Mersydotes

Twas a snowy, blustery day in Manhattan, and we snuggled into the Cort theater for an afternoon of existential acting.   We snuggled into our red velvet seats and basked in the glow of the gilded wooden molding.   It was unexpectedly exciting waiting to see Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart just a few feet away on the stage.  We knew their performance would be memorable!  The art of the theater in the hands of the best!   The play itself was less about what was said and more about the art of delivering dialog no matter how nonsensical or erroneous.  The whole audience was enraptured by the actors' monologues although no one could understand a word!  I've never heard such an intensely silent audience in my life.  Everyone was wowed by the way dialog flowed and floated throughout the theater.   After the performance, we emerged blinking and dazed into the snowy world, and a little crowd gathered outside the side stage door waiting to see if the performers would come a

We escaped today!  We got far away from the traffic and the streets and the noise and went somewhere where I could breathe the air in big gulps and hear myself think for the first time in a long, long time.  A place where the air smelled like pine and creosote.  A place where there was peace and greenery.  We went to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and spent our afternoon readjusting our souls! I'm a little country mouse in the big, big city and I've been pining for pines, yearning for yews, needing more elms in my realm, wanting to "spruce" up my world- you get the idea!  This Midwestern mouse has been missing all things green!! I'm actually thinking of calling up the management office to see if they'll rent us some space so that we can camp on the arboretum lawns- it would be wayyyyyyy better than the brick jungle!!! And it just so happens that along with our plant therapy, there was a fiber arts expo going on- coincidence?  I think not!

When I woke up yesterday morning, it was hailing outside, and Mr. Mersydotes was fighting a terrible head cold.  So I got him all snuggled up with tea and blankets and Penny and decided to pop out for some fresh air.  Where's a girl to go in this big ol' city?  How about the Vogue Knitting Live Expo that was being held this weekend?! A very long metro ride later, I emerged into Times Square, and immediately wanted to go back home- it was crazzzzzy crowded!  So I scuttled off to find the conference center and breathed a sigh of relief once inside.  I just got a ticket to the Marketplace and enjoyed wandering around for a few hours of color-filled yarny inspiration.  Would you like to see? And in the foyer areas outside of the market, there were so many beautiful exhibits by fiber artists.  I tried to take pictures of their work, but the light wasn't very good, and my photos are quite grainy- sorry!  I hope you enjoy the atmosphere nevertheless!

The color combo of blue and white has really captivated me recently, and when I stumbled upon some little glass bud vases, it seemed like the perfect way to prepare for filling the nest with spring blossoms.  Let's see if there's any ribbon we can use: Love the combo of textures and designs: Now, with a little hot glue, I can take over the world....Oooops!  I mean, with a little hot glue, I can decorate some bud vases!  ; ) I think they turned out to be quite fetching.  And definitely ready for some spring blooms- or maybe a bit of eucalyptus?  We'll see what I can find! ~Mersydotes

Even though we moved from the plains of the Midwest to New York City, our apartment in the city is actually bigger than the one we lived in before- weird!  But you won't here us complain because it provides us with a nice little sanctuary amid all of the hustle and the bustle and the noise which never ever stops.  And inside our little nest, I have a tiny creative corner where the "craftermath" can exist in peace and I can sit in the sunshine.  Would you like to see? There's an awful lot piled on the table at the moment as we have unpacked but haven't yet finished putting away.  I have hope that soon everything will be pleasantly organized- even the yarn! : ) And when dusk falls (so early, these days), even though outside is all dingy brick, trash, and fire escapes, inside still glows bright and warm. Hope you stay bright and warm this weekend, ~Mersydotes

There's a lot of yarn around here, and the new Mersydotes nest needs all the color it can get.  So, putting these facts together, we recently made some pompom magnets for our fridge. The colors are great on their own, but I think they look even better when they're paired with Mama Mersydotes's butterfly photos: These pictures remind me of so many happy family memories: walking through alpine meadows, summertime prairies, and sun-drenched bayous.  I am so amazed at how talented Mama Mersydotes is, and every time I see these photos in our kitchen, I remember that the world is an amazing place and that we won't be stuck in the concrete jungle forever! Gorgeous, no?!  Just a little touch of brightness! ~Mersydotes

Hi Everyone!  Yesterday, Mommy was looking around bloggy land and she found this picture of a little hat that someone else's Mommy had made: I guess Mamma thought that I'd look cute in one of these, because she sprang out of bed this morning and tore through her yarn box until she found the perfect purple yarn: Do you like my pretty party hat?  I wore it outside for the first time today. It made a big splash with the other doggies who live in our apartment.  I got some very admiring looks, especially from a bit, brindle pit bull- I bet he would like a hat like mine! I think Mamma should make another one of these for her, and then we can wear our matching hats on our walks! ~Penny

Ah, Brooklyn!  So small and quiet- I almost forget that I'm in the middle of a monster city!  It's the perfect neighborhood for the homey-yet-chic Brooklyn General Store yarn shop.  You almost walk right past the unassuming exterior, but once inside, you're a thousand miles away from the city. I loved the wonderfully old-fashioned wooden floors and shelves with ladders.  It reminded me of being a little kid in Midwest general stores looking at rock candy! But this time, the colorful sweets were luxurious balls of yarn.  I was torn between Pima cotton and merino/bamboo.  The merino/bamboo won because it was on sale!  ;- ) On such a rainy day as this, it was a bit of color therapy to browse among the haberdashery and notions. I thought this portrait on the wall was especially sweet.  Paying homage to the source of all yummy yarn! On my way back to the metro, I passed this mantra painted onto the wall- gave the neighborhood a nice and funky vibe