We're back from ACL -- I mean, of course, Austin City Limits Music Festival. Which was awesome, by the way. Mighty awesome.
We saw old faves like M. Ward, Jenny Lewis, Connor Oberst, Gillian Welch, Abigail Washburn, David Byrne, Iron & Wine, and Neko Case, and new faves like Spiritualized, and The Octopus Project.
The Austin Craft Mafia was there and I am happy to report a healthy appreciation for all things crafty in Austin.
And I hooked.
Oh yeah, right out there in the open, for all the world to see, bold as you please. I would have been a bit happier if I'd seen anyone else crafting, but alas, I saw no one. That said, I did get a few people asking what I was making. One nice woman was a knitter who mentioned how she'd like to crochet. Another was a man who's mom crochets, so he recognized it right away.
Oh, did I mention I shopped for yarn at the amazing Hill Country Weavers in SoCo. It's like a rabbit's warren of little rooms filled with yarny delights!
I finished CopperScaleDragon's Skluvs, yes I did. Okay, maybe not the end-weaving part, but they are indeed lovely!
Saw some mighty cool things in that hot little town:
I think I may have had a margarita or two at Guero's Taco Bar:
All in all, a great time!
I need to do a couple of quick shout-outs:
First of all, the current issue of Interweave Crochet is one of the bestest in ages - I don't know where to start.
Also, my copy of Blueprint Crochet arrived today and I am awestruck! Robyn, it's fabulous!
Ohmigod, I'm gushing, aren't I? Sorry! But I'm seriously jazzed by these new sweets that showed up in my mailbox - Smiley's Yarn Sale and the Sheep and Wool Festival can't come fast enough!
Woo Hoo!
So I got back from the Netherlands last night, and hubsy and I are heading to Austin Texas for the Austin City Limits Music Festival way too early tomorrow morning. So how was Amsterdam, you may well ask?
Way too brief, I might answer.
Above, a shot of my hotel room near Central Station. I arrived on Sunday morning in the wee wee hours after 7 1/2 hours of a guy next to me for whom bathing was optional and deodorant, some new-fangled technology with which he dare not engage. Did I mention the 4 year old behind me kicking the back of my seat all night? And that the mother kept her up? Yeah, sweet.
Bitch, bitch, bitch. I know, I hear the chorus now. We'll see what tomorrow brings when I'm flying my nemesis, Continental, whom faithful readers know I loathe with every fiber of my being. A report will be forthcoming...
But what of Amsterdam, you are probably asking? Did any crochet or yarnish endeavors take place? Well, let's review:
I have been working on CopperScaleDragon's Skluvs. Here's righty!
Okay, ease up - the pics were taken with my phone, for crap's sake. But they are coming out well, if I do say so. While on the subway the other day, a lady interrupted my precious podcast-listening time to chat about them (Jane, she thought they were awesome!). I'm using some un-labeled yarn purchased at last Fall's Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck. I'll post on these and other mitt-related topics upon our triumphant return to beautiful Brooklyn, NY. Till then, if any of you know of some cool yarny shops in Austin that the Hooker MUST NOT MISS, let me know, okay???
There are days, like today, where I get completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of projects I'd like to do. This includes not only crochet (other people's patterns, trying to design my own), but cooking (banana bread, savory bread pudding, eggplant and tomato gratin), jewelry-making (the focus of my fine art degree), reading (oh, about a million books on the list), trying to re-do my storage room into the work room that it was intended to be...the list goes on. Days like this make me feel scattered and unproductive, because no matter what I did get accomplished, it's the stuff left undone that looms large to me.
On the "accomplished" list, I can include the following:
A Giovanna's Cardi from Lion Brand for my stepdaughter, Margot.
The Betty Shrug ambles on....
And the Chanson en Crochet, mentioned a long time ago in this here blog, is complete. Honestly, I'm not thrilled with it, but it has to do with color choice, or lack thereof...
I have a lot of travel coming up, so I'm hoping to get in some good crocheting time while in flight. Might also try to use the time to do some knitting, as well. I've dropped the ball on that and I really want to get my brain around it. I'll show what I've done so far, for your amusement, in a future post.
Till then....
Okay, so the names not quite what Save the Children intended, but what the hell. The program is called Knit One, Save One, but what really matters is that this great organization is asking all us hookers and stickers to make some wee caps for littl'uns around the world. Their current drive runs through December 31st and I, for one, am partaking. And while I know a lot of you are already giving to some wonderful organizations, I'd like to encourage those of you who currently don't to consider participating in this drive.
Now, I'm not a joiner at all, but this seems like a fabulous way to burn some stash and help some little baby have a better chance of survival. What amazes me is that something so simple, so basic, can actually help save a life. And talk about a perfect subway hooker project! I can crank one of these out before I hit the Manhattan Bridge!
Save the Children has put together a cool kit that even has patterns to follow, some of which are easy enough for this non-knitter to follow! They have some pretty basic crochet patterns, too, so there's something for everyone. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm finishing up a little cardigan for Margot, my adorable French stepdaughter -- what can I say -- her birthday's coming up and the package of goodies is sailing this weekend, but those caps will be flying from these fingers!
