Fleece on Earth, Goodwill Toward All

I hope everyone had a very happy holiday. I spent a few days at the house in the woods up in Maine. I did a little outlet shopping, took some naps, drank cocoa, played with my niece and in general recharged my batteries which were dangerously low.

Clearly my family picked up on my growing knitting obsession this year as it seemed as if sheepy gifts were all the rage. I did tell them earlier that I was not going to be one of those "sheep people" who fills their home with all manner of sheepy decorations. But apparently they couldn't help themselves!

There was a metal wall sculpture and a little wickery sheep from my mom.



From my sister I got this awesome print from RainyPrints and.....




this beautiful spindle from Butterfly Girl Designs. I love it and started spinning with it right away. I definitely have switched to being a top whorl kinda girl.

I Scream, You Scream....

It was a snowy weekend here in Boston and I saw no good reason to venture out and face the elements. So I was able to finish up my niece's play food present. Since I had only made fruits for her I figured she could use some sweets to balance things out. The pattern is Scooped which has different cones and different ice cream - really anything your ice cream enthusiast needs. I was going to make my niece mint chocolate chip her favorite (and mine!) but alas no mint green in the stash so she will have to survive with a vanilla soft serve and a tutti fruitti or bubblegum single scoop.



Happy Hannukah!!!

Tag, I'm It

I have been a bad blogger this past week or so. I have been working on stuff but they are gifts for some of the 10 or so real life people who reads this blog. Then my friend Jenny tagged me with a meme, my first. So here goes.

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was working at a hotel in Cambridge, MA in the accounting department. I wish I could say I was doing something interesting and fabulous but I was working, hanging out after work with my friend Campbell who worked in Room Service and drinking Cosmopolitans thinking I was way more sophisticated than I actually was.

2)What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

Since I am writing this at 6:30 at night I am adding things that were on my list that I actually got done.

• Go to Windsor Button to buy yarn to knit my brother a scarf. Check! I got a couple of skeins of Cascade 220 in a really nice grey.
• Pick pattern and cast on for said scarf. I am leaning toward the Irish Hiking Scarf which is a little insane since I would like to have this done next week and I can surely get a nice ribbed scarf done faster than cables but if he's getting a knitted project from me I may as well go all out.
• Read blogs, last week at work they updated the security software so I can't read any personal blogs and the feeds are blocked through Google Reader. Bastards!
• Call Non-Crafty Meg. She leaves tomorrow for South America and Antarctica. She then will have been on all 7 continents! How cool is she?
• Go to bed at a decent hour. I have an awful habit of staying up way too late for no really good reason and then I oversleep in the morning where inevitably I start day by yelling "SHIT!" and proceed to run around the apartment like a mad woman.

3) Snacks I enjoy:
Chips and salsa, hummus and pita bread (lately I am loving the artichoke-y one), Pirate's Booty, cheese and crackers (a nice mahon or smoked gouda are always faves with me)

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Obviously I'd give lots of money to charities I feel strongly about. I'd give my folks money that they would have to spend on themselves to go off and travel without ever thinking about they price of anything, but they would anyway. Now onto the self-indulgent stuff I would buy a villa on the Amalfi coast of Italy. It has a red terra cotta tile roof and amazing ceramic tiles on the back terrace that looks over the Mediterranean. (Not that I've thought about this at all!) I will also have a small apartment in Paris, a girl needs a place in the city. I would take classes about things that just struck my fancy - art history, business, languages, sculpture whatever!

5) Places I have lived

Wellesley, MA,

Newton, MA

Atlanta, GA

Brookline, MA

Brighton, MA

7) 5 peeps I wanna know more about

Nell, Donna, Marsy, Celeste , Sara

A Monkey on My Back, I Mean Bag

Well, I didn't get as much done as I hoped this weekend unless you count napping and watching Battlestar Galactica. But I am almost finished with one gift and I made a little something for myself. I dusted off the sewing machine, found some fabric I had picked up at last years Bazaar Bizarre and scanned the internet for drawstring bag tutorials and voila! my own cute new project bag to carry around my knitting.

