shit!

I guess I'm not surprised, but that really sucks!

I went to Staten Island...

(Photo of an SI resident from the New York Times)

... and I didn't take any pictures. Trust me, there's not much to see on the island. Sure, Richmond Terrace is a lovely coastal ramble, but once you get to the old salt mines and a long stretch of nothing, it gets a little old, not to mention scary. So you will have to make do with pictures I have ripped from other people's Web sites and some handy links. And take my word for it.

Getting there
Of course we took the ferry, and it was filthy with tourists. It was a cold spring Sunday afternoon, but they were out in droves. The ride is nice. I got as close to the Statue of Liberty as I've ever been, and they sell beer on board. This is about all I would need or want to know before I took the trip.

You're there!
Once you step off the ferry, most people turn around and go home. My intrepid friend and I decided to take a walk. Outside of the terminal, you have a choice to go left or right. We went to the right, knowing the S44 bus to Denino's was in that direction (you can also take it right at the terminal.)

The whole point
So, as any lapsed Catholic would, I gave up something for Lent. I gave up pizza. This is a completely self-indulgent move, having nothing to do with suffering for Jesus (though I would have suffered going 40 days without a slice).
I have been hearing about Denino's since my cousin started dating an Italian guy from Bensonhurst, and I am on my own personal mission to have what is commonly known as the ten best pizzas in NYC. (Note: I will likely never make it to Di Fara's because I cannot wait for two hours on a line with tourists.)
The bus drops you right there, at 524 Port Richmond Avenue. My co-conspirator pointed out that it doesn't look like an old-school pizza place, with murals of Venice on the walls and such. It feels more like a country pizza place, a specimen found upstate N.Y. or out in the wilds of Jersey. It has a bar in front with $1 glasses of Bud or $2.25 pints (yes, please!) and the tables in the back. Children everywhere, lots of women in sweatpants, albeit the tight, velvet kind, and good service. It looks more like a rec room, very beige in color and even a generic sports bar feel up front.
The pizza itself? Really, really good. A smaller pie, but as pointed out in other reviews, not soggy, holds a pile of toppings well, and the crust is very chewy and softer than on a typical pie, if you're into that. My companion was, which sucked for me because I can usually count on eating his discarded crusts.
We got our pie (only pies) half "M.O.R." (meatball, onion and ricotta) and half plain. I hate foods that look like ricotta cheese but the melding of all three ingredients was really good.
While it looks like a saucy pie, the red stuff is a little bland for my tastes. Then again, I like it acidic enough to induce heartburn before you even get up from the table. It also had that cornmeal dusting on the bottom that I could live without. But it all went really well with cheap beer and the fact that I was on Staten Island.

In the end, Lazarra's is still unbeaten in the "best of NYC" pizza category. Surprising, because it is a very thin-crust square pie, but it really is the sauce that does it. And for the record, my still-unbeaten favorite dirty pizza joint slice is in Polito's on Broadway in Astoria. Just make sure it is a fresh pie.

Of SI Note:

This story from the New York Times is a very good indicator of what you will find. It was pretty informative and I wish I had read it before we went. I would have tried to make it to Linoleumville.

The Staten Island Advance goes above and beyond the call of duty. It is truly a great newspaper and they have a sense of humor about the whole Staten Island thing.

learning curve

No sooner do I mentally commit to posting regularly does it become St. Patrick's season. I say season because for someone who works at an Irish institution, this is pretty much all we have. I still don't understand the twinge of heritage that makes our subscriptions go up in March, but
perhaps one day I will. I met a man at the (Czech) Bohemian Beer Hall and Beer Garden reading our paper last night, and he seemed a lot more interesting than the readers who call me up to complain about the caricature of St. Patrick on the cover. But I digress...

As I am just getting my free time back, I was thinking about taking the plunge and laying out for a spring sewing class since it has become apparent that I can't sew in a straight line or measure accurately. I also ordered the bible, commonly known as the 1976 version on the Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing. I ended up with two (thanks eBay!) and I actually prefer the 1978 version, not that I have found a difference yet. It is just in better condition.

