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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Time

Hi Knitters,
I'm enjoying some serious family time this week with the kids all being off from school. All together, all the time. I'll fill you in on our adventures later....

In the meantime, I have some fun links for you.







There's nothing better than taking a little time to slow down a bit.
I'll be back in no time at all:)
best, susie

Saturday, March 27, 2010

There's a Collage in my Yarn

Hi Knitters,
I have to share this little bundle of joy that arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I am so excited about it. It is handspun yarn with a flurry of fun bits and pieces thrown in. It is art yarn or collage yarn. Whatever the title, it is pure fun yarn. If I were a spinner this is the kind of stuff I would love to create. Maybe someday....
The yarn is embedded with tiny crocheted flowers, lace bits, ribbons, sequins, colored strands, and who knows what else. I will be knitting a scarf with the three skeins. Not sure exactly how yet. The label recommends US size 10 for 2.5 stitches per inch but I think I will use a US size 13 or 15.

Click here to see the Knit Collage website. It is inspiring.

The thing you can't see is how soft these little bundles are. Each skein is like a fluffy cloud. Can you see all of that stuff in there? Oh, it is wonderful.
The yarn is called, Knit Collage. It is handspun in Hong Kong. This particular colorway is called, Mermaid Cafe (love that). The yarn is 75% wool and 25% mohair.
I ordered my Knit Collage from Purl Soho. Oh my goodness, it looks like they have almost sold out. There were a lot more colors when I ordered. Hot stuff, I guess. The Purl Bee has a beautiful child's hat pattern for 1 skein of Knit Collage. That pattern is free and it is really sweet.

I was excited to see that Purl Soho included a gorgeous map by Lena Corwin to help people locate their brand new store. The map is like a piece of art in itself. Awesome. It is opening in April and I can't wait to visit someday soon. It is a bigger space and will include their fabric and yarn in one spot. I love to see an independent store moving up and getting bigger. That is excellent!

On a few different notes, here is a fun tutorial for imprinting eggs using an old silk tie. I'd love to try this technique any time of year. I am going to do this one for certain.

I have some silk Tilli Tomas Disco Lights sitting around and I am going to make this scarf with it. I have been waiting for something just right to pop up and I think this is it.

I am so happy to have cast on for the tea leaves cardigan with the Madeline Tosh DK yarn I purchased at Nina's in Chicago. It is gorgeous and fun. I am using a colorway called Burnished (which I didn't see on the tosh dk yarn page) and I am in love with the flecks of blue, brown and greens. It is rich. Love the ruching technique at the neckline of the cardigan, too. What a fun technique. It feels good to knit something different.

I love these wire bins. I want some of those to store yarn. Wouldn't that be awesome?

Did you all see my new free pattern on Spud says!? You still have time to knit a few of this tiny reversible toy in time for Easter or just for some fun spring knitting. Click here to get the free downloadable pattern. Click here for the Ravelry page for the Duck to Bunny project page.

Okay, have a fun weekend with your friends and family. I will be back sometime soon.
best, susie

Friday, March 26, 2010

Fries with your Shake?

Hi Knitters,
Whoa, was this a busy week for you, too? We had a band concert, a science fair (which we forgot about until 2 hours before it was due), doctor appointments, breakfast plans, work travels (my husband), piano and dance classes, sports practices, lunch engagements, English paper editing, poem writing, magazine project planning, a talent show and a giant book manuscript deadline... you name it, we had it. Phew.

Sometimes I don't know how we make it but we always do. I used my favorite line, "move it and shake it," on the way out the door a lot this week. I know we are not any busier than any other family with a bunch of young and active kids. That's just the way it is and honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way.

Maybe we can all take a collective deep breath today.