I went through a bit of a sock monkey phase a while back so of course I have one handy that I made to model with the new bag.

Gobble, gobble.

I've been slacking on blogging since I was busy with stuff and celebrating my birthday. My birthday usually falls on or very close to Turkey Day. So my friends are often traveling for the holiday and my birthday has a tendency to get lost. But not this year, this year I spent it in the company of good friends, good food and tasty cocktails. So tomorrow is just Thanksgiving, no candles in the sweet potato, no Happy Bird-day cards.s Just family and a wonderful meal.


So what will I be doing the day after Thanksgiving? The idea of heading to the stores at 5am on Friday is so amazingly perverse to me so you know you won't catch me waiting in line to get into Best Buy or Walmart. I would rather sleep in, put up a pot of coffee and knit and sew and and stitch and nap and watch DVDs. I have some ideas for some handmade gifts for the holidays and a few other things so I hope to make a good dent in them this weekend. There, now I have said it I have to follow through lest I get comments saying what a slacker I am.


I hope everyone has a wonderful day tomorrow with family and friends eating too much and taking turkey-induced naps. I myself will be munching on my mom's kick-ass sweet potato biscuits and I am sure to eat way too many.

For those of you outside the U.S., well....Happy Thursday! Woo!

Some Kitchen Stitchin'

A few months back, I wrote about the Kitchen-Aid mixer I bought. Here it is , happy in it's new home...

But I realized once it got home that since my kitchen is decorated in blue and yellow I needed to add a bit of red accent to go with the mixer. So I pulled out my trusty Sublime Stitching patterns and started stitching a tea towel. I have stitiched the Diner Girl a few times before but never on anything I kept for myself and of course, I had to have a little red mixer on it.

You Spin Me Right Round Baby Right Round

I went to the Guild meeting this month where Susan Gibbs from the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm was our speaker. She gave a great talk with ridiculously cute animal photos. The title of her talk was "Why Knitting Matters Now" and she gave me my new favorite quote, "When the revolution comes, I'll be warm". And before you get all crazed that she is advocating a revolt. relax. What she was talking about was in this time of economic upheaval there is something about being able to fulfill a basic need by yourself.

So in that vein I am even more prepared because I can make yarn!!!

My sister gave me some drop spindles that she had (I had no idea that she had once dabbled in spinning). At Rhinebeck I picked up some beautiful roving and Jenny was going to teach me how to use my spindle. Only it turns out my spindle is a bottom whorl and Jenny had only ever used a top whorl and we had some difficulties. (Insert your own dirty top vs bottom jokes here - we sure as hell did). So I decided to take a lesson with an expert and went to see Lucy at Mind's Eye Yarns.

So check it out--- my first handspun!! And a new addiction was born.

Roving


Handspun!!!

Porom

Hello y'all! I flew down to Atlanta for the wedding of a college friend this past weekend and it sounds like I still have a little southern accent in my ears. I love it. I would trade that lilt of a southern voice for a Bostons accent any day any time. The weather there is about a month or so behind Boston so it was nice see the leaves all in full color and to hear folks commenting how chilly it was getting(it was in the 60s).

It definitely was not the weather for my latest finished project, Porom designed by Brooklyn Tweed. Since I have naturally curly hair, a la Frieda from Peanuts, finding winter hats has always been a problem for me. But then this pattern was published and the model had curly hair!!!! So I knew I wanted to make it and I had a strong idea of what kind of yarn I wanted to use, natural undyed wool or some sort. So I went with this really nice llama wool that I bought specifically for this project at Rhinebeck.

It's a great pattern, very well written and a quick knit and it looks good on me. I may even mke aa second one of a slightly thinner yarn to show off the lace pattern. I wish I could post a photo of me wearing it but you know what's harder to do than take a photo of yourself? Taking a photo of the back of your own head.