Well, I may still find a class useful, but this book is genius. It has given me my confidence back, which was sorely lacking. I am no longer lax to, or afraid of changing out needles and using the dials for things like stitch length and thread tension. And you know what? That stuff is important!
I ordered some jersey recently, looking to make a dress I have a Built By Wendy pattern for, and I was doing some practice sewing, you know, to see what to set the dials to. I even put on a ball-point needle in the correct size, which I learned from the handy chart on page 27. And it worked! I sewed two pieces of jersey together and the seam did not pucker or snag and now I am looking forward to making that dress. Sometimes it just takes a little effort, I suppose.

And now, a gratuitous picture of Seamus, who was recently given a clean bill of health and will be getting the snip as soon as I can make an appointment. This picture was taken right after I told him as such. Please ignore the filthy floor, it was rainy that day!

Down on the farm

I am way late in posting my trip to the General Bailey Homestead Farm, but it isn't going away anytime soon.

Once our trip to Indian Lake, N.Y. was set, I started researching fiber farms on the way up. Why? Because I have the most special princess life, that's why! And it was my birthday and roommate was stuck (he was still roommate at this point, he is now my, um, my soul provider. And my fiancé.) I was originally planning on hitting the Morehouse store, but when I realized I wasn't going to be able to see the sheep on the farm, it lost a little of its luster. I looked for something more farmy. And I found General Bailey's, sitting in the Adirondack foothills. It is actually just a short drive outside of Saratoga Springs, for you racing fans. And while you could miss it driving down the road, the bleating of the sheep would carry you back. They are that loud.

The very nice Kathy Bourgeois, who was semi-expecting us, led us into the barn where the store is. It is full of yarn. She has one floor-to-ceiling wall of her own homespun and another of various sock yarns of mostly merino wool (that I saw), mostly from Australia. There is also a good selection of notions and a cat named Buttons (Buttons!!!), named so because she would keep knocking over Kathy's display buttons. You thought I was going to say knitting needles, didn't you!

The real attraction, aside from the hand-dyed yarn, was the flock of merino sheep that do the work. Sheep's eyes give me the heebie-jeebies, what with that narrow slit and all, but they were dear animals. The soul provider got up close and personal with one of them.
Even while the others looked on in horror.

Then it was feeding time! There was a mini-stampede for the hay.
Thanks for the yarn, buddy.
I have decided that for sure, I want a farm someday. I take a sick amount of crap for stating that wish out loud, but it is true, these people know me and how I grew up. It was not near agriculture. Still, I feel that with a lot of elbow grease, I WE can be self-sustaining. But that is for another post, of course.

Now, if you will excuse me, I think I have just eaten a bad nectarine.

Loukaniko

I guess I am going to squeeze it all in so bear with me. At least there are pictures. (Is it bad to type like people are reading?)

The shrug I started is almost, almost almost done. I got lazy after the second sleeve, but here it is in all the glory. The color is a little off... that blue should be a little more turquoise, but you get the idea. Maybe the picture on the cutting mat was not the best idea. But anyway, it is most definitely small and I hope does not look too silly covering only my shoulders. I have decided I love the pattern and will make another one that actually covers my boobs with some bright red dk I bought at General Bailey's Homestead. Oh my god! I have to post pictures of those sheep. So fun.

Then I had a burst of creativity and re-did the old nurse stool (It looked like the stools the school nurses would sit on) that I rescued from - you guessed it - outside a school. You can see in previous pictures how ugly it was, brown on tan or something. I had a hard time actually deciding on a color, of course I wanted something bright like yellow or red but fabric dictated the show here. I found good-quality cotton gingham with some texture to it (like a really light canvas, almost) at Ragshop, and that kind of said it. I also used the occasion to buy my very own heavy-duty staple gun. I did squeal with fright every time I used it, afraid I would staple my hand together. How, I don't know. Moving on!

Then I decided I would move on to felt plush, stealing everyone else's ideas in the process. I want to say that I have never SEEN the plush ravioli, so perhaps this is the first one. hey, at least it's not a doughnut.

And then, so confident with my sewing skills, I decided I would have to try the machine of doom again. After one breakdown, I actually managed to make a tote bag. Canvas, no lining, but I took measurements (correctly), used my iron, AND did topstitching on this one. Can you see the reinforcement on those handles? I am quite proud of it. I realized how plain it was and I am planning to fabric-paint something on it this weekend that does not involve an owl, a craggy tree branch, or a bird silhouette.