I took this photo from the back row of TC's talent show yesterday. She is on the right with her buddy, on the left. They danced to a medley of songs. The crowd clapped along. What I loved most about their routine is that it wasn't slick choreographed dancing. It was more like two little untrained girls up in their bedroom making up a dance together. Do you know what I mean? There was no shaking of the hips or winking at the crowd. At one point they held hands and skipped around in a circle like ring around the rosie. It was the best. Pure fun and innocence. There actually wasn't any shake to have fries with, which is a good thing.

TC and I bought the hats and clown socks at a local costume store a couple of days ago. Someone actually asked me if I made their costumes. Funny.

Okay, sweet knitters, on to the weekend. I actually have started a few new and fun project this week just to keep my sanity in check. I am serious about that. Also, I watched New Moon over 3 nights with my Peachy. That's how long it took us to squeeze in the movie in between activities. She is so funny. I had fun watching with her. What a good egg.

I did a fun 45 minute podcast interview last week with Marly of Yarn Thing fame. Click here to take a listen on your computer! Yarn Thing is also on itunes if you like to listen that way.

I think this mamacita needs a vacation:)
best, susie

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A Mother's Admiration

Hi Knitters,
While I was gone in New York I called home off and on to check in with everyone. One time The Collector got on the phone and announced that she had made a moose and she couldn't wait to show it to me when I got home. This same moose conversation went on a couple of different times over the days while I was gone. I didn't quite understand what she had made over the phone because my husband said she had just sat down with some kitchen aluminum foil and masking tape to make this moose. It didn't sound all that promising.

However, when I got home TC greeted me at the door with her sculpted moose. I was stunned. It is an incredibly elegant and beautiful sculpture of a moose. At that time it was sculpted foil covered in masking tape. I couldn't believe the long legs that stood in such a lovely stance, the balance of the piece (it stands so easily), the sweet tilt of the head and the amazing antlers she had created while sitting at the kitchen table.
TC may be a sculptor? I had no idea she could do this. My husband told me she got it in her head to make a moose. He had no idea why. She then pulled up a photo of a real moose on the computer and would occasionally walk over to reference the photo as she worked. I guess she worked for a long time, very quietly by herself. When she finished her sculpture my husband couldn't believe her moose. He just shakes his head in disbelief.
Since my initial viewing of the moose TC has put a layer of newspaper and Mod Podge over the top to create a hard shell. She wants to paint it this weekend. I can't get a great photo to capture the feeling of the sculpture accurately. It is really cool. Maybe I am crazy but I see something more to that moose than just the foil and tape and newspaper.Here are a few other pieces of TC's artwork as of late. This brother and sister pair is her art teacher's favorite drawing that TC has made at school. I like it, too. It's so graphic and look at the careful strokes of crayon she used to fill in the grass and sky. I love crayon artwork.
She made this silly ladybug by combining some other pictures she had seen. She pronounces the name like Betty, not sure what the interesting spelling is all about. I like this one a lot. She has super-clean lines. The heels are too good.
This is a woven piece TC created at school. They splatter painted two different pages, cut them into strips and wove the strips together. I really love this one.
She dropped this in my lap yesterday after school. This may be my favorite. She doesn't see at all what I see. I think that pig is amazing and artistic. I asked her about it and she said, "Yeah, I ripped up some paper and made a pig." That's it. I see the curly tail made out of teeny tiny pieces carefully placed, the tip and angle of the ears layered on the perfectly shaped head and round ripped piece at the end of the snout. I love the simple pencil letters spelling Pig at the top.

I know I may be seeing her work through rose-colored glasses but I admire her abandon. I love her ability to make things out of nothing and to sit for hours on end completely absorbed in her making. The world vanishes around her. I love her nonchalant attitude about her work. I love her sweet excitement when her ideas work out. I see her natural finesse and her ability to make it all look so easy.

This little girl is a maker down to her soul. I can't wait to see what she does with her natural talent. I am a bystander.

I hope she never loses sight of what she has inside. I admire her so much.
best, susie

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Knitty City - Final Tour Stop!