Is Something Going On Today?

Happy Election Day!

I've voted! Only about a 35 minute wait at 7am this morning. Usually there is no wait at my polling place but I figure it wasn't too bad and I am glad to see a big turnout. As I was waiting, I knit a few inches of another square for the Pine Street Inn Knit-A-Thon. Really, how do people manage waiting in lines without knitting? I do miss the old school voting booths with the curtains, I remember going in them with my mom as a kid and her letting me move the levers.

My feeling on voting on this, you don't vote - you don't get to complain. And we all know I love bitching too much to give up that right. Of course there is no complaining in Sarahland since I am a benevolent dictator and treat my citizens quite well. Well, unless they spit but then they deserve my wrath.

Outside of Sarahland everyone is pretty worked up about this election but I don't think I can sit through a whole night of talking heads with their maps, screens, polls and predictions.... I think I may have to program my own alternative Election Night tv viewing. I am thinking maybe some Pinky and The Brain, a quest for power at its most pure - narf! Then followed with a bit of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. And since I love theme meals I think I may have to go with some all-American comfort food for dinner, chicken and dumplin's.

I figure at this point you have all been told to vote by a gazillion different people and things so you don't need me telling you too. And if you're not in the US y'all are probably so sick of us and this incredibly loooooong process. But I will tell you that Starbucks is giving out free coffee if you vote and Ben & Jerry's free ice cream. So if the democratic process isn't a good enough reason for you then free eats should be.

Happy Halloween!!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Halloween. Since I have no crafts of my own to show off, I am going to let my nepotism run wild and lead you over to my sister's blog, so you can see the Halloween costume she made for my adorable niece. She's just booo-tiful!!! Sorry needed to throw a Halloween pun in here somewhere.

Really, between having a crafty mom and auntie the kid is pretty lucky.

Rhinebeck!!!

I am back from my trip to Rhinebeck with my friends Ariel and Jenny and it has taken me a few days just to rest and recover before being able to get to the computer to post. For those unfamiliar with this event of fiber-y goodness, the NYS Sheep & Wool Festival, it takes place in Rhinebeck, NY, so hence it is just referred to as "Rhinebeck". A fact that kept confusing Jenny who could not comprehend how anyone could mention the word Rhinebeck and not be referring to the wool festival.

The whole event was truly a feast for the senses. The Hudson Valley area of NY in autumn is just gorgeous.


Then throw in the smells and tastes of fair food: fried dough, chicken pot pie, fudge, maple syrup cotton candy (yummy!), all that plus they had wine and cheese tastings. Really people! Yarn and cheese, does it get any better?

But most of all there was yarn, fabulous, colorful, soft, roll around naked in, yarn. There were just buildings and buildings of vendors with such pretty things to touch and see. Most of the yarn was from small farms and independent dyers. I think I was pretty restrained in my shopping but did add to my stash with absolutely no idea what I am going to use some of this for and I don't care! I don't usually buy without a specific project in mind so I think this was really good for me.

Saturday night was the ravelry party and I think someone said there were nearly 700 people there! We initially were way early so we stopped at a local diner for an amazing burger and chocolate milkshake. So we ended up getting to the party a bit late but we did get goodie bags! Since it was so very chilly we took refuge in one of the tents with heaters and hung out with the wonderful folks of the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm.

Diner


Ravelry cupcakes

Now for the photos you are really waiting for....yarn!!!!

Socks That Rock

Alpaca light fingering weight, the softest thing ever! I literally cradled it in my arms and stroked it as I waited to pay for it. I have adopted it as my new pet and I think we are just going to sit on the couch and watch tv together. Far less maintenance than a cat or bunny.



Lluxury Llama, the only thing I bought with a specific pattern in mind


Best bargain of the day, this 100% wool cranberry fingering weight heather with blue flecks that I figured had to have something wrong with it since it was so reasonable!



I finally found a cute vase to show off the colorful needles my grandma gave me.