In other news, I had really, really excellent homemade sausage (how's that for a transition?) at Ovelia, a new restaurant in my old neighborhood (Astoria, Queens.) They make it in-house and I have to say, greek sausage, when done correctly, is better than any other kind of sausage in the world. Italian sausage has nothing on this, even the freshly made kind from a real market. This was unreal. I don't know if it is lamb, beef, goat, whatever. It is called Loukaniko and it rocks. That is Gayle there, going for my piece! The waiter actually asked why I was taking a picture and, not being a suave food blogger, I said "because it's really good. I want to remember it." Which is, really, kind of true. I have to make note that it does lead to some kickin' breath... the kind that fills up the room while you sleep off your sausage coma. And in the morning, the room reeks of sweat and garlic. Do not eat this on a date.

Also, I am now the proud owner of the 1976 version of the Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing. I hope it is as good as everyone says. I realized I need to go back to the drawing board to learn sewing the right way, especially if I ever want to make anything that resembles clothing that I have to wear. In public. In fact, I might be the proud owner of two copies, unless someone outbids me (please!) on this one.

Stay tuned...

Oh my goodness, it has been so long.

I realized yesterday that I was at a crossroads with this blog. I could either let it die a slow and horrible death (sort of like what Eunny is doing to everyone), or try and keep at it. Post regularly, try and keep up with pictures, and e-mail other people whose blogs I read for a link. And to ask before I steal their pictures.

I will try for the latter.

The thing is, a lot of things have been happening! I had an insane week so far with lots of idea running through my head. I bought a cute journal to jot it all down, but of course it all came crashing down when I actually tried to sew something and it turned into a complete copy of the last bag I made that I hate so much. I also realized I am hoarding fabric that I love too much to cut up and make more bags I hate with.

I did manage to get some projects done: I painted and reupholstered a chair that I rescued from the trash pile outside a school earlier this year. I will get a picture of that up soon. I also made a plush thing, not sure if this particular inatimate object has been done already, but it is cute. Also, I got engaged - to my roommate. I must be the best person to live with, ever!

As with all good comes bad, I am still stuck in my job on the cusp of our busiest time of year, I have no leads, and no money.

I will return with pictures and the like over the weekend.

so cute it hurts

I snuck this in so people would be forced to take in the utter, um, "proshness" (I can't believe I just typed that) of this picture, courtesy of my daily dose of wonderful, Cute Overload. It's knit, it's a kitten, it's a marmalade kitten, and it is wearing the knitting. AND it has holes where the kitten ears go. I just give up.

procrastination nation

I know this blog reads like a redux of Craftzine's blog, only three days later. So sad! I try to keep up with it, and I keep meaning to e-mail the Web sites I troll and try to exchange links or whatever it is people do nowadays, but I usually only spend time blogging at work. Like you don't!

I have started a new knitting project. The crochet blanket is still underway (18? 19? stripes), and I am attempting my first socks with some lovely sock yarn from Sweeden. I will never give my roommate a sweater, in keeping with old wive's tale tradition, but what's the harm in some socks for Valentine's Day? I figure they will be so malformed (as it is my first attempt) that it's hardly much of a gift.

A sweater for me, now that's another story. I generally look bad in sweaters that are boxy and bulky but my skill level is nowhere near knitting a fitted one. But this, this doesn't look bad at all.

I am this far along: I realized I might have to get some bigger needles, so threw it on a 29-inch circular. This will mark my first attempt at a large-scale project as well. I have a sinking fear the gauge is all wrong, but I can always give it to a narrow-shouldered friend.

material of a thousand uses

I have another problem. It's called vintage kitchenware on eBay.

I am now the proud owner of a smattering of Fire King pieces and this beauty, a vintage (70s is vintage now, yes) Sunbeam 12-speed Mixmaster.
It all started so innocently.

Like everything else that is wrong with this world, I started looking on eBay for spoons. Me and the roommate (like nails on a blackboard, Katy?) have one spoon between the two of us. We had soup the other day and he kindly let me use it while he managed with a soup ladle. But he suggested I try eBay for a set, and since I got paid that day I thought why the hell not. A flurry of bidding later, I had a mixer, some bowls, and no spoons.

I have yet to use the mixer, but it is so damn pretty I don't care. The ("peach lustre," for all you lovers of kitchen porn) loaf pan made a terribly uneven banana bread, so I think I will be sticking to my clear Pyrex from now on. It is nice to look at, though!

