Tourist. (NYC, Part 1)
Going to New York City always as seemed completely overwhelming to me, even growing up in New Jersey… maybe even because I grew up there.
Even now as an adult, I think of it being a dirty, huge, dangerous place because of my country girl upbringing. Every time we went into “the city” we had to be on-guard the entire time and as exciting as it was when we went in to see shows and museums, I would always go home overwhelmed in all my senses… grateful to be back in the quiet and sweet air.
Miss Carrieoke and I met up in NYC this past weekend. This trip though, after living in a fairly big city for 6 years, I saw New York with different eyes. It was exhilarating, all the people and the noise and the flashing lights.
I took the bus (cheap option this time!) from South Station to the Port Authority. Everything went smoothly and I caught up with Carrie and her sister near Times Square. (I got here all by myself! I am a big girl!)
It was totally funny seeing them together in person for the first time, standing on the sidewalk in front of the hotel. I have seen pictures of Cathy so often on Carrie’s blog that I felt like I already knew her even if we just met.
She is just as sweet as I expected and spent most of the time that I saw her in the famous Central Park Hoodie. She was so, so sick though and I felt terrible that she was stuck in the room just trying to get better. We will hang out another time, I am sure!
Carrie and I did brave the world outside, in truly yucky weather, and went to quite a few great restaurants, recommendations by Carolyn. (Carrie talks about all of them in her post so I won’t be repetitive here.)
Here I am at one of the yummy restaurants, enjoying two of my beverages. What? When I go to Malaysian restaurants I get excited about all the drink choices. Sue me. (left: coconut juice in whole coconut- cool! and middle: lychee drink)
I made Carrie try some of the lychee out of my drink and she pretended to bite it for the picture on the right, but then didn’t actually eat it. Wimp.
(As a side note, Alan Arkin, the grandfather from Little Miss Sunshine, was sitting to my right, two tables over in those pictures above. Carrie was staring at him and he decided he needed to move tables. haha)
We got back to our tiny hotel room and set about planning for the Great Yarn Crawl of March 2007.
We were prepared. We had maps, a guide book to NYC, recommendations from other knitters, some boots and one umbrella. We were going to DO IT.
Our first stop, was The Point. It is a great shop! I love the set up with the bins of yarn and I had fun using the grabby thing (kinda like an apple picker) to get the yarns from up high. The light in there was great and I can definitely recommend the quiche and jasmine tea. I also loved the lime green floor- my favorite color.
I am not sure what happened there on the right, but it is too funny not to post. haha
That’s better.
But there’s more! At the Point we met up with a few knitters: Michelle, Jackie, Cassie, Jenn, Valentina, and Mindy. Everyone was super nice and welcoming and even invited us to Jenn’s birthday celebration the next night.
I was sad that I we didn’t get to come back to the shop later on to meet the Spiders but at that point we were oh so wet and tired. (Not sure if you can do that kind of thing- just drop in- but I have been talking to some of them so maybe they wouldn’t throw me out. haha They like being all mysterious and exclusive methinks.)
Anyway, after that we walked in the slush and sleet to Purl and Purl Patchwork. It is a lovely store. So cute and nicely arranged. They were having a trunk show for Knit 2 Together and it was super cool to see all the knitted items from that book.
Look at all that Koigu!
I also met Joelle Hoverson and may have accidently insulted her by saying that the chevron scarf curls- oops. I didn’t realize who it was at the time and am not normally so rude. I am a complete idiot and get more and more embarrassed the more I think about the stuff I said. Carrie must have thought I was a moron but didn’t mention that she was the owner until we left. Oh well, it happens. 
Here is my loot from Purl, a lovely fabric cake I forget what it is called) and a pretty bag from Lantern Moon. I also got the lovely skein of Koigu to pair with some that I have at home, for some Endpaper Mitts.
Well, I am throwing in the towel on this post. It is long enough… I will come back and write the second part.
toodles!
March 20th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Lychee = too sweet. But I’ll do anything for a picture!
And I didn’t think you were a moron – the scarf does curl in that yarn!! I just thought you were being honest. Hee. I’m sure she’s heard worse.