A Harlot in Church

I have to say the new fiber guild in Boston, Common Cod Fiber Guild, has started off to a very good start. Last month the inaugural speaker was Franklin Habit. Very funny and started knitting while in college in Boston (fine, Cambridge) so bonus points for that.

And last night I got to see The Yarn Harlot. While I will admit to not being one of her more obsessive fans (I read her when I remember to, not religiously on a daily basis - I save that for Crazy Aunt Purl) I have to say if you ever get a chance to see her then go, do it. She is so very funny, she says "arse" a lot and talks all canadian and stuff and brings a group of really talented knitters together. One woman had a lace shawl made with her own handspun that was so fine and beautiful and of such a gorgeous color. As one of my friends put it, " If I made that I would just sit around naked all day and wear just that." Did I mention that The Harlot was speaking in a church? This all just gets me more excited to go to Rhinebeck this weekend and see all the goodies peoplehave made and fondle lots and lots of yarn. And there will be bunnies! But I am not talking home no matter how cute and soft they are.

Sorry these photos aren't the best, lighting in a church is apparently not focused on picture taking.

Ariel and Anna

Signing

With Coffee

Fruit of the Loom... well, needles...

I like to think I am pretty savvy. I have a healthy cynical streak that keeps me from falling for internet scams, magic cure-all pills and get rich quick schemes. But I will admit when I've been played. Oh yeah, and by a master manipulator at that. I got played by a four-year-old.



I gave my niece one of my felted pumpkins at dinner the other night. She adored it and could not stop playing with it; hugging it, admiring it and in one case looking like a chicken laying an egg with it. At that point I was literally in tears laughing so hard. But it was not until the next night that I fell into her trap.



This time we are at my sister's house and my niece is serving us pie from her pie shop. (Imaginary pie payable with imaginary money. I tried to pay in hugs and it was a no-go, she's a shrewd business-owner). So she serves me a special new pie flavor she's made up, Pumpkin-Oreo (I had knit her an Oreo in the past so she made an imaginary pie of just Auntie Sarah knits.) So I innocently ask her "Would you like me to make you other knit foods?" She replies "I loooooooove when you knit me things" with a smile that could melt the polar ice caps. That was it, I was a goner, it was like in The Grinch when his heart grew 3 sizes that day...

So really I had no choice to start making fruit (good pie-fillings) in a knitting frenzy. I figure by the time the holidays roll around I will be able to stock her toy kitchen and pie store with a Whole Foods worth of play food. For pattern details check out my ravelry projects.

Goats On Film

For those of you who are Duran Duran fans and are wincing at my title of this post, I'm sorry.

Recently I got the chance to visit the Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm . Home of the first yarn CSA and some super cute goats. For those who are unfamiliar with CSA concept, you buy a share of the yarn and then get a portion of the fiber at "harvest" time. Susan the Shepherdess is so cool and it's just an amazing concept I was forced to buy a skein of yarn for myself on my visit (photos to come) I am not a shareholder but wouldn't a share make an awesome birthday present (hint, hint for any family members reading along).

Also about a month ago I saw a mention on one of the many craft blogs I read about the Intel Need A Tech Makeover Contest. I actually forwarded it to my mom kidding that we should enter her 'cause her PC is soooo old. We like to say she's not on the Information Highway but selling boiled peanuts on the dirt road off the Information Highway. I didn't enter Mom but it turns out the MVFF entered and are looking at using the tech upgrade to add webcams so we viewers at home can check out the goats in action. So go on and vote for them right here. You don't need to register or anything just click it says "like it?" next to the number of votes they currently have.

Now to the best part of this post, cute goat pics. Feel free to ooh and aah amongst yourselves.

Break Out the Candy Corn

So the other day a friend sent me an email of Halloween patterns because well, she knows I love the silly. And then it hit me. I have not knit anything stuffed in many months! Since Halloween is coming ,I decided to make last year's silliness an annual tradition. So I present the Second Annual Sarahland version of It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!