Hi Knitters,
After our fun evening out, we woke up Saturday to get ready for a late breakfast with my brother. He made reservations for us at Nougatine. We love to walk everywhere so we started out walking to our breakfast spot but the weather got the best of us. It was still raining sideways with a wind that nearly blew you over. We gave up after a few short blocks and jumped in a cab. The restaurant was beautiful. We sat by a huge window overlooking Central Park. The food was gorgeous, fresh and delicious. We got to have a good visit over a leisurely breakfast. It was good just being together. I wish our other brother could have been with us, too, it would have been a full Barrett set.

After breakfast we headed back to the hotel. Checked out and grabbed our cumbersome luggage. I have to carry two suitcases, one with the trunk show and one with my clothes. It is a lot. My sister and I jumped back in a cab and headed off to Knitty City for the event. Due to the weather we weren't sure if anyone would even venture out of their homes. It was really rough out there, no exaggeration.

When we arrived at Knitty City the store was already pleasantly packed. People were taking a class at the back of the store and a few were hanging out for the Itty-Bitty event, too. It was a nice welcoming. I set up and we had no idea what a wonderful time we were about to enjoy. The thing that struck me most on these last few events were the number of people traveling 2-3 hours to get to the location of these events. That is beyond awesome and surprising.
This sweet baby, Anna, was one of my early visitors. Her sweet mom, J-A or j-a, has commented on my blog many times and I remembered her. She was so fun. Anna of course is wearing the Cupcake Hat from Itty-Bitty Nursery. What a model. Wow, is she pretty.
Look in my hands, I am holding ja's Chubby Bunny and Garden Mouse, both from Itty-Bitty Nursery. They were beautifully done! These are two of my all-time favorite toys. I did a lot of toys in the Itty-Bitty Nursery book. If you are an avid toy knitter you may want to check out this book for the toys alone. I love it when people bring in their Itty-Bitty knits for me to see. Nothing is better than that.
See how the little ones always search for the tiniest doll in the Russian Nesting Doll set? That is a given. Notice the rain coat! It was a drenching downpour outside. But the knitters still came.
This little girl was fun. She really examined the toys. She is holding the Wrap Me Up Puppy, which continues to be a favorite in the book. Sleeping puppies can't be beat, I guess. Her mom was part of a collaborative group knitting of the Cupcake Tea Set also from Itty-Bitty Nursery. Pearl (the owner) had the entire set in the window of the shop. It was fabulous!
Here they are enjoying their creations. I still just love that tea set. I had the privilege of meeting several other tea set knitters, too.
This is Susan and she is from New Jersey. She has emailed me a few times and I remembered her. She brought her set of three Itty-Bitty books for me to sign. She is delightful and fun. It was great to meet her in person.
She shared her Rosebud Wreath Hat with me from Itty-Bitty Hats. Gorgeous!!!! Love it.
Here is a distinguished group from my publisher, Artisan Books. I was honored to have such a showing of support at the event. On the left is Chrissa, my handy publicist, next is Suzanne, one of my editors, and on my right is the lovely Ann Bramson, the publisher. I love these people from Artisan. I can't say enough about them and their work ethic and support. It is a joy to work with Artisan. I feel like they are a part of my family. Thanks for coming and showing support at the Itty-Bitty Toys event in NYC. I appreciate the effort.
This lovely mom and daughter enjoyed the toy table. Look again, the little girl is looking for the tiniest Russian Nesting Doll. I can't make this stuff up! Make a set for your house and see what happens, kids and adults alike.
I mean....
These two ladies breezed in, or soaked in, and the woman on the left had an interesting connection to Madison. She asked me if I knew Kevin Henkes, the famous children's author who lives in Madison. Being that Mr. Henkes is one of my all-time favorite children's authors I knew right away who she was talking about but no, I don't know him personally. He lives pretty close to me though I've heard. She was kidding around but it turns out that she works at Kevin's publisher in New York. She was great to meet and I loved signing her books.
Okay, here is Kristin. She came all of the way from Boston to come to Knitty City. I am holding her Baby Bear from Itty-Bitty Toys. She hung out quite awhile at the shop and I so appreciate her effort. It was an honor to meet you. Thanks for bringing yourself and your bear!!!
