Thursday, October 25, 2012

Vogue Knitting Live Marketplace Letdown

As any of you who read this blog on a regular basis know, I am OBSESSED with the marketplace at Vogue Knitting Live. As it is the only conference I can afford to attend each year, it goes without saying that I go a little bananas.

However, I was EXTREMELY disappointed when I was looking at the marketplace hours for the upcoming VKL weekend in NYC. I was already a little peeved that classes are all day Friday through all day Sunday since Monday is a holiday, so this just really bugged me.

So early registration begins on Thursday night followed by a whole day's worth of classes available to take on Friday. However, the marketplace does not open until 5pm on Friday! And, it the opening reception starts at 6:30 with the marketplace closing at 8pm! I thought that in year's past the marketplace preview was the night before classes started and was not on the same night as one of the evening events. Am I correct in this memory?

Marketplace hours for Saturday at 10am-6:30pm, so if you have classes all day on Saturday, too bad for you. And then 10am-6pm on Sunday. Why are the marketplace hours so limited? I thought that the conference was moved to a new location so that we wouldn't have to deal with these kinds of limitations.

It really makes no sense to me. Isn't the point of this weekend to keep you in the conference center spending as much money as you possibly can? They are making that very hard for me and I am not happy about it!

Anyways, that is my rant this morning.

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Movin' On Up

Randy and I are beginning to look at new apartments and hope to move to the island of Manhattan from Queens sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last night we went to view our first apartment. It was a huge let down, and we don't need to go into why, but last night something horrendous dawned on me - I will not be able to bring my knitting stash closet along to our new place!

At our very large place in Queens, I have a whole closet full of stash yarn, knitting books, and other knitting paraphernalia. With the size of these NYC apartments, I think that it is out of the question whether it can come with us or not. While I am mourning that it will have to be moved I am also going to start buttering up to the Mama Bear - maybe she can hold on to some of it for me at the "Casa di ma Padre!."

Until Next Time,
Losing her stash,
Broke Knitter

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

A Crowded Subway is No Excuse for Unlawful Sexual Conduct

I would say that 99% of the time I adore living in New York City. I love the hustle and bustle of the atmosphere, the whistles from porters hailing cabs for excited tourists, and cute little dogs and children running down the sidewalks.

Today, however, was one of those 1% days. I cannot believe how bad the MTA has been lately! Almost every day for the last week I have had some sort of delay, schedule change or track service in one or more legs of my public transportation commute.

To top it all off, the MTA is proposing ANOTHER fare hike in January that will also include service cuts. How can they keep doing this to us?! It makes no sense! Every time there is a fare hike there is also a reduction of service. So now I have to pay more to get less! Who are the idiots here?

Until Next Time,
(Squashed in a crowded subway car) Broke Knitter

Monday, October 22, 2012

Caught Up In The Moment

Are you ever knitting something that you just love the feel of the fiber so much you are actually spending more time touching and playing with the yarn than you are actually completing the project?

I am currently working on a beautiful scarf made of alpaca and I find that I keep forgetting where I am in the pattern, or I spend ten minutes playing with the knitted scarf portion either rubbing it against my neck in anticipation of the winter months ahead, or just simply squishing it in my hands.

It looks like this scarf will take a heck of a lot longer to make than I thought it would if I keep allowing myself to get so monumentally distracted. But I will push through!

Man, the problems of my life! My yarn is so luxurious and nice that I get distracted playing with it. Looks like things are going pretty well these days!

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter

Friday, October 19, 2012

A Moment of Tribute

Dear Readers,
Yesterday would have been the 81st birthday of my grandmother, Anne Robinson. Anne was the strongest, most passionate, and inspiring woman I have ever met. Anne passed away in November of 2009. She took wonderful care of her husband, children, and 10 grandchildren. She was an avid teacher and, more than anything, a devoted knitter.

My grandmother picked up knitting when she decided to quit smoking in the 1960s. She very quickly went from knitting newbie to, what I refer to, as the knitting Yoda.

Anne shared her passion for knitting with everyone she met. It was hard to find a day where she wasn't dressed in some piece of knitted apparel (along with her many many jewels she received from my adoring grandfather). I remember when she taught me to knit. She first got me going when my mother was pregnant with my little sister. I was more interested in spending time with Grammy than I was in learning knitting.

My grandmother passed along her passion for knitting to my mother, who passed it along to me. It is a wonderful way to tie multiple generations together and something that makes me feel closer to my family history.

I know I am a day late on this little tribute, but October 18th is a special day in my family. So, I would like to take a pause and remember a wonderful woman. It is even truer as I plan for my upcoming wedding, but I do not go a single day without thinking of you.

With Love and Respect,
Broke Knitter

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Vogue Knitting Live NYC 2013

I cannot believe it is almost that time again! Broke Knitter is getting hyped for Vogue Knitting Live NYC coming this January 2013! I have been knitting up a storm lately, trying to finish my Christmas gifts and also create a few new items to wear to knitting's biggest fashion weekend!

I am not sure how I feel about the new location in the heart of Times Square. I know, I sound like a crotchety old New Yorker, but I HATE having to be in Times Square, ESPECIALLY on a holiday weekend. Elbows up!

I am very excited for this year's classes and lectures. I feel as though I did not challenge myself enough last year, so I chose classes with new techniques and ideas for this year's conference. I signed up for:

Lectures:
  • Nicky Epstein On Designing
  • Manipulating Lace Patterns
  • It's Just Yarn, Ladies
Classes:
  • Beyond Entrelac
  • Two-Color Double Knitting
  • Icelandic Chevron Mitten
  • Ten Things Your Mother Never Taught You
Sorry for the dig on that last one there, Mama!

Anyways, Broke Knitter was so excited about VKL she was actually in one of the first 100 people to register for the conference! I am pretty proud of myself on that one. Who else has thoughts on the upcoming conference in July? Anyone super excited for Times Square?

Until Next Time,
Broke Knitter