I've been working around the clock for the last few weeks and it has put me severly behind schedule for the holidays. I had a group in the city that had me working all weekend. The truth is that they were a fun a group and I had a good time. My boss and I even had some time to do a little shopping and I found this cut out skyline of NYC in the MoMA shop. C. added the Charlie Brown Christmas tree as our Rock Center tree. It makes a cute scene for our bay window.

We're so far behind schedule that we don't have our tree up yet. We only have two Christmas present bought. We're a little screwed. I basically have this weekend to get my shopping done. How did I let it get this bad???

Family has been on my mind a lot lately. I really need another dose of them. Thanksgiving was just too short. I get to see my family again for a cousin's wedding on December 19th and then we're off to NC for two weeks. The we're back to PA to celebrate birthdays. I'm glad our Sadie dog likes the car.

I'm working on Christmas knitting - so no shots for you. For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

For Real

I had a whole blog post written and now it has been eaten! So I'm sorry for the brief update. It's been an up and down kind of day. I'm really looking forward to getting home for the holidays and yet I've got a long way to go with work before we peel out next week.

I just found out through facebook that an old friend from high school has passed away. I haven't spoken to this friend in years, but when we were in school we were really good friends. In fact, he once bought me a teddy bear - a bear that has been a favorite from the moment he was given to me. My friend even named the bear and there are times when I'm making up the bed and putting James da bear on my pillow that this friend comes to mind. I'm so sorry he's gone. 32 is far too young to leave the world and its far too young to feel that life is not a joy.

Though my heart is heavy I believe and so I am not afraid for him.

In knitting news, my mother in law asked for a hand knit scarf as a Christmas present - I love that woman! She loves a hand knit and I really appreciate that! She's a fellow knitter / crafter and an overall awesome lady. I hit the the inlaw jackpot - just love em!

Till tomorrow, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

A Tip of My Hat

Veterans Day is a tough day for me every year. My heart is full of gratitude for the brave service men and women who provide protection and comfort for our country. I understand that the freedom I enjoy is due in large part to their steadfast dedication to the USA. A tip of my hat and my deep-felt thanks for all of those who are serving our country. Thank you.

Veterans Day is tough for me because it marks the anniversary of my dad's death. I woke up this morning to remember that it has been twelve years today since I've spoken to my dad. I miss him so much and though I am finally starting to get on with my life after such a devastating event, I don't think I'll ever be truly over it. I have finally embraced the idea that knowing my dad, he wouldn't want me to live focused on this. He'd want me to live the happiest life I can. In honor of him, I'm trying to do just that. It took me a long time to get here.

Tomorrow: knitting that I'm doing, knitting that I'm planning and other stuff. For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Scarf Weather

It's scarf weather and I love it. It's that time of year when knitters feel like they can knit anything! We can make hats and mittens and scarves and sweaters - out the door we go to enjoy their warmth. Knitting in the summer is lovely, but a heap of wool on the lap in August is just not as sweet as a heap of wool in November or March.

I finished up this little two row scarf and just cast on for one in Noro Silk Garden - yarn I brought home from Rhinebeck. I'm really enjoying it. This scarf is simple, midless knitting and since I've been working myself out of knit-block, it was just what I needed. It's getting to be that time though when I start to challenge myself again. This weekend I went into my new local yarn shop and the people were so nice - I've got to get back there and support them. I'm wondering if they have a knit night - I'll have to call and ask.

The weekend was beautiful and we had a bunch of trick or treaters. It was so much fun! This is the first year for us having anyone come to the door, so we were pleased. Sadie wore her pumpkin outfit and ended up so tired at the end of the night:

The whole village of Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow was decked out for the holiday. C. and I went down to main street for some lunch and roaming around. I love this little town that we're living in - the people are nice and there are lots of things going on all of the time. I hope we make some nice friends soon. Check out the spiders on the side of this house. I'm pretty sure they light up - very spooky!


For now, this is all the news that fit to knit.

Happy Halloween!

Rocking Rhinebeck and Other Things...

So....I went to Rhinebeck this year! It was a beautiful Saturday and C. agreed to a beautiful drive up north (it took us about 1.5 hours to get there from home). The fall colors were lovely and the yarn fantastic! Mr. Sheepie (pictured above) agrees!

