That was fun! (NYC, Lion Brand Studio, Tea & Sympathy and Purl Soho!)

A dear longtime NJ based friend came to NYC today

to spend the afternoon with me!

We started with lunch with Mr Husband,

then went to Lion Brand Studio,

then to get a new (pink!) cart for me 

(she helped me decide on which one and I am so glad I got the

one I did get!..the last picture above is the place I bought it from

and the red cart I had before that) 

and then we went to Tea and Sympathy, boy did I need that respite, 

then we went to Purl Soho and then walked back,

got a bit turned around (a lady told us incorrect directions)

and had a lovely time walking and talking!

It was SO HUMID today here (and for NYC)...

I admit I bought a new purple bandana just so I could 

deal with the result of such heat 

(humidity, sun = I was drenched with perspiration, 

reminded me of L'Engle's book

the other side of the sun when the main character

has to be in full outfit for an outing and her clothes were so wet

because of the oppressive heat that they had to be wrung out,

it was not that bad for me but I still was reminded of this!)

We also stopped at a Trader Joes on Spring Street that I had not

been to before and I got a few things that will get us through the next while...

It was a really fun day!

Then I ate dinner at the diner and then Mr Husband, who ate at work,

came and we went home...

did our prayers while waiting for light rail (20 minutes)

and a nice cool bubble bath by candle light was the perfect finish of

such a lovely lovely day!

(And of course, by the time we were waiting for the train home,

my Husband was saying, "so you had lots of girl time?!" just like 

I had told my dear friend he would!)

***

I have various friends with such difficult struggles,

many medical in nature.

So many to pray for.

***

I pray and hope that no matter what you are facing,

that God's mercy, strength and comfort will carry you.

Purl Soho Visit + learning + a stack of good books!

My friend Tahara and I went to NYC

and Purl Soho yesterday!

Will blog, DV, more about that later!

Reading: a whole wonderful stack of books. I am meaning to post

the almost done review of Dinner with Edward, it was very good but missed a few

things that are significant and that I am working on articulating still. 

Re-read L' Engle's Swiftly Tilting Planet. Very good, reminded me of how I must

let go of things and let God's path and ways be accomplished... 

Making & Learning: I asked at Purl Soho how to do the French Knot... I get it now!

They had some really neat linen cloth there for cross stitching, am keeping it in mind for later!

Making: more wash clothes have been completed. 

Making Hopes:  working on my godson's quilt this week + Sunday School curriculum! 

Accomplishments: a simple brunch for a lovely little 3 year old girl who we are welcoming 
into our lives! Last Saturday morning! 

Joining Ginny's Yarn Along!

Purl SoHo and going back home

My visit with Heather to Purl Soho was nice!

I have been there I think 3 or 4 times now.

I feel like it is a lovely store I visit, no longer a novelty.

I bought some red duck fabric while I was there,

my quilting friend, who also sews - and has an etsy store!- is

making me a messenger bag! More on that later...

***

Purl SoHo packs a lot in what is really small space.

They begin with yarn, midway is notions and thread and in the back are

many lovely fabrics, fat quarters and the like.  The middle space has lots of 

examples of things made, in both yarn and fabric. 

The tend towards the simple, light, airy, with few colours in one made object,

very much the current styles, from what I gather.

I don't really go by what is current in what I make...

They had redone their front window... to be honest my pictures of it above 

disappoint me - I feel like there is not enough colour or contrast, esp.

with the wall that has towels and bags.... but I am not into what is 

new, hip or 'cool' so I am a bit biased.  :)  Just too much white on white for me.

Anyway, things change.  It's a fun place.

They have fun books and such things - a place you would find
magazines like Kinfolk.

I have gotten fabric from there for quilting and now for a fun bag.

Here's other times I have gone, here, here (the first 2 are from the same trip) and here.

You see more fun (I think she got better pictures than myself, partly because

I was not taking tons of pictures, having been before) on Heather's blog of 

our time there....

***

I think the thing I love the most about it is the cutting counter,

where I can get just the amount of fabric I want,

makes me feel like I am connected to the days past, when a more

General Store would get you just the amount you wanted.

I like that.

***

I find that there seem to be two types of yarn people:

those who go for the more expensive yarns and those who, well, do not!

I am in the latter category. I just don't see anything I make, esp. since I am more

into simple creative blankets for kids, do tons of wash cloth knitting, 

and am not into patterns much, needing expensive yarn.

Add that to the fact, that I discovered after I began to knit, that a lot of

the yarns that are animal fiber make my hands itch on contact.  Once I bought

an on-sale brown wool that is tweedy like but really rough, and I could not even

knit it when wearing cloth gloves.

Anyway, all that to say, I don't go to Purl SoHo for their yarn. 

It's really nice if you make garments or fancy things.
They have a wonderful amount of yarn colours, very pretty.

But it's just not me and not what I want to spend money on.

Besides that, I have a yarn stash that is enough for the little 

I am doing with it right now.... 

I am having a hard time finding time to do a lot of crafting,

and I just have to be patient.

I miss it, but life just has a lot of other things I must do right now...

***

But I will go again, to Purl Soho, hopefully soon, with another friend who 

wants to go.... I will be happy to visit!
***
One the way home from Purl Soho and Heather and I's wonderful tea,
I got a nice dinner and iced mint tea at a local restaurant near
to Trader Joe's... an organic chicken with vegetables.

Then I went to do a small Trader Joe's run,
got another pineapple!
And met up with Mr. Husband and we went home...

We took a train the neighbouring town

as it was a much better commute on the PATH train,

with places to sit.

A lovely sunny day, I was so happy from having such a great day!

***

I am glad for NYC, for beautiful old buildings in SoHo and for

Purl SoHo, even though they don't open till noon and one has to remember that

when planning a trip in!