I started to see something called Bakelite showing up in the vintage category. What was this marvel of physics and plastics, exactly? To Wikipedia!. It turns out it has a thousand uses, including handles for flatware. I was drawn in by the color, the tantalizing pictures, the - dare I say - tackiness of it all. I never once cared about what my forks were made of. I endlessly mocked a friend's boyfriend for buying a state-of-the-art titanium spork for camping trips. And here I am, debating "butterscotch or jade."

When the bidding reached $50, I knew I was in over my head. This is not why I am on eBay - I could buy a brand new set for cheaper than this, or just go to Junk in Williamsburg and buy 10 spoons for a dollar. Isn't that where this all started? I could understand if this was an ultra rare silver service set, but plastic?

Needless to say, we are still sharing one spoon. And wouldn't you know - tonight is soup night!

sewing 101

Hello. My name is Jill and I only found out the tension on my sewing machine was disgustingly low last night. I have owned my machine for almost a year.

I own a very rudimentary model – Singer 1507
– since all I wanted was to learn how to sew. And, a year later, I can safely say that sewing is HARD! Math is easy, if you just listen to the teacher and commit the formulas to memory (another thing I learned too late). But sewing… is really, like, hard.

I never even had the option to take home economics in school, even though my tough-as-nails 15-year-old self would never have elected to take it. The wifely arts and Home Ec were phased out in favor of things like “Robotics” and “Computers.” Keep in mind this was early 90s computing, in a NYC public school, so it was something like Oregon Trail on an Apple IIe. And don’t even get me started on Robotics, which consisted of creating a hydrolic arm out of wood and syringes. There was no actual metal or electricity involved, no. But I digress, per usual.

So last night, instead of watching the Golden Globes like everyone else in my office (I heard Jennifer Hudson’s speech was “from the heart,”) I tried to construct the skirt I had cut pieces out for a few days earlier. Half out of necessity, since I can’t afford to go clothes shopping until the spring, and half to finally learn how to work from a pattern. And I want to preface this by saying I do not own a tracing wheel.

I got as far as the back seam, which, yes, was the first instruction. Then it came to basting the zipper on. I used the absolutely brilliant Twelve22.org zipper tutorial to learn how to do it in the first place (I had no idea there was such a thing as a zipper foot!), but this was different as I would soon find out. I was instructed to loosen the tension on the machine. I needed the 1570 manual, eHow.com, and the patterns instruction to tell me that those two dials? On the top of the machine? With the numbers? Those are there for a reason. First I learned which one was stitch length, and then I learned the other was something I now forget. But I set that dial to the longest stitch, and then it was time to adjust the bobbin tension. I had seen the screw before, but I just figured it was all set when I bought it. eHow had a very informative test to determine how loose is your tension. You held the bobbin case up by the thread and see how far down it drops. Well, mine hit the floor. At least I was ready to baste!

I ended up doing a pretty crap job of the zipper, and then I realized I don’t even have any way to eyeball the darts, so I ripped what I had done so far out and plan to start anew this evening. Today it is back to Rag Shop, for a tracing wheel. Thank goodness for a 40% coupon.

I am thinking it might be worth it to take a class, or at least buy one of those "learn with photos" Singer books.

progress

I am feeling more myself (while some people would argue my self is more surly than sweet, I beg to differ) and I think it is due in part to getting my hands on some sewing again. It seems infinitely harder than knitting for me in many respects, which just make me want to master it all the more.

This is a bag I started working on since my regular one has been dirtied and frayed to shreds and people stare at me and the look on their faces is something like, "How is she homeless? She certainly looks like she gets enough to eat."

Here is the famous Bella Dia afghan. I just like calling it an afghan but it's not much of anything yet. I'm 13 rows in and I have to stop taking it on the subway with me. It's about 6 feet long and you want to talk about funny looks? I estimate I will be done sometime in late 2009.

This is why I will be done in 2009 - I have no shelving!!! It is funny, my craft room was the first room in the place to be painted and finished and it looks like it will be the last to get organized. Between me and the roommate, we have about 300 books, and all my bookcases/shelves went to the greater cause. I keep meaning to build my own but then I think about staining and sanding and sawing and I get tired and need to take a nap. Look closely at the mess and you will notice at least four bags/baskets/hatboxes of yarn, two out of three bins of fabric, my Uncle John, and assorted crap. Like the yoga mat paced conveniently out of reach in the corner.

