Today is my birthday! And to celebrate I am giving you a coupon code for $1 off any and all patterns in my shop!

Just use the coupon code HAPPYDAY at checkout!

This offer is good until midnight on Saturday March 12th.

From now until midnight on December 25th, enjoy a 25% discount on all my patterns with the coupon code: LASTMINUTE

I visited New York City yesterday and had tons of fun! My Dad and I took a bus trip. I have been to the city plenty of times before, however never as a tourist. Here was my opportunity to be one of those annoying people roaming about the city with a camera/phone in hand and stopping in the middle of the side walk to take photos. All photos are from my phone.

First we went to the Kinokuniya Bookstore. Check out their knitting books and pen aisle:

So many awesome books

Pens!

Next we went to the Empire State Building. First, when they say there is a 45 minute wait, they are lying. It was at least twice as long. Second, it doesn’t help that they have airport-like security set up. You know, the old kind: take your belts and jackets off, all possessions get put into a bin to be scanned, and you go through a metal detector. Really slowed the whole process down. Then the real waiting takes place. [Wait in line, move to another section of the building] repeat 5 times.

Along the way I cannot help but nerd out to the architecture.

Welcome to Rapture

Ok, yes, I’m a nerd, but really doesn’t it make you feel like maybe this is an underwater paradise? No? Ok, maybe I was just very bored.

Can you see it?

Change Begins Here

All the while they have you going past these huge electronic displays (ie. Multiple monitors all display the same movie clips) touting how they have made the Empire State Building a leader in sustainability. Couldn’t they have just printed some posters out? It seems counter productive to be running these elaborate displays. (Sorry no pictures of these.)

Finally we made it to the observation deck. (If you want to go up to the very top you have to pay an additional $15 per person at this time.)

View from the 86th floor

View from the 86th floor

View from the 86th floor

We walked past Macy’s and stepped inside:

The World's Largest Store

We had lunch at the Bread Factory. I did have other food besides cheesecake, but I couldn’t resist!

The desert case at The Bread Factory

Cake!

Walked down to the water. We didn’t have time to take a boat out to the Statue.

Boats

We took a taxi to Grand Central Station:

Grand Central Terminal

Inside Grand Central

Went to see the tree at Rockefeller Center:

Giant Tree

Other things we did: We tried to see the window displays outside of Macy’s but these were so crowded. What we could see looked kind of like the old clay-mation style animations. We went into several amazing bead stores and ate dinner at the Cosmic Diner.

Here’s the loot I came away with for the day:

Loot

Now my whole body aches from walking all day. But what a grand time! My friend Irina was also in the city, but we never met up. Maybe next time…we should plan a yarn crawl!

I have a confession to make. I have a strong aversion to “cowls”. Knitters everywhere are enamored with making and wearing “cowls”, and I just cannot get into this spirit. I have two reasons.

Reason the first

Cowl

A cowl is defined as a hood. Most, if not all knitted “cowls” are not cowls at all.
See how the front of the cowl forms a drape around the neck? That’s called a cowl neck, the drapey part of the hood. Some sweaters have cowl necks, which imitate this drape.

Reason the second

Dickey
Wimple

“Cowls” remind me of dickeys and wimples. I dislike dickeys very much.. I used to be forced to wear such things under sweaters etc. Mom used to say it was the warmth of a turtle neck without the bulk. Which is fine, but I didn’t even like turtle necks. I have nothing against wimples, except that I don’t care for them. It’s not a dislike, I just don’t see myself looking very good in one.

In conclusion, most “cowls” are really neck warmers. If you like to make and wear neck warmers, by all means go for it. However, I still think they remind me too much of Dickeys. Personally I would rather make and wear a scarf or shawl.

Recently I received a friend invite on Facebook. I have so far stayed under the radar from any persons from my high school. This was the first. I have no qualms with this person, I barely knew him. He was a popular fellow, football player. And he is friends with just about every person that has ever passed through that school. But honestly, I have no desire to rebuild bridges once burnt down. I don’t care to reminisce about the good old times, or laugh about so-and-so, or see who became what.

Then I started thinking…what does this say about me? It sounds like I have this huge grudge against people I haven’t seen in 10 years. Why should this bother me? Why am I concerned that if I accept this request, 300 more will come flooding in? Maybe it’s just that I don’t even remember most of high school, and really don’t care to try.

Must think more about this. Maybe if I ignore him, he will go away…