Here is my beloved Suzanne. Suzanne is one of the moderators for the Itty-Bitty Knits Forum on Ravelry! Suzanne is awesome as a person and a knitter. I feel like I know her or we met before or we were friends in a different life or something. She is like being with an old friend, comfortable and warm and patient. She sat in a big comfy chair and just soaked in the event from the best seat in the house. I LOVED meeting her. She traveled a couple of hours, too.
I love the ramp that welcomes people into the store. It is the perfect spot to take in the shop. That is one bustling neighborhood knit shop I tell you. There were tons of people in and out of the shop, packed full, not much room to move kind of shop. Plus there is some sort of great knitting energy going on, too. Everyone is friendly, Pearl is so hard working, she never stops. Knitty City is the epitome of a great community knit shop. It is my second event here and I would come back any time!
Here is Susan and her friend checking out the hats book. People were all smiles even though there was a hurricane aftermath happening right outside the door.
My brother is in the center. He came up from D.C. to see his sisters. He stood on the ramp by the door for awhile until I coaxed him to come and sit with us at the table. It was so good to see him. Thanks for coming all that way. We loved it. He survived the knitting event, too.
Here is a mother, daughter, granddaughter group shot. The daughter loves knitting Itty-Bitty things. What a lovely group. Do you see all of those books behind us? There is just about every book you could ever want. Knitty City has an awesome selection of books, patterns, needles, magazines and most of all, yarn!
Okay, Suzanne (sitting) and Suzanne (my editor) hit it off. Both Suzannes hung out at the event from early to late. I love that. They even went out for dinner together after the event (yes, I'm jealous)! Editor Suzanne was so kind to flag down a cab for my sister and me after the event. It was brutal outside and we were thankful for her cab savvy help. We aren't cab people being from Madison so it is a skill I don't possess.
Here is Melissa (?). She is another tea set knitter. She made the sugar cubes and a few cupcakes. She is adorable and sweet.
Here is my friend, Suzanne, again. She is so lovely and kind. What a treat to get to spend time with her. Especially toward the end of the event when it had kind of cleared out. That was the best. Suzanne writes a blog, is a mother to a little boy and she is a social worker.
In her spare time (lol), she whipped me up this beautiful hat. I had complimented her on her hat like this awhile ago so then she makes one for me. Everyone needs a friend like that, right? I love my new hat and will wear it proudly. What a sweet gesture. Thank you, Suzanne.
Here is the hat close-up! Love it.
There was a baby boom in the shop, too. Right after my event some knitters were gathered around to have a knitted baby shower for this Knitty City worker. She was so friendly and helpful.
Adorable twins came to visit the event. They were funny and fun and hung out for hours. Thanks for coming.
Janine blew in at the very end of the event. She had traveled in from New Jersey with her husband and kid(s?) who had dropped her at the door to come to the event. Simply walking from the curb to the door of the shop got her completely soaked to the bone. What a good sport. I signed her set of Itty-Bitty books and we got to visit briefly. It was nice.
Her rain boots were awesome (her jeans were stuck to her legs with rain water). They were actually knitted striped fabric, like you could see the knit stitches. Her boots caused a major stir in the knit shop. Everyone wanted a pair. Here is Janine's email to me about her boots if you want to track them down:
Hello there!
I hope you were able to stay dry! What a day. We had a great time at the Children's museum and then came home to a flooded basement - ah well...
I checked my boots and they are from a company called On Your Feet and the boots are Raindrop. (makes no sense to me but...) I got mine at DSW last year for about $30.
Thanks for chatting with me. It was a pleasure to meet you and see all of your wonderful creations in person! It was a great forum and a "meet and greet" I really didn't think I'd get to talk to you at all. Have a safe trip home.
Again, it was so nice to meet you!
Janine from NJ (the waterlogged one!)
This woman knitted the tea pot for the tea set! It was a great day to be in rainy New York and the always wonderful Knitty City. There were lots of other people at the event so I am sorry if I didn't get your photo. We tried our best. What a huge success. I also signed a big stack of a mix of all 3 Itty-Bitty Books so contact Knitty City if you'd like a signed copy!