This picture is just what is to the right of the prior mound of crap, to give you perspective (and allow you to marvel at the orange walls. They are not peach. One day, I will paint that horse paint-by-numbers set.

And last, but certainly not least, here is Seamus, looking forlorn, if not haute, in his smart off-the-shoulder (who knew dogs had shoulders?) sweater, courtesy of Kathryn. And that is the kitchen. Bright, no?

apologies

I feel terrible that I whined so bad in my last post. I have nothing to complain about in the grand scheme of things. I have my health and a dumb puppy who is FINALLY (fingers crossed) flea-free, and a wonderful roommate to share the great new place with. Of course it worked out, for all my fretting and passive-aggressive anger at any and everyone in my way, and we're moved in and happy and colorful.

There are a million things to do but the Internet goes in tomorrow and tonight I may finally get to my office/craftroom, which I painted a fun light/bright orange. I am afraid it looks too peach now, but I am assured it is indeed VERY ORANGE.

Back to crafting news, of which there has been none because all my things are/were in boxes, I did manage to dig out enough yarns to start a new project.

I want to make note that your typical 99¢ store is a magical, wondrous place for cheap acrylic yarn. Sometimes they even have nice baby soft yarns instead of the itchy usual stuff, but cheap and cheerful works for me, since I am undertaking the biggest project yet:
Bella Dia's Vintage Vertical Stripe Crocheted Blanket.
I admit it, it was the colors here that got me hooked (yuk, yuk) on the idea, though perhaps once I started working on it I realized I have a very drab yarn collection. This didn't stop me, of course, and now I just have another reason to go back to 99¢ Dreams on 5th avenue to find some yellows and white. I am 8 rows in and not bored yet.

Apparently there were/are a lot of crotcheters in the family, great aunts and third cousins and the like, and I was the recipient of some interesting blankets as a baby. I remember seeing them as I got older and my mother put them away lest they be cut up into a million little pieces as I was wont to do with anything of value as a child. But I got excited at the thought that I will make an heirloom, and if I get good enough at it, I can make them for other people as well. Those blankets were a huge comfort to me, my mom, and the thought of doing the same is extremely gratifying.

black blox exercise

There is a special place in hell reserved for my boss and other non-retail business owners who insist on keeping their centrally located midtown Manhattan offices open the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

It just took me 30 minutes to walk from 55th and 6th to 47th and 5th. Why? Because of the tourists, the majority of whom seem to have been procreating since last year’s trip. Here is a tip: Don’t use a large stroller in midtown. Just don’t! Because that makes it all the more hard for people to fit into the pens the NYPD has set up at all corners along 5th and 6th avenues. Yes, pens, like protesters. I would like to protest the amount of assholes walking around the city today.

Christmas was really great, though. I did not get as much sewing/knitting/etc. things as I would have thought but the people I made things for seemed to appreciate them and I enjoyed the chance to do it. I was bestowed with some very lovely gifts, such as a bass guitar (!), some really really really great moccasins and a really really really soft robe, books I had wanted, a 2-qt. Le Creuset (!!!) and a lady tool kit. It was a banner year.

Sadly, still, I definitely feel a sense of dread now that they are over. I am in apartment limbo at the moment, so if that works out I would feel a lot better. But the weather is not very wintry, and while yes, I know it sucks to be cold and wet and snowy, it is New York, for chrissakes. Live in South Carolina if you want this 60-degress bullshit year-round. I like that the snow is supposed to come and people bundle up and stay indoors or rush into bars and steam up the windows.

Sigh. I apologize for spewing too much bile. I am just hoping things work out…

maybe a trip to Cute Overload will save me...

Ugh! Worst week!

Here I was, assuming I was ahead of the game, getting the bulk of my Christmas shopping done over the Internet last week and leaving just a few picky things to get. I could take this week to relax, bake, and bask in the glow of our beautiful Christmas tree with the old-fashioned big glass bulbs. Like a twenty-something grandma, yes, but relaxed!

The reality is, of course, that it is already Wednesday, the production schedule has been pushed forward two days, the Christmas tree is dying since the stand no longer holds water and the bulbs broke when it fell – twice - last week, and I am panicking as to how I can afford all the “little picky gifts” I left until the last minute. I was “shopping” on our review books shelf earlier for back up gifts, in case I can’t find the exact Irvine Welsh book my brother wants, or something that is just the right amount of heartfelt without being showy to my manfriend’s parents. Not to mention the gifts I still have to make. My god.