One of my favorite finds was the large needle case above. I had bought the small case for dpns and circs at a small shop in Brooklyn a few years ago. I couldn't believe my luck when I found the matching case for straight needles. I snapped this one up without a second thought.

A noro scarf kit - love it!

The Spinningroom was offering these kits and here's a great little kit I picked for fingerless mitts and a neck warmer. I can't wait to get stitching!

And finally, finally! I am the owner of two socks that rock skeins and a str pattern. I've heard the hype and I can finally find out for myself if it's true! I'm looking forward to knitting these up for all of my holiday traveling. Can't wait!

Other Things...

We went to the Van Cortland Manor Great Jack o Lantern Blaze last night. 4,000 flaming pumpkins of all kinds. This thing was so amazing! I can't even tell you - a giant spider web made out of pumpkins? Spider pumpkins! A ship, Made out of PUMPKINS! DINOS MADE OUT OF PUMPKINS! One thing was better than the next. This is for sure a Halloween tradition for us for as long as we live in Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow. What a great way to get ready for the holiday. My pictures in the dark look horrible, so no pictures for you - but trust me, it was fabulous.

For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Welcome back to me and updates

We live in a townhouse-like community in that the upper units, like ours, have two floors where as the lower units are single floors and under those bottom units are two car garages. The garages are tandem (one car in front of the other instead of side by side). When we first got our apartment we inquired after the use of a garage and were told that they were very hard to come by. People seem to stay in this little community for a long time and all of the garages were taken. We were given a storage unit and a parking space not far from our apartment unit and we were pretty happy with that arrangement, though I did ask that we be put on the garage waiting list. I told the management office that I was only interested in a garage that was right near our apartment – that took us down to about six garage options – it didn’t look good for us getting a garage any time soon. But…then about three weeks ago a guy a few units up from ours pulls his U-haul up to his steps and starts schlepping all of his worldly goods down the steps and into the truck. Sadie and I were as nebby as possible without being too obvious on our walks, watching the family bring down the mattresses and the couches and box after box. The most amazing thing happened when one afternoon I looked out the window and saw that his Uhaul was in front of our place – and he was unloading the garage below my apartment. My heart leapt! He packed everything up and was gone.

For three weeks I have been stalking that garage – when I heard a car outside, I’d run to the window to see who might be pulling into the garage. As the weeks went by I was sure that someone ahead of us on the wait list had been given the garage. Chris and I talked about it and decided that too much time had gone by and that there was no way the unit was available. I settled back into my normal routine and then the phone rang! Did we want the garage? Oh yeah, baby! We wanted the garage. We spent the weekend moving everything out of our storage unit and into the garage.

It’s totally stupid to be excited about having a private garage, but if you’d been what I’ve been through with parking garages over the last ten years, well, you’d be stinking excited too.

When I moved to New York I first rented a sweet little attic apartment above this retired couple from Italy. They were lovely and the arrangement worked well for three years. Every winter I dug myself and my landlords and the retired widow next door out of the snow. I didn’t mind – they really looked after me and my landlord would change the oil in my car for free.

Then C. asked me to move to Brooklyn with him. My heart leapt and oozed out of my chest and I quickly packed up all of my own worldly possessions and headed down the BQE. I rented a parking spot in a garage in Park Slope for a measly $350 A MONTH! I didn’t always have the same spot, in fact, sometimes my car would be on a lift. They beat the ever loving crap out of both of the cars that I had in that garage, the guys that worked there yelled at me and I had to shell out close to $800 in tips every Christmas. It was a lot of money for a lot of pain and my car’s look terrible as a result of their abuse.

So imagine my excitement at having a private two car garage attached to my home! No more looking for a parking space, digging out of the snow or being yelled at in several different languages while I wait for my car to be brought down from a lift for me. Cost for this garage is so minimal, I won’t even tell you. It’s not even half of what I paid for the Brooklyn space.

I have garage glow. I can’t help it. My world is very small.



Other updates:

• I'm going to Rhinebeck! I'm working so hard to get rid of my knitblock right now, I'm doing to two row scarf with some stash yarn, but this weekend I'm writing out my projects and then C. and head up to Rhinebeck this month! I've never been - it is the knitter's mecca...people fly in from other countries to go to this fiber and wool festival. Can't. Wait. Seriously.
  


