Knit PH @ Prospect Perk, Nov. 8, 2011

From the café window I could see the large Christmas snowflakes already hung from every lamp post along Flatbush, yet we’re not even close to Thanks Giving. This early decorative expo is a call to all of us to shop. It would seem that an economic recovery relies largely on conspicuous consumption. As a country, does America actually make anything anymore or do we just consume? I reflected on this recession over a slice of lemon pound cake and cocoa.

Well our group certainly makes lots of stuff. Lisa is making her hubby a pair of house slippers — she adjusted the pattern for size extra-extra large. Adrienne is outfitting her baby girl. She also needed to get out of the house for a bit and socialize — new mom syndrome. Meredith is making a specialized shawl she calls “The Boob Hider.” It provides privacy while nursing in public. Mai is making a cashmere hat from a salvaged sweater. That's a smart move, she often looks at knitwear that can be frogged into yarn. I suggested she wear a mask, ripping a sweater out makes a lot of dust. Amy popped in to grab a coffee and to show off her alpaca scarf. I like our funny little group, we meet at Prospect Perk Café every second Tuesday.

Aside from a few gifts, I’m making an A-line poncho for fashion designer and illustrator Ying Su. We met last week to go over the design and fibers. Initially we focused on texture. I ran Patons Superwash (ecru) with two colors of a lace-weight Merino (warm gray and camel) to get a bulky yet subtle tweed. I tend to think of the poncho as retro, although most women say it’s timeless. I hope the dreaded “Mancho” has met it’s woolly end. As with Clint Eastwood, it only works if you’re sporting a rifle and riding into town on a horse.

In the eyes of a fashion designer, most hand-knit garments are considered to be over-worked. Ying’s work is simple and elegant. The clean lines of her poncho emphasize the fern pattern that travels down the front — from the over-sized collar down into the body. A wide column of 2 X 1 ribs meet diverging seams at the back.

After Irene

After tropical storm Irene, Monday morning is slowly coming together in Brooklyn — shutters and boards have come down, streets are mostly swept, trains and buses are returning. While things are not so bad here, our social network reported that Irene left some of our friends without power or water. Many east coast towns are now coping with the loss of property, and for some the loss of lives. My sister Tes reminded me that as catastrophic and severe as the typhoons on Guam were, there was always good that came with the bad — so look at the good. As the rain subsided we went out for a neighborhood walk.

Not much damage to speak of here in Prospect Heights. A downed tree drew helpful neighbors on the corner of St. John and Underhill. Some cars we actually spared by the low brick fence.

The streets were virtually empty except a few cars and people with dogs who were cooped up all Saturday, most were heading to the park. Without the usual crowds and traffic one gets a full appreciation of how grand Grand Army Plaza is. I often walk through the arch as a short cut to the weekend green market.

This overpass in Prospect Park takes on a surreal and even more charming appeal with its own pond. There were surprisingly only a few trees that sustained wind damage in the park — mostly sheered tops of trees and fallen branches but nothing completely uprooted. The story was quire different in other neighborhoods with many older trees toppled into streets.

New temporary lakes sprung up in the park’s Long Meadow. Once the grazing area for sheep herders, it’s now a hub of entertainment for people and their dogs. A few people flew kites. But as the wind picked again and the sky darkened, police and rangers reminded us to evacuate as they closed the park to the public.

Time to get home for dinner, tend to the cat, and to see what’s on the news. I made enough chili to last us through the storm, and more than enough to give to our friends Matt and Adrianne (chips and all). Sometimes you have to stop and be thankful for loved ones, good friends, a funny little pet, and a hot home-cooked meal.

The Red Phoenix Rises

We all seemed to have survives the heat wave over the weekend — highs in the 100s. It’s funny when 90° weather feels like a holiday. Dan and Caroline just got back from an Italian get-away. Although they had some hot days, I suspect it’s more charming abroad — the food was incredible! They brought back some squid ink risotto and herbed gray salt for me and Stephanie.

I made the Red Phoenix shrug for Caroline Glemann for her wedding... and she stills wears it well. Caroline designs exquisite jewelry, among them, Stephanie’s engagement ring.  I took some prosperity photos at Liloveve, her jewelry studio.

The Red Phoenix shrug is made with the deepest-red antique cotton and silk using a combination of hairpin lace and traditional crochet. This inspired the white Way Wedding Shrug that I designed for Vogue Knitting’s Wedding Issue.

 

I love these sleeves, they make Caroline look like at Elven Queen.
The arching shapes were ispired by a type of beautiful red seaweed from Ireland called Dillisk. The Chinese refer to this style of long flowing sleeves are Phoenix. Hence the name. But I think it also reminds me of Jean Grey, the Phoenix from the X-men.

Armed and ready, Dan sat for a few with his hooded Green Ranger scarf. Seated here are an Elven Queen and a Dwarf King. Only a little prince or princess could complete this perfect mid-summer’s still life.