Yeah, I'm crocheting, see? I made these wristlets from Drops Garnstudio. They were easy-peasy and simple-pimple. And they speak to a growing obsession of mine: gloves, mitts, wristlets, armwarmers... Any kind will do.
Although these are hibernating, t'were I to use Ravelry parlance, these lovely Manchettes are part of the obsession. I picked up StitchDiva's new pattern, as well as a couple from CopperScaleDrago from Ravelry to work on. But a bigger post on the topic is coming soon - I'm just gathering all the pieces together right now....
In the meanwhile, I spent some time today at Astroland in my beloved Coney Island, as it was its official last day of operations. As you know, I am enamored with this gritty, beautiful part of Brooklyn, and it kills me to see it devoured by scumbag developers with no sense of history or community.
On a final quick note, remember how last week I talked about all the wineries I went to? Some good and some less so? Well, color me shocked if a couple of the wineries mentioned didn't reach out to me! Duckhorn, bless their hearts, appreciated the nice words I had to say about them. They were well-deserved, let me tell ya!
And to their credit, Artesa, whom I completely dissed, also wrote to me asking for a more constructive version of the criticism I leveled at them. Fair enough, and I respect that they contacted me after what I said. While I've not heard back from them after sending them a more thoughtful version of my experience, I am shocked that the wineries even bother reading SubwayHooker, let alone sending me emails about what I've written! Go figure.
There's a new post in sCRAPheap that recounts a very special incident with him...
Yeah, that's right. I've been eating and drinking my way (well, our way -- the hubsy was there, too!) across the gorgeous Napa Valley. Can I tell you about it? Got a minute? We went to a few wineries, it's true.
Let's see: Charles Krug (SO underrated for a place that produces consistently wonderful wine); The Frank Family (SO overrated, though their sparklers are worth a try); Mumm Napa (Mmmmmmm, Napa)
Self-explanatory, dontcha think?
Duckhorn (how is it that everyone I know already knows and loves this place and, in particular, their Three Palms Merlot? And it's news to me? And it's so good!);
Pretty Duckhorn Winery Silver Oak (good lord, their Napa Cabernet is sex in a bottle and cheaper than a hooker -- well, cheaper than a pricey call girl, anyway); Whitehall Lane (oh-so-lovely cabs); Artesa (stupid, sucko winery - all "experience" for some truly half-assed wines - don't waste your time); and my beloved Grgich Hills Estates for an awesome celebration of Mike's 50th vintage.
Me and the great Mike Grgich
Did I mention food yet? Okay, started at Angele, 
downstairs from our room at the Napa River Inn (fabulous place, right on the river. Did I mention it's haunted?);
went to Ubuntu on Main Street in Napa (TOTALLY lives up to the hype);
fregola finished with corn pudding melon rind & FRIARELLI PEPPER relish, of course!
Auberge du Soleil for their staggering vegetarian tasting menu and wine pairings (amazing view of the valley and discovered some new outstanding wines. JC Cellars Preston Marsanne is to die for);
Why yes, those ARE goat cheese beignets!
Taylor's Automatic Refresher for way pricey California drive-in fare);
Cook St. Helena (try their brussels sprouts), Market (fabulous); and (drum roll) Chez Panisse Cafe in Berkeley (best fish, ever. And the best Sauvignon Blanc - Merry Edwards.)
The heart of the "gourmet ghetto" in Berkeley
roasted zucchini and cherry tomatoes with Bellweather Farms Ricotta
halibut baked in a fig leaf
I'd order this online if their site worked!
So, we ate, we drank, we slept in a haunted hotel. What, no crochet?
But OF COURSE crochet was involved, my friend! I made the bulk of this on the flight out and in our room:
This is, of course, MK Carroll's Anne design, done in a ancient skein of LusterSheen.
Oh, and one final story! I had also brought with me the WIP Betty Shrug, whined about elsewhere in this blog. The day we were leaving the hotel, hubsy asked if I had a scissor with which he could cut a tag off of a clothing purchase. I had my cherished folding scissors in the Betty bag, so I pulled out the bag to dig out the snippers. In our haste to leave for Berkeley, the Betty bag got covered in the bed's duvet. Our quadruple check of the room never revealed that the bag containing hours and hours of my blood, sweat, and tears was still on the bed and not in our suitcases.
I realized the loss the day we got back home. I called the hotel, but the crochet was not in the lost and found room. The clerk told me that all was not lost -- it still might be with the cleaners and I left a message with housekeeping. Bless their hearts - my crochet was indeed with them and safe. "Will you be stopping by to pick it up?" the clerk asked. As much as I need little excuse to haul ass to Napa, I asked them to ship it to me. The VERY next day, my precious cargo arrived!
And THAT's what I did on my summer vacation.
We're back from ACL -- I mean, of course, Austin City Limits Music Festival. Which was awesome, by the way. Mighty awesome.
Oh yeah, right out there in the open, for all the world to see, bold as you please. I would have been a bit happier if I'd seen anyone else crafting, but alas, I saw no one. That said, I did get a few people asking what I was making. One nice woman was a knitter who mentioned how she'd like to crochet. Another was a man who's mom crochets, so he recognized it right away.
I think I may have had a margarita or two at Guero's Taco Bar:
All in all, a great time!