• Huge Halloween plans - I mean, I live in Sleepy Hallow now, it's gonna be a huge time of year. Oh, and Sadie has a costume. You'll die of the cuteness - I'm saving it for you.

Till next time, it's all the news that fit toknit!

Sadie says, wooooooffff, wooffff, woooofff.

Do you know that feeling you get when everything is lousy, but you’re trying really, really hard to keep your chin up? That one where you always kind of have a pit in your stomach and you still put a smile on your face? I’m there right now. Everything is lousy and I’m trying to make the best of it.

My father in law is very sick and it makes me so sad and scared and mad. Everything in the whole world feels less important than it did two months ago. He’s always on my mind and every moment that we spend away from home feels like a waste of time.

The dog is sick – at least, she isn’t eating and she looks really tired and I’ve got to tell you that a sick dog is not what C. and I need right now. We love her desperately and now her every sigh or itch has me snapping to attention. (Updated: we think Sadie is fine, she just going through some food issues).

Work is over the top busy – in a good way and though it keeps my mind off of the things that are always somewhere on my mind, I could use a little down time and a nap.

I think the only thing that I can do to make things better is get some stuff on the needles. I think I need a project, something to do with my freaking ineffectual hands. Why am I not a cancer curing doctor, veterinarian, CEO, millionaire? Let me tell you, it would make things a lot easier.

In preparation for our last trip to NC, C. and I hit Barnes and Noble to pick up some reading material. Neither of us does well without a book shoved into our backpacks. We usually split up as soon as we hit the bookstore and go to our various interest sections and then catch up with each other near the cook books.

I was on my way to the knitting section when my thrifty eye caught sight of the clearance table. Always on the look out for a bargain I swung by. Just as I got to last section of the table, I hit gold. Knitting Books! On clearance! Vogue Knitting: Socks Two On the Go! and Vogue Knitting Stitchionary 3, The Best of Vogue Knitting, Cover Up with Nicky Epstein and Knitting Never Felt Better by Nicky Epstein. I paid $1.80 for each book – a true bargain. I love a good bargain! I’m also looking forward to reading through them and knitting up some of the patterns. They go nicely in my knit book library.



Summer is almost over (thank goodness). I’m looking forward to fall and cool weather and regular season football. Go Steelers (some small pleasures will endure forever).

For now, this is all the news that’s fit to knit.

Safes

Remember the old adage, "when it rains, it pours"? We've been experiencing a lot of rain in the Yarnal Knowledge family. We've run into a bit of sickness and now we're digging in for a fight. Keep us in your thoughts and please keep reading this blog - even if we have strayed from knitting content for a bit.

As far as knitting goes, thanks to my good friends over at Ravelry, I'm back on track with my February Lady sweater...if by back on track you mean starting over... I am going to start over, but plan on making 3/4 length sleeves to solve my missing skein of yarn problem. I love those guys and gals over at Rav so much!

Last week we were in NC visiting my in-laws. What's that old saying about the inlaws and the outlaws? Well, as far as as these folks go, I hit the jackpot when I picked C. out for my husband. They're terrific.

We've been trying to be helpful in cleaning out my Grandmother in law's house (GMIL) (we sadly lost her a little more than a year ago) when we're in town. Many generations of my husband's family have laid their heads to rest in the home and we've been going slowly as we sort through the history and the memories. Saying goodbye to a house can be sad - they become a part of the family. Anyway, my mother in law (MIL) asked if I would stop by GMIL's house with her while we were out doing an errand. We walked up the steps of the creaky porch, in much need of a new coat of paint and into the house that smells a little musty because we leave it closed up so much now. It still has GMIL's style written all over it. The beautiful furniture, the linens, the pictures. You can tell that there was love in the house.

Into the kitchen we went where my MIL asked me if we'd like to take GMIL's pie safe. It's a handmade beauty with the tin punch fronts and all. I said that we would of course be thrilled to have it in our home. C. was delighted when he found it snugged into the back of the wagon later that afternoon. In order to take the pie safe we had to unload it. GMIL had stocked it full of cook books in the time that she had the piece. Unloading the cookbooks was like a walk through her history. We found treasures like the Pillsbury's New 1953 Cook Book. In 1952 Mrs. P. Harlib of Chicago won $25K with her recepie for Turtle Cookies. What would it have been like to win $25K in 1952? That's a lot of money now! It must have been a fortune then.

