Hot summer days

You know it's hot when even the rings from your drink are happy that you're in the air conditioning.

Or maybe it was just happy to be having tea with Elle too,

Joyce

Walk to the park

New York, like much of the country, spent last week in the grip of a heat wave.  One day during the week, Hubbie and I decided to brave the heat and walked the dog to the park.  It was ridiculously hot. (Ok, who am I trying to kid?  I start saying that when it gets above 80.)

We stopped in the shade for a while to cool down.  It was a crazy hot, hazy day.

We didn't make it to the bigger park which is only a couple more blocks away because by that point we were all hot and sweaty and more than ready to go back home to the air conditioning. 

Winnie especially.

I can't wait for fall,
Joyce

Day job

My day job requires nearly as many tools as knitting.  The main difference is that when I see a bug at work my first thought is, "Cool, a bug.  Catch it so I can study it."  However, when I see a bug while knitting, my thought is, "Eek, a bug!  Squish it so it doesn't eat my yarn!"

I'm a woman of many contradictions (Wait, no I'm not!),
Joyce

Troy's Folly

By now most of us have heard the mythological tale of Helen and Paris and the events that started the Trojan war.  If not, Wikipedia has a rather thorough article about it.  Go, check it out, I'll wait...

(Ah, you're back.  I missed you.) 

Such a tragic story.  One of love, intrigue, and men with swords.  However, despite it's seemingly romantic nature (which I've been told is the perfect way to name a shawl) the story of Helen and Paris is not the origin of the name of this shawl.

It turns out that also filled with love, intrigue, but sadly no men with swords, is the naming of a shawl.  Often I find one that I love and fits the pattern perfectly only to go on Ravelry and discover that, alas, it is taken.  So I'm cast about on a sea of shawl namelessness (I'm pretty sure that's a real word) and forced to turn to those closest to me to help me find a suitable name.  And sometimes, I ask Hubbie....

Hubbie is a sweet man, but he cannot be trusted with the naming of a shawl.  He will most often come up with names that seems perfectly fine until after a moment  I realize that they are, in fact, quite crude. (Morning Wood is just one of the many that comes to mind.) 

If you haven't figured it out by now, Hubbie's real name is Troy. His mother chose to name him that instead of the serial killer inducing 'John Wayne.' (Thank you, Mom!)  So if you're wondering what Troy's Folly really is... It's trying to help me name shawls.

If only Troy would take me to Paris,
Joyce

PS The purple shawl is in Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Lolita.  The green one is in Knit Picks Stroll Tonal Sock in Canopy.

Random NYC

Now you too can dress like the Statue of Liberty!

I know it's what I've always dreamed of,
Joyce

Shepard Hall

This is Shepard Hall.  It's a building on the campus where I work.  Its ornate gothic style just makes my heart go pitter pat.  I don't go into the building much.  Sadly I work in the hulking monstrosity that is the science building (think 70's steel and concrete), but I walk past Shepard Hall every day. 

Given the exterior of the building, you would think I wouldn't have been surprised to discover that the inside was just as beautiful.  It is, and I was. 

I recently had occasion to go into the 'Great Hall' of the building, and great doesn't do it justice. 

With soaring three story ceilings, stain glass windows, and even pipes for a pipe organ, it could put many of the more touristy buildings in NYC to shame.

Plus it would make a pretty shawl,

Joyce

Random NYC artistry

Note to self: insert non-crude caption here,
Joyce

Happy Fourth of July!

And Happy July 1st (a couple of days late) to my Canadian friends.

Next week I will return with a normal post.  Until then, please enjoy the roses.

Have a great day of fireworks and BBQ,
Joyce

Micro-toad

Tiny little barely out of the tadpole stage toads are just too cute!

Who knew camping could be so adorable,
Joyce