Hot and Muggy in NYC

my absence last week was due to the RING Cycle at the Metropolitan Opera House and my subscription night at the Ballet. The RING (as it is called by afficionados) is the opera tetralogy written by Richard Wagner and put on only with great expense and exhertion by a major opera company. there are many websites devoted to more explanation about this cycle. suffice it to say that attending a RING cycle brings one in close proximity with a rare type of opera fan - the very devoted one. These operas are a marathon event = the first one is 2.5 hours with no break and the next three are almost 6 hours with two breaks each night. you see people with picnics outside and sandwiches and thermoses inside - myself, i had sandwiches and diet vanilla coke to sustain me. you would think that sitting and listening wouldnt be tiring - but after working and hurrying to get to the opera house by a 6 pm curtain, it does take a toll by the end of the week. the operas are on Mon, Tue, Thu and Sat. by the last night, you feel a camaraderie with all around you - just to have made it thru much less with glorious music as well! and it was glorious - the met opera orchestra played their hearts out - there were two articles about the conductor, James Levine, over the weekend prior to the opening of this last Cycle and at the end of the first opera we all leapt to our feet and screamed for the orchestra and Maestro Levine - he was really taken aback at his reception for his solo bow. the last night of the cycle was the last night of the entire SEASON as well. i could go on and on at how thrilling it was to be there but this is a knitting blog, so enough for now.

ok. so not much knitting happened last week - but last weekend i collapsed on sunday (the last opera was saturday night and was so exhilirating that i was up til close to dawn sunday from the excitement ) anywho, i crashed and watched TCM and knitted - a perfect way to recoup . RANDOM HARVEST with Greer Garson being her beauteous self and Ronald Colman acting all lost and perplexed thru most of the movie. and then HITCHCOCK on monday night - DIAL M and VERTIGO (thankfully had to go to sleep and missed THE BIRDS).

anyway, progress on the WIPS - Baby Sweater is coming along - decided to steek the armholes as well and am in the midst of them. need to sit and have a measuring session to make sure the body proportions are ok. worked on this during the weekly group at work yesterday. Baby Aran Blanket is also coming along - need to decide how long to make - must get some comparable blanket lengths. its going to be a nice warm blanket and thankfully the recipient is moving to the northeast and will be able to make use of a warm blanket! the secret WIP is coming along nicely and should be finished soon - its at that stage where its just knitting to get the length and its not as exciting as the others .... i feel another project start urge.

well, maybe to tide that i had to order some knitting goodies from a website this week - Yarn Forward had a pattern i have drooled over for quite awhile - MUST HAVE Cardigan - and of course i had to order the new Elsebeth Lavold books - been meaning to get them for ages. and some yarn - and needles and well, it was fun and since i havent ordered or bought any yarn since February (jury duty), i didnt feel guilty.