Also shoved into the pie safe were copies of Heloise's Housekeeping Hints. I've been enjoying reading my way through these treasured books and encountering tips from Heloise that remain pertinant today like: "Never take anyone with you when shopping if you can possibly help it. You don't save anything by sharing a ride to the grocery store with a friend. She'll only remind you to buy all the specials you don't need and to try the wonderful bread she uses! Go shopping alone even if you have to go in a taxi." Good stuff. She also talks about Weevils and Olio.

So the knitting should return tonight - I've got a lot of work to do as C. and I have some upcoming travel ahead of us. For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Mom came to visit and we had a great time

I don't get to see her enough and the time we had together this past weekend went too quickly. We squeezed in dinner at Pascal's, a visit to Union Church and the Rockefeller Mansion and we did some shopping and cooking. She even fell in love with our sweet pooch, Sadie.

Above: Sadie gets a bone - she's really happy about this.

Above: Sadie's paws are the cutest things evah!


Above: Washington Irving's Sunnyside home. Remember the Headless Horseman? Ichabod Crane? His author lived here and when Kyle and Allison were in town we decided to take them on a tour (Allison is a librarian - so this was right up her alley).




Above: At Sunnyside - this tree has been growing since before the American Revolution. Wouldn't you like to ask the tree what it's seen? Wild.


Above: The Rockefeller Mansion, Kykuit. It's a pretty darn nice house.




If you're looking for knitting pictures I fail you once again. Life's been busy and interesting and we've been exploring Tarrytown / Sleepyhollow with family and friends. I did start on a February Lady Sweater and I'll get some work done on it this week and post the info for you here. I'm also working on an idea for another knit blog, but more on that later. Till next time, this is all the news that's fit to knit.

Sadie Dog! This is what's been fit to knit...

Sadie is a joy - we love this dog and her antics. She makes us laugh, loves to snuggle and is the sweetest doggie you've ever met. I hope she's happy here too.

Happy

Happy Father's Day to: Daddy, Pop, Gerald, Eric and Kyle - all of the dad's in my family. I wish all of the dad's out there a happy father's day.

Ireland part two

The next two days in Ireland were spent on the wedding. This was a true treat in the most sincere sense. To be in another country and to be able to witness and even participate in traditions like a wedding ceremony is really special. When you love the two people who are uniting as much as we love Jonny and Aisling then it’s even better.We participated in the rehearsal as Chris was reading a Shakespeare sonnet during the ceremony. We were off to one of the most delicious dinners of our lives right after. We made it to a tempura / sushi place and the dinner hosted by Jonny’s parents. Jonny is from England and has come to Ireland to be with his now wife Aisling.His parents just couldn’t be nicer – or more fun. We were delighted to be seated with them for the dinner and had a smashing time (I picked up some vocabulary while I was there, ok?) hanging out with everyone. Afterward (I had the haddock with this amazing ginger sauce. I love that sauce more than I can write) we left the parents and other folks behind to join the other younguns (can I say this? We were all over 30) at the pub for a few pints. I was accosted by a ridiculously drunk woman on the street later who was very “grabby” – I did get out of it with my wallet and all of my jewelry. We hopped a cab quick and headed for Knocklyon and to try and help Jon write his speech for the next night.

The wedding was beautiful and Aisling wore this amazing dress- she looked like a Greek goddess. Chris did an amazing job reading and the service was lovely. I could’ve listened to the Father in his deep Irish brogue talk about commitment to God and each other for hours. It was a lovely ceremony and very much Jon and Aisling. I was so happy for them.

The wedding reception was a blur of delish food and much, much red wine. I was reunited with my dear friend Britta and spent much time catching up and enjoying the good friends that we made while there. We drank a lot of wine.

The next day we met Britta and Steve and headed out for the Guinness Factory. It was terrific! We toured, we sampled and we hit the gift shop. I must remember to post for you a picture of me wearing my “Tall, Dark and Have Some Guinness” shirt. You’ll love it as much as I do!

Our penultimate day was spent at Glendalough – a tenth century monastic ruin. It bewitched me completely with its beauty and history and landscape. Glendalough was and is everything you want in your Ireland visit. It steals your imagination.

We flew home on Monday on a comfortable flight. I took in three movies (Slumdog Millionaire, Revolutionary Road and Frost / Nixon) and even had a little nap. Lots more leg room and the dreamy thoughts of all that I had seen and done in my minds loop.