First I knit up some miniature pumpkins.





Then it's time for the auditions for the role of Linus.

First up, Mr. Peabody. I think he may be a bit too cerebral to believe in The Great Pumpkin.




Next, Gumby & Pokey. They do have the right color scheme to hide in the pumpkin patch incognito while waiting for the Great Pumpkin.




And last but not least The Little Prince. He may be the front runner.






So who do you think should be this year's Linus?

Rainbows are Visions but Only Illusions

So I was heading out of work tonight and I looked up there was this huge full rainbow that seemed to span a good part of the city. I had no choice but to stand in the parking lot and take cell phone photos.

Random Quiz Day

I don't think I've ever put a random quiz on my blog and but the blog has been red focused for the last week I figured I'd go all xmas on y'all and give you a splash of green. The emotional and moody part sounds about right with the week I've been having. And if you hate me don't post any mean comments.

You Are Emerald Green

Deep and mysterious, it often seems like no one truly gets you. Inside, you are very emotional and moody - though you don't let it show. People usually have a strong reaction to you... profound love or deep hate. But you can even get those who hate you to come around. There's something naturally harmonious about you.

What Color Green Are You?

Branching Out

I have dipped my toes in the lace knitting waters. I had the Silky Wool that I erroneously bought for my stranded mittens and instead of storing it away in the Rubbermaid tub that houses my stash I kept it out with Branching Out in mind.

There were a few false starts and I had to frog it completely a couple of times but after a few pattern repeats I was good to go. I learned that lace knitting is better suited to do at home since apparently talking and following the pattern was a bit tough for me. And in one instance I learned lace knitting , talking and drinking beer definitely is a bad thing that forced me to rip back a few rows. I still have to block it but I couldn't wait to show it off.



The Close-Up



In other exciting knitting news a couple members of Team Dive Bar Worship and I are heading to Rhinebeck!

Getting My Mix On

All bow down to the the Benevolent Dictator of Sarahland who this week is also the Princess of Deals. I got this shiny, new KitchenAid mixer for a whopping $-10. What negative $10? Yes, between using some credit card points, online surveys paid with gift certificates and a rebate I come out $10 ahead. Pretty sweet. I clearly have the family genetics where I love a good deal. It really is a bit of a rush. Luckily I have learned from my ancestors and only buy what I actually need/really, really want.

Maybe when the mixer arrives I will bake my subjects some cookies.

Is that Fall I Smell?

If my blog were a teenage girl it would have serious self-esteem issues. I give it lots of attention for a while and then completely ignore it. But we could also watch Gossip Girl together and braid each other's hair so that would be cool.

I wish I could say I was off doing something fun these past few weeks but in reality they sucked. Not for me directly (except for the usual suckage that is work) but for my family. My folks walked in on their house being robbed (they are okay), there were a couple of medical scares (again everyone okay) and one pre-schooler with vomiting issues. Given the fact that I am a bit superstitious, neurotic and definitely a worry-er; I kept waiting for something awful to happen to me, dwelling on how horrible things could have been and what we would have done then and worrying about my family all at the same time.

But that is all in the past, you know why? Because yesterday it started to feel like fall here! Fall is my favorite season and autumn in New England is really just wonderful. Not that I was ready for the Halloween cookie dough I started seeing at the supermarket in mid-August but now that we are in the double digits of September I am ready to embrace it. Bring on the apple cider and tweedy wools! The new knitty is up and I have things I must add to the queue. The fall tv season has started and there are premieres to watch and then bet on how long the show will last on the air.

Internet Therapy

I was having a crappy morning at work; boredom, frustration, that guy who won't stop tapping his pen, ya know the usual. Then I read the latest post on The Toy Society and I felt a little happier. Something about the idea that there is a little girl out there who believes fairies leave stuffed animals for people to find just lightened me up a little.

And that post led me to this post on Sheeps Clothing blog about a wool stealing cat and who knows what I'll find next.

