfect Chibi

Welcome to NYC. The fabulous and luxurious world of the rich and famous. Well, that's not really me at all. As much as I would like to think myself the typical Disney princess I am actually pretty far off.

Living in Queens and working on the UES means a constant change of scenery, bustle and, of course, people. But what does this mean to me? It means that my love for knitting has become extremely expensive.

Fancy stores here on the UES cater to a different clientele than myself. I recently entered a "luxury yarn store" here on the UES and asked for a Chibi or darning needle. The woman at the counter regally straightened her posture and responded "I am sorry, we do not carry those. We do, however, offer a very nice finishing service at a low cost."

Now do I pay $50 to have my little Coffee Sleeve (http://www.ravelry.com/projects/YoungPadawan/knit-coffee-sleeve) dinky project sewn together in a straight line or do I keep on trekking? Survey says, keep on trekking!

Needless to say I trudged around NYC and Queens and after my 3rd store and lots of sweat and frustration, I finally FOUND THE CHIBI!

I almost did the sacred Chibi dance (inset celebration dance here) in the middle of a store full of women who stared at my flip-flops as though I had dragged in doggy-doo.

In the end, I was quite happy and satisfied. I was able to complete my masterpiece of the cabled knitted coffee sleeve. Going green here I come.

Check back up for more funny tales of this below average knitter trying to maneuver the landscape that is the NYC Knitting Elite.