I hope this all pays off in dividends when I can have next Tuesday off and get back to getting shit done, something I am usually so good at…

sad Christmas tree

I know it is bad to be openly Christmas shopping (or, window shopping) on the Internet while at work, but today I think everyone is a few rungs low. The office party was last night and the forced niceness has resulted in some pretty fierce nasty hangovers.

I am glad that I had an e-mail talk with one of our freelancers earlier this month, however. Editing her usually gave me a headache but she’s been proofing her work (what a concept!) before she sends it in and that means less work for me. Less hair-tugging, eye-rubbing, wonderment type of work.

I don’t know what it is but the last few years have been less Christmassy. I love the season, I would be content to just sit in front of my tree all night and day. But the last few years it just flies by so quickly and all of a sudden I am running out to stores and finding things sold out, shelves ransacked, and wrapping hurriedly in tissue paper.

More of a reason why I like the idea of making presents. I get the immediate satisfaction of having it in my hand, and the practice of working on it. Granted, some people I give to are too, hmmm, let’s say on a one-track-mind to appreciate a homemade gift. I also can’t assume that my skills are really up there with mass production. Perhaps in another year or so. Then again, some people just like gadgets.

I am also at a loss as to crafty gifts for boys/men. I know the knit thing might work for a sweater or hat but I seem to have a mental block about working in dull colors like gray and browns. I have a basket full of yarn and there might be a lump of dull Donegal tweed sitting in a big knot at the bottom of it. Funny, as I am typing, I just realized maybe it isn’t as hard as it seems. My brother probably would wear a nice knit hat and a scarf. And a certain someone else is waiting for me to make a wallet that I promised him after I ripped up his old one to see the construction…

Knee-deep in… mittens?

It is December 13, and as I while away the days until I get paid so I can do some proper Christmas shopping, I am knitting at a furious pace. I stopped once last week to make a bag for my friend Anna (she is also getting scarf I made), but I know myself well enough that if I don’t pick the needles back up now, I will end up in Target in Atlantic Center Mall next week, looking for something to get certain people.

I am knitting mittens loosely based on this pattern, which is originally for Rowan Plaid. I am using two bulky yarns, Reynolds Blizzard in Violet and Morehouse Merino Bulky Yarn in a nice blue (it is called “Pacific.”)

I rarely see Blizzard yarn spoken about online or used in patterns. I can see why – it feels almost too slippery and soft, like hair that has just been conditioned. I am learning more about the different fibers that are better for different projects. It turns out they make a soft mitten, but I can see them being soppy and unpleasant when wet. It is, however, terribly soft and nice for scarves. My first scarf was one-third Blizzard, because I only bough one skein and I was on vacation in L.A. and just came across it and loved it and bought some size 15 needles and I had a new hobby. By the way, I finished the scarf with Blue Sky Alpaca bulky naturals and yes! It is terribly warm.

Because I like to support the nice yarn stores that supply me in this big bad city (and pay their big bad rents), allow me to mention that I bought the Morehouse at Brooklyn General and the Blizzard at The Yarn Connection. I love Brooklyn General because it is huge (they just moved into new digs) and has miles of pretty yarn and fabric. I love the Yarn Connection because it is close to my job, they always have a 10% off coupon on their Web site, and the two ladies who I assume own it are very nice - not at all what store owners in Manhattan are usually like.

Now if you will excuse me, it is time for my office Christmas party. Excuse me while I try to drink as many Makers and waters as I can in an effort to forget that I hate this event more and more each year.

Bushy-tailed

I used to hate squirrels. They would systematically gang up on me and attack me. One flew at me from a garbage can when I was in college. It grazed my head. Another darted out in front of my path and I tripped on it and fell, and skinned my knee. This was only a few years ago.