I think if I keep clicking away during my lunch hour and I will be in much better spirits for stitch n' bitch tonight.

My Moment on the Podium

**Cue the National Anthem of Sarahland**

I am proud and honored to accept my medals in the following events: A gold in Cross Country Colorwork and another gold (natch) for The Mitten Medley.

They may have ended up a wee bit smaller than will actually fit on my hands but I am sure to find someone who will gladly accept them. I am quite proud of work and really enjoyed doing them. You know what that means, this year mittens for everyone!

Here's the Dish

Before I get to my ravelympics update I realized I never posted photos of my last project. My friend the daftcrafter asked for some pattern testers for her first pattern ever!!! It's The Mod Dishtowel that was a fun quick knit and looks oh so cute in my kitchen. My photos don't do it justice but it really is a funky pattern. She is due to post the pattern soon so check back soon. Oh also please ignore my grimy stove.



Now a quick ravelympics update. I cast on and knit a inches and then ripped it all out. I decided I didn't like the way the Silky Wool was knitting up, just slightly nubby so the pattern didn't come out crisp enough. So I was forced, forced I tell you, to buy some new yarn today. I went with Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light and started again. Oh and by the way, why didn't anyone tell me how awesome Magic Loop is? I may never use DPN's again.

Is That a Torch in Your Pocket?

All the training. All the sweat. All the tears. It all comes down to this. Nations come together to compete in events so challenging the world just stops and watches. It's....

For those of you who don't know what the Ravelympics here is the basic premise. You can not cast on until the opening ceremonies and you must be finished by the closing ceremonies and the project should be a challenge to finish in those 17 days. There are teams to join but apparently I don't play well with others since I am going solo on this. Nah, none of the teams were groups I was already involved with but had there been a Team Dive Bar Worship I would so be there.

I have decided to compete in two events (albeit with just one project) The Mitten Medley and The Colorwork Crosscountry by knitting The Squirrel and Oak Mittens by Hello Yarn.

Yes, this will be my first time doing magic loop, first hard core chart reading and my first serious stranding project - hence the challenge. But I'm up for it. I've been training (last night at SnB I worked on a practice piece) and reading a lot about stranding techniques so I am ready-ish.

Oh, I hear a bunch of people in China are doing some stuff too during that time period. Maybe I'll order take-out tomorrow in their honor....mmmm.....scallion pancakes.

Froggy Went a' Courtin'

A few months back I started knitting the Back to School Vest from Fitted Knits. I love the colorway of the Cascade 220 that I chose and according to lots of people's notes in ravelry it's a quick knit. I was making a few modifications but nothing that should have taken me very long. But for some reason I wasn't that into it and it got pushed aside as I did other things, and then it got too hot too touch wool. But finally last week I was motivated, I was going to finish this project. But as I neared finishing the first strappy thing and tried it on to see how long I should make it I realized there was a problem.

How do I say this delicately? My boobs. They are not nearly HUGE enough for this vest. I mean they would have to be surpassing Anna Nicole or Pam Anderson to fit in this vest and while there is nothing wrong with having ta-tas that big I just don't got 'em. (My brother-in-law has now closed the screen in awkward TMI silence).

I really have no idea how I made it that big but I made this in such starts and stops over such a long period of time that really elves could have come overnight knit a few short rows and I wouldn't have noticed.

So now it sits sadly mocking me and I think I will have to frog it to put it out of its misery and mine. Ribbit, ribbit. Maybe I'll try again at some point but for now I have some other projects in the works and a big challenge for the Ravelympics. Oh yeah, I'm that big a goober.

Word Up

I can see this being a good source of time-wasting fun....Wordle. You can have it pull words from your blog. Here's mine.

The Barge

In my family I have to say that we love us some pop culture. I love that my Entertainment Weekly is waiting for me in the mailbox every Friday evening and it is fully read and in the recycling bag long before I go to work on Monday.


