SistahCraft

Space Is The Place

(Can you spot the spinners? The David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, NYC. All pics enlarge)

 

Whorling around town on Monday evenings with the super-swell Spin City Meet-up has made me emphatically aware of the value of decent public space––woefully lacking in this city.  What constitutes decency? Well, I reckon we've met in a space with nightclub lighting (the SONY atrium), an abandoned performance space (the former Altria branch of the Whitney Museum), a colossal palm preserve (the World Financial Center's Winter Garden), and a sub-basement (30 Rockefeller Center), among others. In the sparingly grandiose atrium lobby of the latter, your subterranean descent is brilliantly camouflaged by Joie – Crystal Waterfall, a mind-bogglingly breathtaking chandelier. A HUGE shout out to Hanna Birmans, the young woman who planned out and with another woman tied the knots––talk about interlacement! That is craft.

An Unassuming Surprise

If you're looking for a sophisticated, but pleasant needlework respite, the above photo speaks for itself. Claudy Jongstra's  fiber wall, and the vertical gardens both soothed and wowed me entering this superb atrium, artfully housing the day-of-discount ticket center for the Lincoln Center campus; it also duplifies as a performance space. Comfortable furniture, appropriate lighting and free wi-fi (in case you forgot your pattern and need to look it up).  The  'Witchcraft Cafe has fine food and a small bar––totally adult. The overall effect the space seemingly has on visitors besides enjoyment, is one of respect; the unisex bathroom was extraordinarily clean without the constant presence of a custodian. I was duly impressed. This is the place to be. Catch a free performance, knit a few rows, sip a few drinks, spin a yarn.

A big shot out to my fellow spinners, especially Jody, who I hadn't seen since our annual holiday party. We helped her learn to spin; now she turned up with a Louet Victoria––you GO girl! And a huge hug to Donna, a spectacular spinner, Tech Designer to the Marc Ecko Empire, and our intrepid organizer, guiding our caravan throughout the city.

 

Hibernation's Over––March Announcements

(This beautiful bed is by Shawn Lovell Metalworks; all pics enlarge)

The Bears Are Awake––What's Up With You?

Ancestors! The weekend before last, a glimpse of spring in New York had folks estimating the time it would take to shed their winter weight, dusting off stored wardrobes, then running around town to supplement their look with spring pieces––shopping bags were everywhere, baby. Mr. K and I sloughed off our winter sleep with a couples massage at the No. 1 date spa in the city––Supple! Many thanks to Kitty and Chanda, our respective masseuses. Whooee! Our evening wrapped up with a fabu dinner of Kimchee and BBQ at Hangang Korean Restaurant in Lil' Korea (34 West 32nd St. between Broadway and Fifth). If you live here and haven't been to the last 24 hour block in NYC––you're still asleep!

So Yo, Snap Out Of It!

Is my motto for the spring season. Knitters and crocheters! Make a note of what row you're on, put away your work for now and get to steppin', with some people, places and things to capture your attention, and either attend or attend to. I'll list, and as you'll want to dig deeper, their respective pages will under the New York sidebar.

 August Wilson's Women

Is open until April 10th, and I'ma be there looking for you, so hit the Nuyorican Poets Cafe!  When will you get to see a performance of this stature from the perspective of the women?

Cuddly Repulsion––Ain't He Cute?

In 3 days you must go to Gallery Hanahou to see "Out of the Black", a show of new works by my friend, the copiously imaginative and insightful Matt Campbell (check out his link), who will explore our fascination/repulsion with the objects and pollution we create and consume. Says Matt, '"We invade the habitats of other life forms and take them over and drive them out. We know it’s bad but we can’t stop - because we love all the cool shiny new stuff we make. We love technology - we love Tuna and we just want to keep eating it."'

Represent! It's Your Time Now

A big shout to my sisterfriends, the divine Carolyn Butts of African Voices Magazine!

Reel Sisters Women of Color in Film, is accepting submissions for its 13th annual festival. This most important and compelling festival showcases the best in narrative (Courtney Lilly's excellently hilarious "I'm Through With White Girls"), documentaries (Alice Brewton Hurwitz's brave Lillie and Leander), animation (Michelle Bodden's award winning "Obara & The Merchants"), and shorts (Christine Turner's "Rubber Soles" was a standout, right Mr. K?). Teen film makers can holla' back too!

Okay, I gotta' run and pick up my sewing machine from the mechanic, but I'll put up the pages as soon as I return; for real!

Postprint: I returned and the pages are up, so get on it! Thanks, and if you have time, check out my new spinning blog––In It To Spin It. I'm spinning yarn in the city, oh yeah!

The Aliens Have Returned Me!

Where I Was Seen Last During The Summer…

 

(I only got up for a moment; The Silver Spinner, my Ashford Kiwi wheel, custom painted and tricked out to be portable, by the handsome Dave Paul of The Merlin Tree. All pics enlarge.)

Hey there everybody!!!

I want to thank all of you who expressed concern for me. And since I do care about your feelings, I'm not gonna lie––I was not a candidate for the visitors; I was right here on earth.