Now, I kind of like them. They are cute. And now some important research is underway to try and understand the little bastards. This picture is from here, a site by two people with more time on their hands than even I have.

this weekend in craft

Looks like there are lots of crafty wares for sale in NYC this weekend:

Saturday “is the G running?” in Williamsburg

BUST mag’s Holiday Craftacular
Booze, handmade stuff, and I am sure a shit ton more.
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Warsaw, 261 Driggs Ave. (at Eckford)

Fred Flare's Carnival of Cute
While not exactly a craft fair as much as a pop-up store, they are having a big ‘do. Amy Sedaris will be there, for chrissakes. That’s pretty huge.
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fred Flare, 175 N. 10th Street #3

Sunday “chock full of brunchers” in the City

New York City craft fair
Wren Handmade is helping to organize this, which D*s says will feature perch!, deadly squire, laurice curran, kristen mccloud, donna jo brady, alyssa ettinger, wren handmade and more.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Divine studio, 21 E. 4th street, suite 605


A personal goal I have is to be in a craft fair next year. While I would love to get my things together for The Renegade Craft Fair, now spanning like a million cities, I should remember to think small and local, too. At least to get my feet wet. While I would be swallowed up by the myriad semi-famous and multi-talented people at McCarran Park, I walked through a holiday craft fair at a local Park Slope high school last weekend and while there were a lot of people there (and a lot of kids), yet no one was peddling stuff like mine. I kept thinking how I would have made a killing. How does one hear about these things?

The best resource I have seen on craft fairs was Loose Tooth’s Craft Show 101

I like commas

I am going to start out strong - keep the personal missives to a minimum, link to all the wonderful sites I find, and be a friend. I have already used the word "missive," however, and I foresee lapsing into my old ways. I used to keep a blog mainly for the entertainment of my friend and co-worker (oh, what a tangled web we weave!) and as I recounted tales of disastrous family vacations I would hear her laughing across the office. Then I accidentally deleted it!

So, I promise, no tales of family vacations.

This is also going to link to my own site, where I hope to accomplish many things. I am a maker of things (though I cannot go as far as calling myself as crafty as some of the insanely talented people I link to here), I am a writer of news, I photograph on occasion, I am involved in a musical collaboration that could one day take off if I get serious, and I love making and eating and finding new food. I just made an apple cider pie the other day. And they said it could not be done!

I am also way too wordy for the blogosphere. Oh, darn. There I go again.

So, two specific words I should not have used on the first day, and too many of them in general. I will win, one of these days.

some basic information, please...

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?

"The pressure in his chest and temples, thought Eddie Willers, was the strain of the effort he was making; he had decided to make the issue clear for once, and the issue was so clear, he thought, that nothing could bar it from Taggart's understanding, unless it was the failure of his own presentation. So he had tried hard, but he was failing, just as he had always failed in all of their discussions; no matter what he said, they never seemed to be taking about the same subject."

"Atlas Shrugged." I tried reading it once on a 10-hour train ride to Pittsburgh, but only got so far. When I picked it up again, 8 years later, it had forgotten what I read and had to start anew! I've made it considerably farther this time.

2. If you stretch out your left arm - as far as possible, what are you touching?
Papers on a rack thing. I'm at work!

3. What's the last program you watched on tv?
A Frontline about credit card companies.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
4:20.... It's 4:25!

5. Except the computer, what can you hear right now?
The tone of someone saving on Microsoft Word... telelphone ringing... new receptionist answering...

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
I went to get a slice of pizza for lunch. I love pizza.

7. What are you wearing?
Sailor-pant jeans, chuck taylors, a tank top and a wrap sweater that is gray and oddly shaped.

8. Did you dream last night? If you did, what about?
I don't think so but I lied and told my boyfriend I dreamt about a tiger, sorry, a LIGER, eating him.

9. When was the last time you laughed?
Today.

10. What's on the walls, in the room you're in right now?
The beaten and tarred souls of myself and my coworkers.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
I saw a guy peeing on the street on my way to work this morning. I thought it was a bit early for that.

12. What do you think about this meme?
It is my first.

13. What's the last film you saw?
Space Oddesey 2001, "but I fell asleep halfway through."

14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?
Quit my job, buy land, and start planning. I would also go away to a small Carribbean town for vacation until December 15th or so.

15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.
Most people don't know about the time I turned on the TV and saw my uncle and cousin -on opposing sides, mind you - on a daytime judge show.

16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt - what would it be?
I can't help that it is in regards to politics - I would prevent Ronald Regan from being elected and give Jimmy Carter another term.

17. Do you like dancing?
Yes I do! It takes me a while to get over the shyness though.

18. George Bush?
Groan.

19. What do you want your children's names to be, girl/boy?
I like August for a boy and I don't know about girls. I just hope I don't have any.

20. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Yes.

21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?
That you really can walk on clouds and it is a really fun place to be. Not that it exists or anything.

22. Who should do this meme?
Groan.