I am the one that my mom calls to ask, "I watched a tv show and there's this guy who looks familiar and I think he was in a show with that other guy and maybe they were cops or lawyers and the theme was really catchy? Ya know who I'm talking about, right? " And usually after a few questions to narrow things down, What network? What night? Reruns? What decade? I probably do know who she's talking about. I love the challenge of a difficult Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and there is probably way too many of my brain cells used up by knowing the names of made-for-tv- movies starring Tori Spelling. (The classic being "Mother May I Sleep With Danger?) I love to hear the details of upcoming projects from Joss Whedon or J.J. Abrams. And if you are unsure of who those last 2 guys are, you will be a quite lost (hint, hint) in a conversation between me and my brother-in-law. And in those conversations it is not unusual to hear the phrase, "They are so on the barge!"


Ah, The Barge. The barge came about many years ago when there was a news story about a trash barge that was just sailing up and down the east coast because no city would let it into port and dump it's trash in their landfill. So somehow I decided that I would have a barge for those famous people that I just bug me and want them to just be floating around out there out of my way.



Most people come and go off my barge as need warrants; some are obvious - Ben Affleck was there during the age of "Bennifer", Paris Hilton when she went to jail thing or Donald Trump anytime he randomly insults Rosie O'Donnell. Really on any given day the passengers change. But there are some permanent fixtures....

• Martha Stewart -her voice just drives me crazy and she's so condescending! I like to think she's happy passing out hordes d'oeuvre's to the other passengers.
• Sharon Stone - really why is she so respected as an actress? She has made far more many crappy movies than good ones (Casino). I just can't understand it so on the barge she goes.
• Meryl Streep - before you yell at me, I just can't seem to get past the whole Kramer vs. Kramer character and the fact that she's "the greatest actress of our time" and can do a lot of accents will not change my mind. It's my barge and she's on it.

That is the thing about the barge, each person's is theirs and theirs alone. So while my sister's includes Adam Sandler (he just bugs her), mine doesn't. There are only two rules of the barge....Rule 1, don't criticize someone else's choices. Rule 2, the barges are non-violent. You can't blow them up or stage a celebrity deathmatch. I had to create this rule for my dad who kept wanting to take a bazooka to his.

So is there some celebrity who just makes you nuts for no apparent reason. Put them on your barge.

A Bite of the Apple

So I am back from a weekend in NYC visiting my friend Meg who has recently moved there. She is doing great except for a growing addiction to Tasti D Lite. After a slight delay in getting there when the megabus broke down, I arrived last Friday afternoon with some time to kill before Meg finished up work so I having done my homework beforehand on yarn stores I headed over to Knitty City. A truly charming store, with oodles of pretty yarn and a great vibe. I was surprised by how many people kept dropping in on a hot Friday afternoon in July. They had some great sounding classes coming up, if I lived in New York that would surely be my yarn store.

While I was knitting, Meg was getting us tickets to see Spring Awakening. I loved the music by Duncan Sheik. And there was the bare ass of a cutie 20 year old guy!

The next day we headed to Williamsburg for some for brunch and then stumbled upon the Brooklyn Brewery.


Mmm....beer tanks.


We ended up at Union Square Greenmarket where the vendors were selling wines, produce and in one bizarre tent both the lamb's wool yarn and the lamb itself for consumption. Don't worry I only took a photo of the yarn, not the meat.



As we headed back to Meg's apartment we could hear the free Bon Jovi in Central Park. Cue "You Give Love a Bad Name" here.

I may have to create a new treaty for Sarahland with the truly noble house of Barney Greengrass, The Sturgeon King. Really anyone who makes a lox, onions and eggs that good deserves to be king.




And finally we got to give Meg's new string bag out for a test drive at the farmer's market Sunday morning. It's a mix of the Everlasting Bagstopper and the Fantasy Naturale Market Bag.

Close up

All in all a wonderful weekend that I can't wait to repeat sometime soon.