It’s been a busy week since we returned. Like I said, we’ve been thinking a lot about others. Chris and I have been far behind in our charitable giving. I believe in giving, I believe we are expected to be of a giving nature. This weekend we happened to find someone who is very much in need of our help. We’ve adopted an 8-year old Spaniel named Sadie from a local animal shelter. We’re not sure how many years we’ll have with Sadie, but I will promise you this: Chris and I are going to make them the best she’s ever had. I’ll tell you more about her past in another entry. You’re tired of reading now, aren’t you?

I’ve got knitting on the needles and a house with a doggie in it! So for now, this is all the news that’s fit to knit.

Come on in - let's talk about Ireland...

I’ve been thinking about doing things for others a lot lately. It might be because of the recent Ireland trip where kindness was heaped upon Chris and me at every turn. The Irish people are so friendly and generally of such sweet and fun-loving spirit.I am pleased that my ancestors came from such a place. Here’s what really gets me about Ireland – we all know that she’s been through some really tough times and those tough times weren’t so long ago and yet I was greeted there by friendly faces and a general feeling of welcome.

I recommend Dublin as a first stop for your trip to Ireland, especially if you only have a week to visit like Chris and I did. If you can stay for two weeks, I think I’d recommend Dublin, the west coast and Northern Ireland. I need to go back for another visit to truly test this theory, but I believe I am advising you appropriately.

We landed in Dublin about an hour earlier than scheduled (which in these days and times of air travel seemed like a miracle). I won’t sugar coat it for you, the trip over was brutal. This was not the fault of our airline (Aer Lingus), but rather it was due to circumstance. We were in the Bermuda Triangle of bad seats: trapped in the same row as an infant (who screamed bloody murder for the first three hours of the trip) and behind bulk head (which cut off most of our leg room to accommodate their television screens and food service trays). It was very uncomfortable. It didn’t help that I had the foghorn-leghorn laugher sitting behind me. She found her in-flight movie to be the height of hilarity and would fog-horn laugh/blast every time she was amused. It was about 3 AM EST time. I was not amused. We also ended up sitting near the attendant’s station and were privy to their loud conversations and clanging preparation of dinner. Our flight home was much better, so I know this was a fluke, but it was a hard start to the trip.

Upon arrival in Dublin we went directly to our dear friends, Jonny and Aisling’s home and took a three hour nap. It was well worth it. We woke up at Ireland’s lunch time and had a bite and headed into the city for our first pint of Guinness in Temple Bar and dinner later on with Aisling (who couldn’t escape work that day).

Our next full day was sightseeing on our own and we did it up right with Dublin Castle, The Chester Beatty Library (my favorite thing ever), Trinity College and the Book of Kells, St. Patrick’s, Christ’s Church and dinner with friends again.

By far the highlight of my city sightseeing was the Chester Beatty Library where I saw Egyptian Scrolls dating from 300 BC! I saw copies of the Gospels of Matthew and John written in 90 AD. On and on with the amazing bits of history; my mind could hardly grasp what I was seeing and the importance of it. I was overwhelmed and completely thrilled.

The next day we took a country excursion with J&A to Powerscourt. It was amazing. It was the first time we really got to see those rolling Irish hills. The green was everywhere and the heather, well, the heather was romantic. I felt like I was in a Jan Austen book just waiting for Mr. Darcy to come charging over the Moore and through the heather field. Sigh. I miss Ireland.

Enough for today - to be continued! I should have a finished sock to show you too - but for now, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

A Tease...

We're back from Ireland and exhausted. Once we beat the jet lag, I'll share all of the details, but for now I'll tease you with some pictures of a great trip!

It's all the news that's fit to knit.

It's Saturday night and I've got a glass of wine and

I'm curled into the couch while the rain beats against the windows. It's actually only a drizzle now, but the way its been raining here in New York lately makes it feels like everything is damp and the constant pounding of the drops has become the usual. The Princess Bride is the movie on the television - I just completed an hour of messing around on Farm Town via Facebook (if you know what I'm talking about - you understand the addiction. Why should working on a virtual farm be fun? It shouldn't be. But it is! Crops grow - cows moo, trees grow fruit and you even have neighbors!) I digress.

