Year of the Chicken
I ran off to NY for the Chinese New Year celebrations with my family. Chinese New Year is a very family oriented holiday and you can't really do the festivities without having a gazillion relatives that you only see once or twice a year around. It was good to be home, to get some R&R and to see friends like Kay and Valentina. It's always hard to try and see people when I go home. Mom and Dad always seem to plan family things and the husband caught a bug on the flight so we did not venture into town or stay in town as long as we had intended.
Washington D.C.
We did however, high-tail it out of New York for a few days to visit a friend in Pennsylvania and stopped by in DC to see the Smithsonian (No, this was not an underhanded way to get to Knit Happens as the we were only in Washington for about a day and Knit Happens is closed on Monday and I was not about to ask the overworked Kristine or any of her fabulous staff to open up shop, just so that I can more yarn. Even I am not that heartless...
I love the Smithsonian. We went to the Freer Gallery and the Air and Space Museum. (Remind me to pack a lunch next time, it's really expensive eating in the McD's in the Air and Space Museum). I was really surprised that the museum did not charge an entry fee, but annoyed to bits that a few locals had levered off the 'You are Here' tags from the maps around the museum, and took to trying to sell the 'lost' tourist copies of maps that they could pick-up for free inside the Museum.
I walked "the walk" down the mall and even managed to knit a few stitches while visiting with Lincoln. The view is spectacular and the Smithsonian is well worth the detour
Polly, just in case you didn't see my post on the Rowan forum - the Debbie Bliss alphabet blanket only took 9 and a half balls of her wool cotton and the pattern has too many stitches for the side borders (should be the same as top & bottom, but you'd spot that straight away).
Enjoy your trip!
We would have had a party for you if we'd known you were gonna be here!
Posted by: Carol at February 16, 2005 07:25 PM"Smithonian" sounds like an Eldorado to me. Can't actually believe you've been THERE. I dreamed of an internship there when i was studying biology, but failed. It is certainly a place where you can spend lots of time. Didn't even know they had this sort of collection (thought it was mainly natural history). Thanks for sharing, Polly. Hope you had a good trip back and that your husband feels better now.
Posted by: Stéphanie at February 16, 2005 11:20 AMlooks like one well traveled and lovely sock that Lincoln is admiring there ;)
hope all that flight time saw much knitting done, and the time with the family saw much rejoicing with yummy food!
May the New Year bring us all the best in this week and the rest of the year too.
Posted by: stinkerbell at February 15, 2005 04:30 PMPolly, the free maps that are being "sold" are being sold by the homeless. The money supposedly goes to help support the shelter. Last time I was down at the Mall, I gave them a dollar for the map even though I knew I could get it for free. And the new Air and Space annex out at Dulles charges $12 to park regardless of how many are in the car. Maybe next time you come to DC, you can try and get the area bloggers together. I will come down to DC to meet you.
Posted by: Mia at February 15, 2005 03:08 PMyour lucky you do a very nice trip
i hope i can have a trip to see the museum..
happy knitting
Polly, in your first DC photo, you are spittin' distance from my office -- I'm right by the Capitol. If I'd known you were coming I'd a grabbed my knitting and joined you.
But I'm betting that photo was taken over the weekend . . .
Posted by: Wendy at February 15, 2005 11:20 AMGlad you had fun in my hometown. Yes, all the Smithsonian museums are free. I was shocked the first time I went to NY and was expected to *pay* to get into the MMA! If you have a chance, next time you are there go to the Air and Space Museum annex at Dulles airport. Really spectacular. (The museum is free, but they hit you big time for parking).
Cheers,
-Jean in Oz.
It looks like you had a wonderful time! Did you forget about my grape yarn?
At least you made it to Seaport Yarns!
Posted by: valentina at February 15, 2005 01:50 AMI love to see that you are always knitting your way through your trip :D) And how well I understand about the 'gazillion relatives'.
Posted by: Siow Chin at February 15, 2005 01:15 AMGlad that you had a good time, apart from James catching the bug that is. It looks as if Lincoln is looking down on you quite approvingly, marble feet would be rather cold so I'm sure he wouldn't mind a pair himself.
Posted by: Louise at February 14, 2005 11:49 PMYou know that for YOU Polly, we would have opened! ;)
Posted by: Kristine at February 14, 2005 10:38 PMLovely photos Polly, glad you had a good time and obviously managed to fit in a whole bunch of knitting!
Posted by: Tracy at February 14, 2005 10:32 PM