The big thing at Knitty City this year is this fabulous tote bag (see below)!!! Pearl generously gave my sister and me each a Knitty City tote bag and me a $75 gift certificate to the shop (of course I went over!). I want to tell you that you can order these slick waterproof and cute and perfect project bags right from her shop! I believe after spending a certain amount at the shop you get a free bag, too. Give them a call to order one (price is around 5-7 dollars, can't remember exactly), (212-787-5896).
Inside view....
one side view....

the other side view! Who doesn't like a cute striped and dotted tote like this? We were thrilled. I will share my yarn purchases at a later date.
Remember these scarves from Knitty City on my last tour to NYC? Pearl sold a ton of these scarves after I posted this photo with Jaime Harder Caldwell after our event in 2007. She currently has more of these gorgeous crocheted scarves in her shop. The newer version is even better because it is wider and there are wonderful colorways available. I love my scarf like this and wear it all of the time. You should get one! Call Pearl at Knitty City to get one for yourself: (212-787-5896).

Okay, it took me two days to write this. I'll be back soon!
Love ya, Knitters!
best, susie
p.s. Please check out my newest free pattern for Spud & Chloƫ for a Mini-Reversible Duck to Bunny! Here is the pattern link. Here is the Ravelry project page link. Have fun with your Easter and spring knitting. Craig at Loop has 4 Duck to Bunny Kits left if you are interested.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Broadway Bound


Hi Knitters,
Tour posts are hard to write because I have so much information to share and honestly, I know that sometimes these are long posts, a little too long. However, it is a way for me to document my experiences. The blog is really at times like my personal journal so I hope you can understand. I try to include a lot of photos and detail. If it's on here then I won't ever forget and my trip to New York last weekend is something I never want to forget.

After Loop we stayed in the plush and lovely Sofitel in Philadelphia. It was a treat. The next morning we took the train to NYC. We took a cab straight over to Artisan Books. That is my publisher. I love visiting and seeing everyone at Artisan. There is so much hard and loving work that goes into each and every book they put out. I have been working with Artisan since late 2004. That's getting to be a long time.

Mainly, I got to spend time with the managing editor and a person I consider to be my friend and sounding board, Trent Duffy. He toured us (my sister and me) around and introduced us to new staff members and not so new staff again. It is wonderful to be inside Artisan, to see the offices and fantastic books old and newly released, and the upcoming books in progress. It is a good place. In the near future Artisan is publishing a couple more knitting and fiber-related books so that is exciting. I'll keep you posted as they are a little unusual in a good way, a good twisty way.

Next, Trent walked us over (and on the way told us about a thrilling surprise he had planned for us later that night, we almost fell straight down on the sidewalk) to Soho Publishing (Vogue Knitting, Knit Simple, Debbie Bliss Magazine, Sixth & Spring Books). We were meeting Carla Scott (executive editor), Faith Hale (assistant editor) and Renee Lorion (yarn editor) for lunch. We were greeted by Carla and it was a pleasant surprise that Faith and Renee came along, too. We went to a lovely little French bistro nearby. The food was wonderful, the meeting was even better. What a warm, fun, creative group of women.

Carla generously has given me a fantastic project to work on for one of their upcoming magazine issues. I will tell you more about this later. It is going to be a good one!! I am not good at submitting to magazines. I get so caught up in my book work and other jobs that I never know when the deadlines are coming up. It's a good thing all around to just be given an assignment. I can't wait to get to work on this project. The ideas are coming quickly.