We're in the place. It's a totally new experience and to date C. and I feel like we're just waiting to go home. We feel like we're in a hotel. I attribute this to the fact that we've had little time to unpack ourselves. Since the moment we moved in I've had two big work programs and next week we're leaving for our trip to Ireland. We're waiting for our storage to become available on June 1st and we just haven't had it in us to start with more box unpacking and breaking down. It's a killer.

This new town is beautiful though - little deer have taken to hanging out in my backyard - right under the window. I love them. I know they can be destructive little critters, but the good Lord knew what He was doing when he created things - so pretty!

And here's a look at the view just down the road from us - I love being so close to the river. Everywhere we turn in the car seems to be headed toward the river and the view is amazing this spring. I can't even begin to wonder what the fall is going to be like. The Tappan Zee Bridge is the background there.

Ireland is next in the sights - I've been working out the things I want to do while we're in Dublin. Getting Jonny and Aisling married off is at the top - but after that I want to see a castle! I want to drink a pint of Guinness in a pub! I want to see Trinity College! There's so much out there for us to do. The Cliffs of Moher? Yes, please! Kiss the Blarney Stone? You bet! I'm game.

Oh! We're at the part in the Princess Bride when she pushes the Dread Pirate Roberts down the hill and he yells out: "As Yooooouuuuuu Wiiiishsshshhshhhhh" and she looks, and she realizes that it's him! It's her Wesley! And so she tumbles down after him... I love this movie. : )

Knitting, knitting - so I'm working on the Falling Water scarf right now and I need to find the box with my knitting books in it toot-sweet in order to plan out what travel knitting I want to take with me. I know I'm going to really need a nice portable project and I'm thinking socks at this point... or another scarf or a shawl -- but it needs to be slightly mindless as I know I'm going to be a little sleep deprived at times when I'll need the knitting the most. I'll keep you posted. For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

Busy

We picked up our keys last weekend and then did three loads of laundry. I love our washing machine. Even as I type this, sitting in Brooklyn, I am missing the washie. I think we'll have a lot of time together coming up. I don't think I'll ever hate doing laundry after being in this situation for eight years. I haven't had my own washing machine since 2000. This has been a long time coming.

I started knitting a new scarf, but don't have any pictures. You can imagine that it's all about moving here right now. We're sorting, chucking out and packing up boxes. The movers come next Saturday. We need to get in gear with the packing - we're being a little lazy.

Anyway - it's going to be a little quiet around here while we keep things moving forward. I'll be back! Thanks for checking in. xooxox - for now, it's all the news that's fit to knit.

The dotted line has been signed upon and...

...things are finalized. And this is a picture of our new front door:

More later, the Heels are playing tonight! Till later, this is all the news that's fit to knit!

A New Look For Spring and an update for you

that the signing of the new lease will be on Saturday. C. and I are looking forward to the amenities of our new condo. I am especially looking forward to the private in-our-home washer and dryer. I am forcing C. to ration his clean clothes until the 10th when we gain possession of the new residence. I'm not paying another dime for the laundry mat! The minute they drop that key into my hot little hand I'll be running up the stairs with my laundry bag in tow.

Darren noted about the pictures, here's a few more - from the property website. Pictures of me kissing my washing machine are forthcoming...not sure if C. will allow them to be published to the world...

This is the view into the kitchen / hallway, spiral staircase to the office:

This is a view while you're up in the loft. I looooove the skylights. I love that they open and I imagine that they will let in gentle spring breezes.

In Personal News...

Things have been going really well. I'm reading Joyce Meyer's book "Battlefield of the Mind" and am learning so, so much. When you purpose to change your thinking from negative to positive, your entire life can change. That's exciting stuffs! I know this has nothing to do with knitting, but when you feel your life changing, it's exciting.

In the world of knitting... I finished the shawl and I love it! It's going to my niece Riley for her birthday in October. Remind me of that, ok? Send to Riley in October...

Till later, that's all the news that's fit to knit!

C. had to work and I'm trying to purge...

the house of things that we don't need to move to the new condo. I'm much better at getting rid of non-essential things than C. is. I'm trying to be the strong one in that process. I also seem to have far more stuffs than C. so I feel that I bear the most responsibility.

