Archives for February 2010

During my brief visit to the city, I went under the river to Brooklyn – Carrol Gardens, to meet my “imaginary” friend Ria of Wooly Minded. She invited me to visit a darling, brand new yarn shop where she just started working, called La Casita. The shop is open and sunny with a beautiful selection of yarn, a great area up front for classes and a comfy couch for knitting … and get this… a soon to open cafe! … with coffee, tea and beer and wine – a yarn bar! Food too.

I was happy to meet co-owner Jen, who’s family has lived in the building for 3 generations, Hannah, an accomplished fiber artist who teaches a lot of the classes, regular patron Maria who told fantastic stories and my Maria, Ria. Oh I’m forgetting names! A stylish woman with a white bob, teller of more interesting tales. I was made so welcome in this friendly neighborhood shop.  When new mother and other owner Amanda and her husband arrived with week-old baby Tyler in tow, I felt like part of the family!

Ria treated me to lunch, including a Brain Drink…responsible, I think for my recent sock making frenzy.

Thanks to everyone, and especially Ria, for a delightful afternoon. I steeled myself against buying any yarn, because I just got the cashmere above the day before with Connie, but couldn’t resist a scented candle by Tocca as a gift for my friend.

lacasitayarnshop.com       718.963.0369      253 smith street, brooklyn, ny 11231

Whew! I’ve been traveling. When I heard the weather would be bad leaving Pawtucket, I decided to spend the rainy day in NYC instead of driving all the way to DC. I stayed with a dear, dear friend, so every moment was an infusion of energy and history – an invigorating tonic. While she was at work, I visited  Tim Burton at Moma…he was crowded….but a good jolt of the interesting mind… made me start craving black and white, and I say I only use darkest brown and natural…we’ll just see about that, missy…  swirl it with turquoise and red…and acid yellow. Yes indeed. Maybe a few gloomy cobwebs, or not.

Ok. Then I visited my elderly cousin, who is 96, and has the most wonderful apartment in the world. The apartment of 46 geraniums. And he is the most wonderful fellow…A Gracious Host… we had cookies and tea. Perfect considering the weather.

Next–I met amazing talent: Connie Chang Chinchio!  At long last, we’d planned a rendezvous a few times, but my intended city trips always fell through. We met in the Land of Danger: School Products….yarn shop from my ancient NYC history…still the same…still so very tempting. I do not need any more yarn. EVER. Look at Connie up there, see her fists full of yarn, that giddy grin? Uh huh, two knitting designers in a yarny stupor…and I got a book too. Andean Weaving, why stop with knitting?

What can I say, it was like I’d always known Connie. We’re both west-coasters on the east coast, so I suppose we have that in common, but it was more than that. It was just so comfortable to sit and knit and talk with her, we went downtown for tea, at a great bookshop in Soho. It is nice to have someone who speaks the same language of knitting too, you know what I mean, when out in the “real world” somehow the threads of our conversations get tangled and never understood?  Only a knitter knows.

The tapestry….lead in to the next day…Painters translate their art to tapestry  in the Demons, Yarns & Tales show the John Cohan Gallery. The Alphabet is by Peter Blake, who did the Beatles Sgt. Peppers album cover, among other things.