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.
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:
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).
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 & Chloë 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.