Summer Salad Topped with Maple Blue Cheese Dressing

It's late in the evening and the temperature app still reads 87°. Our country is witnessing a hot dry spell this July and Brooklyn is in for another scorching week with temps in the 90s. Good thing I made a lot of Blue Cheese dressing — it's cool, tangy, creamy, and waiting in the fridge. On brutal days like these I'd rather have a cool hearty salad for dinner with a big iced tea. This dressing would be ideal on a cold wedge of crunchy Iceberg Lettuce, but Romaine with a little sliced onion and red grapes is just as nice.

My Blue Cheese dressing is made with Danish Saga and a little maple syrup. Of course some crumbled bacon and wedge of bread completes this meal. My freind Lindsey says that her mom makes some kick-ass blue cheese dip as well — and Mrs. McCosh was nice enough to give us her recipe. For my tasty Maple Blue Cheese Dressing and Mrs. McCosh's Blue Cheese Dip recipes visit GardenFork.tv.

Street Life — the Textures of Brooklyn

I often find myself inspired by the very streets on which I walk — the many shades and textures of gray take on a life of their own in the late afternoon’s magic hours. For only a few hours, worn burnished metal plates become urban mandalas that shine softly through a halo leaves. Broken glass sparkles like diamonds hiding among the long, cool shadows. Here are some selected photos of our Brooklyn streets, circa Park Slope on Fifth Avenue.

So if you’re out and about at around 5:00 PM, look down and ponder... you might even find some money.

Going to the Dogs

I spotted this sign on Sterling Place between 5th and 6th avenues. Although this notice is supposed to protect the tree, it's funny how it was actually screwed into the tree with drywall screws. As butcher shops and laundromats turn into coffee shops and high-dollar frozen yogurt joints, we'll see more signs like this in Park Slope.

Blancmange for Dessert

Some Brits fondly refer to blancmange (blə-mɒnʒ) as “shape.” Similar to Italian panna cotta, This custard is made with whole-fat milk, cream, eggs, and sugar. But the key ingredient to this rich silky dessert is carrageen, aka Irish moss — without it, it's just pudding. Some recipes call for agar, cornstarch or gelatin as a substitute.

Blancmange is derived from Old French for “white food.” It was found on the tables of the upper-class, dating as far back as the Middle Ages, although the original recipe includes shredded chicken meat and almonds... yuk, that’s just wrong!

This is the same dried carrageen that Lucy sent to us from Ireland. After soaking in cold water, the dark purple bundles bloom into delicate lavender and cream petals. Carrageen dissolves easily in hot liquid to form a thick liquid.

This custard from the UK is actually easy to make, and you probably have most everything you need in your kitchen... except for the Irish moss of course. For this blancmange recipe and detailed instructions visit GardenFork.tv.

Of Irish Moss and Old Lace

At first glance this might be mistaken for a fallen a Vanda orchid, or maybe florets of lacy Hydrangea Hortensia. These lovely petals are actually seaweed. This week a mysterious parcel arrived from Ireland. In it were a carton of dried Irish moss (Carrageen), and a bundle of Dillisk.

About a month ago when I met with Irish siren, Lucy Foley, we had the most inspired conversation over coffee and yarn. Beautiful colors and textures of music, the dance of lyrical poetry, chartreuse seaweed, iridescent kelp, nautical berries, knobs, and lace that drift their way into Irish crochet.

We sat down to design long flowing sleeves that reach the floor and drape like Dillisk washing ashore. Her upcoming performance is only in a few months. Are we ready? Soon after that, she left  — bound for Limerick.

Meanwhile in my kitchen... I could smell the Northwestern coast of Ireland as I soaked these wizened bundles in cold water — so salty and sweet. A tidal pool of rose madder, lavender, and cream branches untangled and bloomed like a mermaid’s forgotten corsage. Silky purple Dillisk unfurled, softly flowing like ribbon over the back of my hand — it’s translucent fingers running over mine.

I love Lucy’s music. As I listen to her song “It’s a Tangle” I clearly recall Lucy saying “Don't make me look like Queen of the Faeries, now...” I think she meant Kate Bush, not Maeve.

KnitPH @ Prospect Perk, Feb. 12, 2011

This winter weather has been all over the map. After a deep freezing storm, we had some 50° days. The banks of ice that line the streets are staring to thaw. Probably be due to that recent solar flare.

We had an intimate MeetUp at Prospect Perk Café, just we five. I hadn't seen Patricia in a while, she's just come back from a retreat in India — singing, dancing, village walks, and of course great Indian food. She's working on some Chemo Caps for Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

I brought my "rustic" green yarn from Marrakech. There's just enough to make a long skinny Brioche Rib scarf. I hope the color stays as bright after it's washed. My hands and needles were stained green from working with it. Meredith told me about some the rustic yarn that she bought in Scotland form a cottage craftsman. It is so rustic that she's picking out the thistles.