We are so fabulous in that picture at the Point…
YAY TRIP!
March 20th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Sounds like a great time! That is one serious wall o’ yarn!
Looking forward to Part II!!!
March 21st, 2007 at 6:09 am
Drool….look at those yarn! I swear one day I’d go to NYC with a big empty luggage just to buy yarn.
I miss coconut drink, back at home we can get them from roadside
March 21st, 2007 at 6:59 am
Love reading part 1… excited to read part 2! I haven’t been to NYC in years… and never by myself. Fabulous pictures!
March 21st, 2007 at 7:59 am
glad you had such a good time, and i’m so bummed that i missed you guys. and you were totally welcome to meet the spiders! we are totally unwieldy and unexclusive!
March 21st, 2007 at 8:05 am
Fun! A yarn tour! I love meeting up with other knit bloggers, too. Great way to have someone show you a city.
March 21st, 2007 at 8:19 am
Fun trip! One of the best things about NYC is the food. I have to get back there some day soon…
March 21st, 2007 at 8:31 am
fabric??? what are you going to do with fabric????? tell me tell MEEEEEE
the first time I went to NYC I thought for sure I was going to get mugged, I was so scared the entire time. The second time, I was overwhelmed with the smell, then after that I settled into the whole experience. I still love BOSTON bestest though, becasue awesome people are in BOSTON! Oh and the RED SOXS ~~~ DUH
March 21st, 2007 at 9:00 am
It was really nice to meet you, lady! Thanks for trekking up to Queens for my birthday!
March 21st, 2007 at 9:13 am
Ooohhh boy do I want to do a yarn crawl – in NYC…. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:38 am
is the fabric cake a fat-quarter bundle? or more yardage? your pics are awesome, i particulary love you & carrie at the point. toooo funny. glad you had fun and next time, i’m meeting you guys there!!!
March 21st, 2007 at 9:46 am
OK, I’ve seen that picture of you and Carrie in front of the Koigu wall a number of times now and every time it makes me dizzy. That Koigu wall is a World Wonder, it is. And that picture also makes Purl seem like a ginormous space.
March 21st, 2007 at 10:07 am
The goofy picture of you and Carrie is great – it looks like you may have been slamming your fist down for emphasis or something. Very serious!
Your trip sounds like it was a ton of fun.
March 21st, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Wow you have been having such exciting trips lately! I never thought about NYC as a trip that would interest me before, but if I made it into a knitting trip…
March 21st, 2007 at 5:41 pm
I am glad I finally got to meet you too! I am much more fun when I am not sick, I swear…we shall do the city again sometime soon!
March 21st, 2007 at 10:01 pm
I love the shop!! That is too cute! I would have taken half the store. Oh my – all the colors.
As for the yarn store owner, oh well. She probably knew that you were just excited. You gotta figure she sees some breathless folk!
Especially those of us who don’t have a decent LYS.
Yeah for New york.
Holly
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:20 am
When we went to a Vietnamese restaurant in Philly we all ordered like 10 drinks – mostly consisting of maitais, all having umbrellas. Looks like you had a good time!
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:14 am
Great post – I’ve been looking forward to hearing about your trip! I’m so glad you had a great time, and oh my god, between the restaurants and yarn, what’s not to love about NYC? It sounds like you have what I like to think of as “Dad’s Syndrome” My father grew up outside of Boston and Eric’s dad grew up outside of NYC and they both remember each city when they were dirty and crime-ridden and we’ll talk to them about areas of the city that we’re in, and they’re scared for our lives – even though the old dangerous sections are completely rehabilitated and trendy.
It’s funny.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:07 pm
We’re “mysterious and exclusive”? Ooh, you make it sound like we’re soooo popular
You can drop by anytime! Looks like you two had a blast!
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:50 am
A friend of mine lives in NYC. I want to visit her before she moves, but that may not happen. I think she’s had enough of the big city (I think she’s been there 5 years). Anyway, I have all these grand ideas in my head of doing a little yarn crawl there. My idea didn’t involve Carrie, but that sounds pretty good now
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Glad you had a great trip to the Big Apple. Hopefully next time you can come through at meet up with the Spiders at The Point! We’d love to meet you!