Carla had to leave after lunch, she was heading out of town. The rest of us got to linger a little bit over a hot cup of coffee. That was nice. We chatted and Faith and Renee are a friendly, fun pair. Renee took over for Tanis Gray as the yarn editor for the magazines and knitting books. Tanis moved to D.C. recently and is still doing work for Soho Publishing from there. We walked back to their office and parted ways and headed back to Artisan to pick up our luggage and to get to our hotel.

In the meantime, my brother had arrived from D.C., that's where he lives with his family. He took a bus up so we could be together for a couple of days. He was staying at our same hotel. We were so excited to see him as it had been awhile.

We only had about an hour or so before Trent was meeting us in our hotel lobby so we could walk to dinner at Un, Deux, Trois. He graciously made reservations for us all before we headed over to see Mary Poppins on Broadway. Trent is a good friend with the associate costume designer, Mitchell Bloom, for Mary Poppins. Trent called Mitch to see if there was anyway we could get house seats for the show. Sure enough we did!! House seats are about the best seats in the theater. We were 12 rows back from the stage. We were so close you could see every detail in the actors' faces and costumes. It was spectacular. I have to note that is was the first Broadway show I have ever been to which made it even more exciting.

One other note is that my sister is a huge theater buff and a singer and a local theatre actor. She has devoted her life to music and to teaching music and musical theater to children. Her own children are all singers and actors and dancer. Last summer two of her daughters came to New York to participate in a Broadway camp. While they were in camp she went to shows while they were busy. She loved it. Every year she teaches the music program for the second semester at her kids' school. At the end of the semester they put on a musical. This year they are doing the Music Man. My sister is very talented.

Needless to say she was excited we were going to the musical and that we had great seats. At the end of the show Mary Poppins flies off into the clouds. Our seats were directly under her flight path, the best place to be. I felt like I could reach up and touch Mary Poppins' shoes with my hand. It was magical. I loved every minute of it like I never wanted it to end.
Well, to make the story even better, Trent had called in an extra favor from Mitch. While we were walking over to Soho Publishing for lunch Trent told us that he had arranged for Mitch to meet us after the show and to take us BACKSTAGE at Mary Poppins! After the show we got the royal treatment in a way that none of us expected, not even Trent. The best surprise is that Mary Poppins herself, played by Laura Michelle Kelly, came and hung out on the stage with us. She even signed my playbill above. She was right next to us backstage. She is adorable, tiny and very gracious.
It was a night to remember. That's Trent above. He's the best. I think he had a good time orchestrating one of the most fantastic New York nights anyone could imagine. Our reactions to his surprises had to make him feel appreciated. I got teary-eyed several times during the night. My sister was beside herself. It was too much. We were loving every second of it.
It was dark and many of my backstage photos were a little blurry. I am not sure why. I think I was overwhelmed and just wanting to soak everything in. We started backstage with the stage manager Valerie. She told us all about the set and the flying and all of the details of putting on a show like this. Some of the wallpaper on the set is hand-painted. The set was so impressive and clever and detailed. Every inch was thoroughly thought out.
Happy people in front of an incredible set. Look at the detail, books in the book shelves, chandeliers, pictures on the walls....
That's Valerie on the left. She was wonderful to listen to with her great, funny stories. Next to Valerie is Mitch, then Trent and then my sister. At first we were in a small group of people listening to Valerie. That group then left and it was just Valerie and Mitch and the three of us. It was beyond! We never expected the exclusive up close tour we were about to receive.
I mean come on! They opened the curtain so we could see what it would be like to be looking out at the crowd. Just look at her face, it's glowing:)
That's Mary Poppins in the green coat. She was completely gorgeous and kind.
Sorry for the blur... the little boy in the blue jacket played Michael Banks. I got his autograph, too.
Laura Michelle (Mary Poppins) had a friend in the group and she hung around for a long time. she stood right next to Trent for a long while. It was awesome.
These were the backstage Mary Poppins umbrellas. Now only the five of us went WAY backstage. We headed down the stairs to the costume and dressing areas for the show. It was fascinating.Everywhere you turned there were racks of costumes hanging and hats and wigs and accessories. Each piece has a story and Mitch's mind stores every detail of every piece made for the show. Mitch has an incredible memory and I loved listening to his tales of ordering shiny stars from Italy and fabric dyes and ribbons and buttons and fabric. Heaven.
Each of these suits used up 11 yards of fabric. They had to be cut on the bias and those are the stars from Italy. Each suit had a different star pattern that was sewn on by hand. Incredible.
Mitch is telling us about the detail that went into the statue costumes which were really the most innovative and incredible costumes of the entire show. They were all padded on the inside and the hands were dipped in a rubber substance to make them stay in place. The inside of the leotard-like fabric was lined with padding to give the body extra form. I could have listened for hours.

