Summer Fun Part 2

This is summer fun NYC style. I love to go into the city, but my better half...not so much. So I got to go to visit my brother and his fiance by myself which is fine with me since I actually prefer going shopping and museum hopping by myself. Sad... I know.

I started out by fabric shopping at Purl Patchwork where I picked up two patterns--one Amy Butler pattern for a tote bag and a pattern for various pin cushions by Indigo Junction. I could have spent hours looking at all the fabrics. The store is small, but every inch of wall is covered with fabrics. It is a little dizzying. I ended up with fabric for my tote bag and some other fabrics I just liked. And I had to leave before I bought more. A very dangerous place.

Then I went to Habu Textiles. It took me little longer to find Habu...I walked up the street, down the street and back to the street sign to be sure I was on the right street. I felt a bit like a muggle trying to find the secret entrance to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. It had to be here somewhere. I did find it eventually (after being an amusement to the construction workers). Small door, small numbers--just not what I was expecting. You go up in a elevator get off and kinda have to look down the hall before you see it. I wasn't sure I was in right place (or welcome) since the door was held open with a phone book and no one was in the first main room. I yelled out "Hello...hello" and a young Japanese woman said with an accent,"First time." I was thinking to myself (first time for what? I just want to look at the fibers...that's all). I responded, "Yes, this is my first time." and she proceeded to explain what she had available and how the purchasing worked. She was very pleasant and left me to poke around.

It was very simple and artsy. Bamboo baskets on the floor filled with all different fibers. In the next room, which is really just a hallway, samples of their yarns were held on wooden rods. I went specifically to get some of the sterling silver wire that they sell. I had seen it at workshop I took and I was intrigued. As someone who has spent time making jewelry using torches and hammers...knitted jewelry interests me. Maybe this could be the perfect marriage of two things I love. We will have to wait and see.

So I picked up my wire and also a skein of cotton which is very stiff and rough the texture interested me...I'm thinking it would make a good exfoliating cloth. No one was around so I had to yell for help (not a damsel in distress help, but I want to leave without stealing this stuff help).

Then I walked through Central Park as I headed over to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the "Frank Stella on the Roof" sculpture exhibit. It was a lovely day to spend on the roof of the MET (I had never been up there before). You had great views of the city skyline as it stretched out of the Central Park landscape. I took in a mojito and some knitting on my Anastasia (never ending) sock and resisted the urge to yell..."STELLA, STELLA."

The next day I headed over to the Brooklyn Museum of art which had recently renovated a space to permanently exhibit Judy Chicago's "Dinner Party" (web tour of exhibit). For those of you not familiar with this work of art...it is an important feminist art piece from the the late 70's. I had never seen it before and it was quite stunning. The room was made to fit the triangular dining table and each place setting has a handmade "place mat/runner" and plate that relates to the woman/goddess it celebrates. Though I enjoyed seeing the exhibit I was disappointed that the audio tour to go with it was not working and they were all out of the brochures. I felt I would have been able to enjoy it more fully with more background info, but I guess there is always next time.

My brother, his fiance and I then headed over to the MOMA to see the Richard Serra exhibit, but it was "Free Friday at the MOMA" and there were way too many people so we decided we would go another time. I mean never ending lines of people all weaving up and down like a maze to make it look like you are nearing the front, but alas you have to turn and go towards the back again. Like at the amusement parks.

We struck out again when we tried to hit the Brooklyn General Store and it was closed when it was supposed to be open! We were totally bummed as we pressed our faces against the glass to peer inside at all the goodies that we couldn't touch. It looked really cool in there as we kept saying, "Oh look at that...did you see that?" We stopped in the cafe next door and inquired if someone would be back to let us into the marvelous store. But alas, the women who run the store are also midwives...babies were calling. Or screaming?