SUNDAY:
I had a great day in NY City yesterday.
I started out with the 1 hour train ride from Farmingdale on LIRR. I had all my spots to visit marked on my map and when I arrived, Bill and I seperated after we got our subway tickets. I headed by foot to the "Garment District" I wasn't impressed, but didn't expect to be. I got an interesting button and some ribbon at MJ Trimmings.

I headed on to Times Square and had a bagel. I also went to Virgin Records and got the new lamb album "Best Kept Secrets" best of from 1996-2004.
I went down to Soho and found Purl Soho. It was a very tiny knitting shop, but it was worth seeing. I only bought a stitch holder there.


I picked up running shoes at Eilene's basement.
Urban Outfitters helped me find the Manhattan Portage bag store I wanted to find when I visited in 1999. That really made my day.

Toward the next stop - Knit NY, I spent an hour or 2 knitting my sock. Also, Debbie Stoller strolled in (I swear it was her) with her parents. I wanted to snag a photo, but she kept looking my way, maybe because I was knitting the socks from her book!

Really cool t-shirt, great AC - I especially enjoyed my time here.

Midtown to The Yarn Co. and got buzzed in to come upstairs.Very busy small shop. The staff didn't have time to help you, I did get the beautiful Manos I've been wanting. I wish I had time to go to Smiley's Yarns instead, but I'll come back someday!
South to Brooklyn Bridge.

Met Bill for dinner at Lombardi's in Little Italy. Supposedly the best pizza in the world, but it was the same as the wonderful pizza I had in Northern Italy.

I was excited to see a billboard for the TV show "America's Next Top Model" I wanted to make a bet who would win, but it's hard to tell.


Walked to Washington Square and sat on the steps in the dark with everyone else. I knit while he went to Virgin Records.

SUNDAY:
Sunday we came out of Penn Station and were moved through crowd control. I ended up wandering into the Bush Protest, it was very impressive and exciting. I am glad people are taking a stand against the Republicans Exploiting 9-11.

I wandered around Greenwich Village and found 2 pair of shoes for $40. I saved like $125! They are cute!!
Went down to the World Trade Center Site. It was hard to imagine how such an explosion occurred here. The sidewalks were clean and new and the surrounding buildings had fresh clean glass. The hole looked like a typical construction site. It was annoying to see some people selling photo books from 9-11 entitled "Tragedy." I think we've all seen enough photos.
Finally I went to Columbus Circle - the SW corner of Central Park - saw Trump Tower and chilled out in the AC'd mall.
On the train ride back home (to hotel), I finished my sock. Now I just have a ton of ends to weave in!

Tonight I am in Melville, NY - an hour train ride to The City.

Tomorrow morning I will be on a train to NY city! I am excited to explore by myself. It will be great!

I'm doing laundry tonight. Today in the car, through MA, RI & CT to NY I knitted on my Pipi-Longstocking sock. I am at the heel flap turn. I'll take on the train tomorrow and MAYBE finish it this weekend.

I want to visit these stores: Purl in Soho. The Yarn Co. and Knit NY

I will also see Little Italy, Grenwich Village and the World Trade Center Site.
Sunday I think I will catch up with anything I think I missed. I look forward to buying some special yarn that I can always know came from my visit to NY city.

So busy now that we are on the road... It's 7:44pm and I am starving for dinner!

I tried knitting my sock in the car - but I think I need motion sickness pills for that activity if I'm in the back seat. We are cruising around in the same kind of car policeman drive.

I'm looking forward to hanging out in NY this weekend. We'll be staying in Melville.

My mission will be to buy yarn for the Rowan sweater: Carla. I'm totally inspired by my fellow knitters.

Today I comlpletely relaxed. I worked out and knit and met with Bill for our final shopping before Monday.
I am excited for tomorrow to be successful. We will be in the Valley Forge, PA area tomorrow night.

I worked on the Syncopated Ribs Sweater all-day today. I'm making it in Jo Sharp. I was doing really well, then I found I have more stitched than I'm supposed to, so it's time to pack up and go to bed.

Haven't really knit much yet, I am trying to make sure all my work is taken care of first. I'm loading more photos to our website now and will relax the rest of the day. I really feel like I need to de-stress. I've not had a chance to be alone until today really.

Last night, Bill, my co-worker took me to his hometown in Clinton, NJ. It was very cute, it had a neat little bridge over the river (with scary huge spiders on it) and a red mill at the top of the little waterfall. The best part was that I got to see fireflys! There was lightning all night from the heat. Toady it's pouring rain - but still warm.
It's hard being without a car - Bill has the car this weekend, but I am really just excited to relax in my room all day. I walked to the grocery store today and arranged the food delivery for Monday. I am so glad I brought my rain jacket.

On airplane over (with only 4.5 hours of sleep) I knit as far as I could on my baby sweater. I sat across the asile from another knitter and she complemented me on being a "Continental Knitter."
I almost started crying when Sea-tac airport security took away my really nice pair of scissors. I totally forgot to move them to my check-in, I am so used to traveling around town with them. :( No more pretty shiny scissors. I got a cheap replacement tonight at Wal-Mart.

I continued to work on the airplane on the other Pip-Long Stocking sock and that worked OK - because I could rip the yarn to "cut" it.
Now I got my nifty wal-Mart scissors and a bunch of coctails (including the worst Lemon Drop ever) I can finish up the baby sweater. It's not going to go to who I planned, because he saw it and I have reason not to give it as a gift because it's not a surprise. Hmm... maybe I have other reasons too.