I gathered that there is a vision from a designer and then the rest is basically problem-solving in order to make that vision come to life through costuming. What a journey and undertaking every show must be. I think I heard that there are around 500 costumes for Mary Poppins because they dress every person in the play for the various roles and then they dress multiple extras for each of those roles. It adds up.
The women's dresses had bustles that were quite ornate. I looked up the word bustle for fun:
–noun
1.
fullness around or below the waist of a dress, as added by a peplum, bows, ruffles, etc.
2.
a pad, cushion, or framework formerly worn under the back of a woman's skirt to expand, support, and display the full cut and drape of a dress.
I love the detail and the applique flowers. The women looked like they were floating on stage. It was beautiful.
These bustles were really amazing as they were like little shelves cascading down the back of the dress to create the bustle. The shelves were stuffed with pastries. Mitch actually pulled one of the tarts off the dress and showed it to us. It was like a hand-painted foam form, really cool.
This hat was made with ribbon from Japan sewn together around and around to form the ruffling shape. I can't express how fun it was to see and hear about all of this. Mitch is a genius. I don't know how he finds and thinks of all of these things. He had historical things and keeping things like the original show that started in London. It's so much to consider and think about. Mitch is now working for the Metropolitan Opera and doing their costuming. He actually hadn't been back to the Mary Poppins set for a couple of years and he was thrilled to see how well the costumes were holding up. They did look in fantastic condition.
There were a few knits included in the costuming. This was the back of a dress and it is knit lace, there were a few scarves and sleeves and Michael Banks had on a handknit sweater. I asked who did the knitting and Valerie said one of the cast members had knit up the items.

I'd love to knit for a Broadway show someday and maybe a movie, too. That would be pretty cool and kind of a dream come true.

I want to extend a huge thank you to Trent and Mitch for the incredible night we shared. We will never forget last Friday night. It was amazing, fun and exciting. Mitch especially went out of his way to share his world of costuming with us. We will never experience anything like it again. Thank you both. What a treat.

As we headed out of the backdoor of the theatre little did we know we would be caught up in hurricane-like weather. We were so tired and happy it didn't seem to matter much to any of us. Trent and Mitch walked us back to our hotel and we were completely drenched. We said goodbye in the lobby. On the way to the elevator my sister hugged me tightly around my shoulders as we walked side by side. When I looked over she was crying out of happiness. It made me feel good that she got to come with me and experience something that would mean so much to her. All of this is due to a few little knitting books:) Life changing.

We got to our hotel room. Dried off and jumped into our warm pajamas and snuggled into our wonderful beds. We sat and together read through our playbills from cover to cover talking about the show and reliving our backstage pass experience.

I don't know how I will ever top March 12th, 2010! It will be tough.

Trent - you are an awesome, gracious and generous man. Thank you.
best, susie
p.s. I'll be back with the rest of my NYC events very soon.