Honestly? I just didn't have the time to spend online, so I had to take a break. Fall/winter became very busy, between work at the magazine, and my work in knit product development. With the hours I had left, I directed my energies to living, because I am not under the self-help book inspired illusion that one can have or do it all––that's for the deities. And maybe the aliens.

I finished some intense design commitments, then acquired skill in a new medium––hand spinning––in order to refocus my eyes, and find new inspiration. I'm now feeling renewed and refreshed,  just in time for the return of spring! 

But, as the daffodils are moving up, some things have moved on. Here are two announcements, so you won't be unpleasantly surprised when you visit NYC.

Last Stitches

The start of this year has seen the closing of two yarn shops. The first, Yarn Connection (218 Madison Avenue at 36th Street), was a favorite haunt of mine for over 20 years. Arriving at the top of the stairs to Jane Young's jewel box of a shop on the second floor, you were often greeted by boxes of the latest yarns stacked in the hallway; my heart would immediately start to palpitate with cupidity. Her staff was the nicest, both patient and helpful to everyone, and they had the best sale bins for designer yarn in the city. Yes folks, this was where a frugal gal could look good. I admit I didn't go to the final sale. I would've started to cry, embarrassing everyone. For a last look at the shop, go to Heidi Cohen's  Knitted Yarns. Jane, I wish you  the best!

The second to cast off, was Stitches East (55 East 52nd Street, lobby 3). This elusive but spacious boutique, discretely called bitches east by disgruntled patrons, catered to well dressed, advanced knitters and needle pointers who lunched. Indeed, on the rare occasion I stopped in, I was actually treated decently––probably owing to wearing a not-too-vintage designer suit, and running off to meet friends for a sweet lunch at that venerated New York institution, Serendipity.  But, regardless of the mixed reviews, it's still a loss for midtown center––where will the swells stitch now? Perhaps Knitting 321 (321 East 75th Street), will pick up the ball. It's expensive, caters to knitches (from what I've heard), and you can lunch at Swifty's!

Yes y'all, the knitting magpie is back!!

A Knitter Who Cooks, A Chef Who Knits, and A Gastronomic Tour In the Bronx

First, A Few Quick Notes...

Here is a picture of my progress on the front of the soon-to-be vest, since my previous post. Nick, the cast on is called a Cable Cast On. It is one of my favorite cast on's, and the one I most frequently use for garments. I like its look, and strength (all pics enlarge),

I had written about my decision to use a Horseshoe Cable. Now, you can see the practicality of this at the armhole. The bottom arrow points to the decrease and subsequent 2 x1 cable crossing. The second arrow and third arrows, are pointing to the subsequent decreases  and the narrowing of the cable to a left twist.

Here's a close-up pic of the Pigtail, which is made up of right and left twists.

Ah, such illusion! I tell ya.'  Insert a coupla these into your pieces to replace either stripes or ribs, and folks will think it took all day, tee hee. It's just a four row repeat.

To my friend Nick: this front did not take very long to knit. Remember, the braids are twist stitches and the outside cables cross every six rows. I only had to concentrate on the central cable motif. (I also knit in the Continental Style).

The client's fitting is this Saturday, and I'm very excited.

Now, it's time to eat..

 

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY, AND THE SOLSTICE IS IN EFFECT!

After Today, It Only Gets Better

Mr. K took this picture of me in my birthday suit, just to be scandalous! It is pure happy madness that has consumed me since the winter solstice began at 10:35 a.m. GMT. The piece of knitting that is keeping me decent (stop snickering), is a swatch of a part of the Aran style vest, that I now have a three day extension on (it's due in a week, but I don't knit on my birthday). The plain stockinette back was completed Monday night, in four hours.

My gathering of the people, has been temporarily rain-checked due to the strike by the Transport Workers Union, who I'm entirely supportive of.  Last night, at the Tuesday night men's party at the Lenox Lounge, (a big shout out to the very tony Tony Ndogo; when in New York, stay at his place), I was able to hear the details from my friends who work for Transit. While I'm not going to use this post as a political platform, I will say this to all you current New Yorkers: Deal with it. This is the third transit strike I've lived through (and the only clue you'll get about my age). And, guess what? They're walking too.

Having a job, is not a privilege that you should be grateful for, it is a contract between you and your employer.

That said, remember that you too are a worker, not just a consumer. The former stands up for their rights, while the latter just b****es about not having enough money to buy more s**t. And if you have a problem with the amount of money TWU workers make, then maybe you should ask for more money at your job. Or, take the Transit test. Hopefully, you can become a token booth clerk at a station, where you're not alone at night, and your nearest bathroom isn't a block away, at a fast food joint. Ladies, take note.

Cheers!
                                                                                                                                

Okay, my rant is over and I am officially here, in this world. Again! Go and grab a glass and join me!
HERE'S TO BEING HAPPY, AS OPPOSED TO JUST APPROPRIATE!

Mr. K and I are taking the Metro North commuter train into the city. Tonight's hijinks's include going to a business acquaintance of his for drinks, then a late dinner at EN Japanese Brasserie (this is a hot link!), and finally winding up the evening with a nightcap at P.J.'s with my friend, the most fabulous Tom Martin, bartender of the moment. Whew!

And to think, Christmas is this weekend!

Yours In Yarn,