New York Minknit

1. Front of the HPM 2. Trekking sock at the movies 3. Triad Election 4. Back of the HPM

Hot Pink Mitten is adapted from Folk Mittens. Yarn is Patons wool. More info to come when HPM is actually finished.

The Flower: This was the weekend for cherry blossom extravaganzas everywhere. My neighborhood actually boasts many cherry trees, and so the Hot Pink Mitten was able to visit local cherry blossoms (in pink and white), without hiking out to Brooklyn’s sakura madness. I have gone to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden cherry tree festivities* in past years, though, and it is pretty fun.

The Power: Meanwhile, the traveling sock went to watch the Hong Kong gangster movies Triad and Triad Election, at Film Forum.**

I’ve tried knitting while watching movies, but it’s generally too dark, and I tend to drop stitches. Also, Film Forum is one of those movie theaters filled with intense movie-goers–Steven Spielberg once sat a few rows behind me–who I think might kill me if I dared to knit during the movie. I knit a little while I was waiting, though, since Film Forum’s cinemaniac population requires an early arrival time in order to guarantee a decent seat.

* Yarn-related links: Cherry blossom yarn and a Hanami shawl pattern (the latter via Mason-Dixon knitting).

** Here’s a list of Hong Kong yarn stores in English, in case watching movies about the dark and seedy underworld inspires you to buy yarn in HK.

Little Purl of the Orient is an HK-based blogger who gives a glimpse of Hong Kong in between her knitting. She’s mainly about the knitting, but it’s neat to see a little bit of the city in some of her posts.

Every spring, I am re-amazed at pink magnolia trees. I wish I knew more about plants, so I could tell you the correct latin name of different magnolias species, but alas, my magnolia knowledge is limited. What I do know is that in San Francisco, where I grew up, we have magnolias, but the leaves come first, and then, on each tree every month or so, you might get one, and if you’re lucky, maybe two, handsome, giant white magnolias. (According to Wikipedia, these kinds of magnolias–leaves first, flowers second–are known as the Magnolia subgenus Magnolia.) They’re magnificent, but kind of snooty. Like, here, aren’t we perfect? Here’s our one giant flower. Appreciate it, fool.

The first year I lived in New York, I remember being stunned by the pink magnolia trees at school. San Francisco, due to our mild climate and a city-wide pride in ecological gardening, really does not put on a good flower show in the spring. (Drought-resistant shubbery, yes.) The penninsula does, I know, export roses and gardenias, but the city is too cold for those to flourish. But when I saw that first pink magnolia tree, surrounded by daffodils in the quad, I felt a mad crazy love for New York. I didn’t even know such a frilly, fancy, all-flower-and-no-leaf tree could even exist, and it made me feel so happy to be living in the city. (Magnolias that display flowers first, leaves second, are Magnolia subgenus Yulania, or so says Wikipedia.)

I’ve lived in New York for over ten years, and every spring, I am still filled with amazement at the pink magnolia trees. It’s like nature puked up the chicest, girliest plant ever. (I like cherry, dogwood, and pear trees too, but the pink magnolias are the bestest.)

(These flower photos were taken outside of the Central Park Zoo. Some BSC fans might remember the Central Park zoo as a crucial setting for BSC # 18. It is disturbing how much I have retained from the BSC.)

*I started feeling bad about calling the Ugly Sock the Ugly Sock. Not that it has feelings, but I have decided to call it by its given name, Spring Sock, rather than its unfortunate nickname, Ugly Sock.

Knitting in front of the Coney Island MTA station sign.

In an attempt to liven up my blog, I came up with a new and exciting feature. Get ready, You Three Readers! In a totally original concept*, I will bring my current knitting projects around New York City and show it visiting exciting areas!

*In fact, so completely original, that Slate wrote an entire article about the lameness of the traveling gnome concept here. There is, of course, Yarn Harlot’s traveling sock, and if you have ever gone on vacation to any major city, you have probably seen a fellow tourist photographing their teddy bear/gnome/sock in front of a famous monument.

In today’s fascinating installment, the ugly sock goes to visit Coney Island in the pouring rain during a nor’easter. Coney Island is beautiful in inclement weather, though it also tends to make me whine. A lot. We went in the snow a few years ago, and it was really amazingly beautiful.

You should go this year though, because they are tearing down Astroland and building condos.