Here in Bethlehem, PA there isn't a lot to do but drive up and down the highway checking out the stores at the exits. It IS very green here, it rains a lot but just enough to keep the grass green and the air humid. Everyone here is surprised to hear our lawns are brown in Seattle - the stereotypical rainy city. Ha! "Keep it Secret, Keep it Safe."

Here's the truck in the parking lot today


Well, time to knit and enjoy my cable access to MTV and HBO.

Before I left, I took this photo of Stella.

Looks like I'm ready to go! I about to start packing my bags.

For knitting, I've decided to bring:

A sock (pipi-knee stocking #2)- Nature Spun
Syncopated Ribs from the new Interweave Maagazine in Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran - Alabaster
Low Tech Sweat - Patons Classic Wool Merino Dusky Blue with Blue Storm chest stripe
Finish baby sweater on airplane

I just need to gather my needles!

Looks like I'm ready to go! I'm about to start packing my bags.

For knitting, I've decided to bring:

A sock (pipi-knee stocking #2)- Nature Spun
Syncopated Ribs from the new Interweave Maagazine in Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran - Alabaster
Low Tech Sweat - Patons Classic Wool Merino Dusky Blue with Blue Storm chest stripe
Finish baby sweater on airplane

I just need to gather my needles!

Here is my black shawl I made with the Black frost yarn I am trying to use up - I wore it out on the town Saturday night.
We had a great time at The Matador in Ballard. GREAT fajitas! I brought wine and we paid the corkage fee - drinking if for good sometimes...



I am still going good on my Pumpkin sweater, it will be so pretty :) Aaron's baby will wear it I hope.

Not a good Saturday.

Sent off one of my best friends, Michelle, on her trip to Milan, Italy. She is going to grad school and I may not see her for a year or more.

Broke off my relationship with Ryan - 4.5 years with a commitment-phobic is over. I really don't need such a self-centered person in my life. (THANKS FOR THE FUN TIMES.)

Got home to check my e-mail and my roommate let me know that she is looking to move out to Seattle. So I've come to the conclusion that I will be purchasing a 1-bedroom condo in Bellevue very soon after my trip. No more roommates for Diana.

Sigh.

Thank GOD for fabulous friends who CAN see us as friends with something in common when we are 40 - even though we will be changed people at that age, we can confidently say we want to share our lives together. Friends ROCK!

This is where I'll be on my trip for sure so far...(sorry, it's not knitting related)

August 23: Bethlehem, PA (AREVA T&D Corporation) 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

August 24: Berwyn, PA (PECO) 10:00 am to noon

August 25: Poughkeepsie, NY (Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp.) 9:30 to 11:30 am
Albany, NY (MSE Power) 2:30 to 4:30 pm

August 26: Shelton, CT (The United Illuminating Company) 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

August 27: Northborough, MA (National Grid) 9:00 to 11:00 am
Westwood, MA (NSTAR) 1:00 to 3:00 pm

August 30: New York City, NY (Keyspan) 9:30 to 11:00 am

August 31: New York City, NY (Con Ed Learning Center) 9:30 to 11:30 am
Corona, NY (New York City Department of Environmental Protection) 2:00 to 4:00 pm

September 3: Richmond, VA (Dominion Virginia Power, Innsbrook Center) 9:00 to 11:00 am
Glen Allen, VA (Dominion Virginia Power, Grayland Center) 1:30 to 3:30 pm

I took some photos:

My DNA scarf is over half way done now.


This is the Nautilus hat I made this weekend.


I made this bag to use around my waist when the time comes that I go to the Fremont Market to sell stuff


I made these magnets like Not Martha shows. I am looking forward to making larder sizes magnets. It's hard to track down the supplies, but I did it.

I went sailing this weekend and took my mom to Blake Island with my Sailing Club.

I made a Natilus hat - I think it's a little loose - I'd make another in the small size instead.
I used Lion Brand Alpaka. It's the same as my DNA scarf - I am about half done with that now.

I'll get some photos up soon!

Let's see - I made mittens from Weekend Knits - finished up on Monday - will never knit that pattern again. It's a QUICK knit - but not functional. I also found that my gauge is way looser than Janell's. She finished my mitten because she ran out of yarn and it was pretty different. I will be donating them to the Goodwill. Luckily Wool-Ease Chuncky is cheap!

Last night I finished a rectangle wrap with my Black frost Wool Ease. I was going to make it a poncho - But I think it will be a wrap. It would be great on a witch for Halloween.

I've been research a tiny bit for knitting stores for my big trip. I found one on Bethlehem, PA and am wondering what NY City store is the best bet. I want great prices along with selection. I'll have to check the list of states I might go through that have no tax.

Mainly I am still working on my DNA scarf. I really hope it blocks nice and flat.

I cast on for the lace knit camisole from Weekend knits, but the needles made it really hard to pick up the stitches so I quit. Since they were along a circular, the loops got smaller along the cable, a big mess to take off too. I might try different needles before I abort this project.

I'm Switzerland!

While most people think you're sort of stuck up, it's really
just that people don't interest you that much.  That's why you'd rather
just stay out of everything and be as neutral as possible.  Somewhere in
there is an ability to be a psychiatrist because you're so objective, but you
might just be too cold for that.
Take
the Country Quiz at the href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid

I also went canoeing today.
And...I saw a turtle, my favorite animal to see in the Arbouretum :) Of course the Great Blue Herons are wonderful to see also.



Before that we went to brunch at Galerias on Capitol Hill. YUM! My favourite Mexican resturant! I love that there is no wait to get brunch like many other Seattle brunch spots.

I am relieved to announce I have FINALLY finished my Rebecca wrap. I sewed up the arms and hit the loose ends this evening - it took about 2.5 hours.

Here is a photos of it as it was made to be worn:


Here is how I think I like it better:


And that better way from the back: