Friday, October 12, 2007

Knit PH at Perk, Oct. 07

There go the sirens and news copters, is Brooklyn on fire again?

Despite the sudden storm-like rain and train problems the first Knit PH at Perk went well last night. Emily arrived first sorry, Kate showed up or someone who I called Kate all evening then ran from the camera, then Suzanne, shortly after Kathi, Key, Bloomie, and Yasmin followed. Talk about a dedication to a craft, these crafty folks braved torrential downpour to knit. Everyone brought their projects out from their zip-lock bags and jumped right in.



Suzanne, is working on her first sock, a classic 2 X2 rib, strap heel and sewn toe. I promised to help her at the heel. I’ve tuned many heels and closed many a toe, but I’ve never made an actual pair of socks. Just not my thing, the socks. Emily is making a shawl with coffee-colored swag from her boss, who started a project but never got to it. Kate I hope that’s your name is making a linen tunic from Louet Sales linen, I told her about the “blocking” incident. I think Kathi is knitting a tres “haute couture” dress. Everyone lent a helping hand and exchanged advice about each other’s projects. I like seeing the cafĂ© buzz with the after-work crowd. My friend Peg walked in from work saying “Thank God they’re open I need desert!” A stunned grad student asked if she could join when she was done with her paper. I handed her a Knit PH register tag. The conversation was light, I heard someone say “so the only reason why I still work at Macy’s is that I went down one dress size!”

I swifted and hand-wound 15 skeins of Tilli Tomas “Rockstar” all evening. It’s too delicate to use the ball winder, the glass beads are run on a cotton thread that’s twisted into the silk. It smells sweet like freshly hulled rice. Staceyjoy Elkin popped in for a quick pressed sandwich and a hi-n-hello. We chatted while I wound. I told her about what I’m making (wedding shrug) and she said I could borrow a size small manikin form her shop (Redlipstick). That would help tons! When I made Caroline’s shrug I McMacgyver-ed a pillow wrapped in duck-tape with rolled towels for the arms. Stacey showed us all her new treasure, a huge cone of lace-weight merino cashmere that she got from P and S for $15 per cone. She bought 8 of them. Very nice and baby soft! Now I have to go out and get some. Stacey created this beautiful knit kit: Miterred Ear Warmer and Bangle Bracelet set. She’s getting many orders from the UK and Autralia. Isn’t that ironic, they’re buying back their own sheep from us. Ballsy!

I like my neighborhood, I hope it never changes. Bloomie reminded us that the DDDB Walk-a-Thon is this Sunday. Prospect Heights lives under the foot of an ugly giant. Only recently Park Slopers lit a fire when they noticed that the smoke wouldn't stay in the smoking section. The developer Forest City Ratner wants to build a huge city within our tiny town with the help from Upstate NY enacting Eminent Domain. They never refer to us as a neighborhood — who would want to be responsible for destroying a neighborhood? Instead they call us “the new downtown” where people will “Live, Work, Play”. We are Prospect Heights, we already live, work and play here. Matter of fact we even knit.

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