I've been thinking about the new condo almost non-stop. We pick up our keys on April 10th and will have a few weeks to move everything over. One of the great features of the new condo is that we'll have two full bathrooms - one for each of us! We'll have an "on-suite" bath and each of us has their own closet in the master. We won't know what to do with ourselves. It's been five years since I've had a closet to myself - the small things make me happy.

We are on the waiting list for the private garage next to our new abode. I am hopeful that this won't take long - my desire for storage is almost overwhelming.

C. has been gone for less than an hour and I miss him terribly. Since December we haven't been apart for more than a handful of hours and I am so used to his steady presence that the prospect of a day without him makes me a little melancholy. I know that he'll be back tonight and I look forward to hearing about his day.

I have finished knitting the Diamonds and Pearls shawl and need to block it today. It's dank and rainy and the pictures will be awful, so I hope to share it tomorrow. Till then, this is all of the news that's fit to knit.

Over

Today we got the phone call:

Them: "Hello Yarnal, this is the lady who decides if you get to come and live in our really nice condo complex. You know, the one with the cathedral ceilings, the sky lights, the bay windows and central air conditioning? The one with your very own washer and dryer in your condo? The one with the upstairs and the downstairs?"

Me: "Yes - I believe we filled out the history of our lives application".

Them: "You did indeed. I'm happy to tell you that we will now let you through the gate. You have been accepted."

Me: "Fantastic. We'll take it!"

Them: "Of course you will. Now show up this weekend with an obscene check and we're all set."

Me: "Will do."

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The search is over - and you can see a glimpse of our new condo on the right side of this blog under the "Next on Yarnal Knowledge".

In knitting news - I'm moving near a great yarn shop! More on that later and I'm casting off on the diamonds and pearls shawl from KBOY. Pictures soon!

Till next time, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

The Real Update

So we saw another condo yesterday in the never-ever-ever-ending search for our new place in the suburbs of New York City. (For the record, I had no idea that this search was going to be this big of a deal). We liked it a lot and we were mentally placing furniture in places. I was polishing the granite counter tops and sipping wine on my porch (with water views!) which C. was doing the laundry in our very own washer/dryer - when the call came in - the place had no offers for ten months and in the one night that we saw the place, they got six offers and signed one with someone who is not writing this blog right now. Helllloooo square one, it's nice to see you again.

So now we're on hold until Thursday. Are you on the edge of your seat? Are you wondering if your dear YarnalKnowledge will be blogging from under a bench in Prospect Park? Will she never get out of the city? I'm worried too!

Till Thursday, it's all the news that's fit to knit!

The Search Goes On

Our new home search continues and we're totally distracted by NCAA March Madness.

We've received the returned end lease agreement from our current landlord and it seems we both agree that it's time for C. and I to move to a new place. Their need to raise the rent a whopping 5.5% was too much for my husband's blood pressure. That's just a mighty big raise in these times. Both of our offices are now operating out of Westchester County, so it looks like our city living days are soon to be behind us.

There are things that I'll miss about the city and there are things that I won't miss at all.

• Of course, I understand that the readers of this blog will certainly miss the continuing announcements of where we are in the mouse v. us situation. Every time we think we have those punks conquered, they're back. So I won't miss that.
• I will miss the mile high ceilings and the excellent lay out of the space in this apartment - my exposed brick wall, the rarest thing that is my NYC dishwasher.
• I won't miss my upstairs neighbors. I heard them leave at around 10 AM this morning and their dog (a mastiff) in our no pets building, has been barking his head off since the second the door closed. It's 5:13 PM as I type this post. I hope to goodness he's also chewing up their sofa. I'm so tired of the sadness of his woof.
• I will miss Russo's, their fresh pasta and mozzarella cheese is to.die.for.
• I will not miss paying the parking garage hundreds a month to beat the ever living crap out of my car. We brought the car in looking spanking new; it is not leaving that way.
• I will miss the ease of getting into the city. The F from Park Slope is pretty good.
• I will not miss walking twelve blocks each way to the grocery store.
• I will miss the incredible delivery that's available here.

I could go on and on. There are big swings in what I love and hate about city life. We're moving to a place where needs will be met much easier. Places with more living space for less money, new fixtures and things like private garages that are included in your rent, but we do give up the city and a lot the good things that come with city living. I guess we'll have to see how it goes, but I have a feeling that the suburbia girl is going to be headed to familiar surroundings 14 miles north of Manhattan.

For now, this is all the news that's fit to knit.