Mai is modifying a hat pattern to suit her taste. She's using a yarn that she bought when she and Ken were in Mexico. The natural colors are very handsome — varying shades of taupe and cream. Jeremy finally made it to our MeetUp. He's recently moved here from North Carolina to join his fiancée. He's still adjusting to New York, and as luck would have it, he found work right away. He's a marionette operator. Jeremy makes jewelry by crocheting patterns over river rocks — each one is unique and beautiful. I like the way the smoothness of the rock peeks out from the texture of black mercerized cotton.

Freddy’s Bar Rises from the Ashes, Feb. 3, 2011

It's been one hell of a weird year and a miserable winter in New York — blizzards, ice storms, deep freezes, a deep recession, and all. It's been a while since I've posted on this blog. I vowed not to post until Freddy's Bar re-opened its doors.

And like the crocus that peeks through the black ice, Freddy's Bar rose like a sign of hope. Although the official opening night was February 4th, friends and family gathered for a private evening on February 3rd in South Slope... that's right, Freddy's Bar is now nearly two miles away from its original location (and nine months) since that day.

I was quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying “It’s a bizarre feeling of old faces in a new space...” ("A Displaced Dive Bar, Reborn in Brooklyn," by Pervaiz Shallwani). The experience was somewhere between a class reunion and an odd dream where everyone you knew milled about in a large Joseph Cornell box.


I stood in awe of a room packed completely from front to back. I knew every face if not most of their names. Everything from the old Freddy's location was transported to the new space... the entire bar, the booths, the massive captains chairs, art, artifacts. But for a few new things, this is in fact the former Freddy's Bar laid out in a new space.

Over a packed bar, Eva handed me a beer and winked, "First one's on us." Mike pushed my money away. Don and Kimmet ran up and down the bar serving drinks, Matthew Kuhn was busy giving hugs, and at some point there was a call for "all hands on deck" to all bar staff. A few of us even bussed glasses from the tables and the evening poured on.

Steve, Gersh, Andy...

But this was by far fairy tale — the road to the new Freddy's Bar was a white knuckle ride down a rocky path lined with obstacles. New York State's misuse of Eminent Domain claimed an entire section of Prospect Heights, forcing then owner Frank Yost into a nominal buyout — it was this or leave with nothing. The only one who benefits from all this is a billionaire developer and his private arena built on public funds. Amidst plans of reforming business, Frank backed out of the partnership and moved on leaving Don and crew in the lurch.

Matt, Adrianne, Bleu, Bill, Tim...

But the dream didn't die on the floor, everyone pitched in and I mean everyone — old patrons, new neighbors, friends, news media, bloggers, online communities. If Freddy's Bar left with anything it left with an incredible collective good will.

Vadeem, Gail, Steve, Pat, Katie, John, Ian, Lex, Millie, Marlene...

Former employees Don O'Finn and Matthew Kuhn formed a new partnership with seasoned bar professional Matt Kimmet. They raised capital and with friends and family they built the new space — from the wiring and plumbing to the wall paper on up to the new tin ceiling.

A hollow void is filled once more with music, dancing, laughter, and the sound of glasses clinking — a toast among a table of friends. John Pinamonte warmed up the new music space with country rhythm and blues, and what a sweet sound it was.

Nancy Drew's artwork graces The Silver Gallery walls. The regular Freddy's entertainment will soon fill this room... opera divas, independent film, stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, original live music, H.A.M., the country jam... and of course Knit Nite.

Beneath the bar crest, Kellum and crew were finishing the exterior of the bar — pegged woodwork made from a weathered barn donated from upstate. The same weathered wood also adorns the interior.

That whole ugly mess that is New York State's abuse of eminent domain and misappropriation of funds still makes my head throb. It's a disease borne from generations of cronyism, true greed, and paid favors for the wealthiest from the wealthiest... How much does a judge's vote cost these days? As long as someone upstate is still padding their purses behind a locked door, this horror we call Albany may never change.

The proponents of the Atlantic Yards Project continue to manufacture hype about an arena that fills a need in a community, and how it will bring jobs to all... etc. Our borough president insists we need this basketball team from New Jersey to be the heart of Brooklyn. What's he been smoking? Bull crap I say. They barely know what do with the blight and traffic they've created. They all could a take a tip from some real people and a real community.

Meanwhile, somewhere in South Slope Brooklyn, in the tiny neighborhood called Greenwood Heights, hope for the small guy is reborn in the year of the Golden Rabbit. Three cheers to Don O'Finn, Matt Kimmet, and Matt Kuhn, and thank you so much for hanging there!

Freddy's Bar is located at 627 5th Avenue between 17th & 18th streets. Drop in and say hello.