Pattern: Gingham
Knit for: Little Squid
Now on the needles, a "purse knitting" pair in blue for one of my siblings and a more complicated pair for Squidette. For my other siblings ... you didn't ask! If you ask, you'll go into the queue. :-)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Clean Sweep!
The New York City high school application process is fraught with stress.
First there are months of test preparation for those who want to try for the prestigious specialized high schools. (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech and their newer, smaller, somewhat lesser brethren.)
Then you have to take the test.
Weeks of tours and open houses follow. You wait on long lines in the cold and sit in hot, overcrowded classrooms rooms, trying to catch the flavor of the schools. Interviews, in-house tests and auditions stretch over months and, finally, the students and their parents spend hours putting the contenders into just the right order on the application.
Finally, just as one has almost forgotten the pain of the process, comes the count down to The Day.
The Day is differs, depending on whether one applied to a specialized school or not. For those who took the test and, or auditioned for LaGuardia High School of the Arts (Performing Arts of Fame! fame), The Day is today. For everyone else ... it's another month or so away.
And so, it is with a mother's deepest pride that I must present for your admiration, Little Squid.
Class of 2015 -- either LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts (accepted in both vocal and instrumental studios), Stuyvesant High School (alma mater of Mama Squid, Papa Squid and all sorts of Squid aunts and uncles and, current home school of Squidette) or Eleanor Roosevelt High School.
Way to go kid!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Pie ... followup
The pie was a big success. The kids were surprised that I actually brought in pie. I think, however, that it was not a huge hit for the young person who had never had pie before. It was far too sweet.
I did make sure that he knew that not all pies were quiet as sweet as these were.
They might even be disappointed that I am not their computer lab supervisor for next semester.
Classes end for the term on Monday and State exams start on Tuesday. I have lots and lots of student programming to do, much of it dependent on the outcome of next Friday's exam. This means that most of what I do from now until the 31st is a guess and a prayer and it also means that I'm practically sleeping in school on the 31st because the new term officially starts the next day and the kids need their programs. Sigh.
I think I'm going to do some knitting ...
I did make sure that he knew that not all pies were quiet as sweet as these were.
They might even be disappointed that I am not their computer lab supervisor for next semester.
Classes end for the term on Monday and State exams start on Tuesday. I have lots and lots of student programming to do, much of it dependent on the outcome of next Friday's exam. This means that most of what I do from now until the 31st is a guess and a prayer and it also means that I'm practically sleeping in school on the 31st because the new term officially starts the next day and the kids need their programs. Sigh.
I think I'm going to do some knitting ...
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Pie!
Tomorrow is not pi day but rather the next to last day of the term. And I have pie. 2 of them, actually. Why? Because a couple of students in my class let it be known that they'd never eaten pie. Since part my job as an educator is to expand my students' horizons and provide them with new experiences, I bought pie.
No, I did not bake, nor did I make Mike or Squidette bake. Instead I am providing pie a la Costco. (And not a la mode -- no way to store ice cream.)
(No, I am not actually teaching this term. Rather, I have two computer lab sections that alternate with each other. Monday's section is getting cookies. The pies won't last over the weekend and I am not making a second trip to Costco.)
Oh, and I fixed my son's oboe.
Super Mommy strikes again!
(No more finished socks, I've been side-lined by a bug and by Squidette's new scarf.)
No, I did not bake, nor did I make Mike or Squidette bake. Instead I am providing pie a la Costco. (And not a la mode -- no way to store ice cream.)
(No, I am not actually teaching this term. Rather, I have two computer lab sections that alternate with each other. Monday's section is getting cookies. The pies won't last over the weekend and I am not making a second trip to Costco.)
Oh, and I fixed my son's oboe.
Super Mommy strikes again!
(No more finished socks, I've been side-lined by a bug and by Squidette's new scarf.)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Eighteen pairs of socks: pair number one
They feel very soft and cozy and I look forward to wearing them to work next week.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Eighteen Pairs of Socks
Over the break I had some major nesting issues. I was like a squirrel who needed to stock up on all sorts of stuff for the winter. I placed a huge Col d'Lizard order and a less expensive but even larger Knitpicks order.
I do not usually order yarn on line. I only do it if there is something very specific I need for a project and can't easily get locally. When I knit Squidette's last blanket, I special ordered the yarn from one of my LYS's and paid a premium for it instead of going for the cheaper option on line. I'd really rather support my local businesses but ...
I'd been "window" shopping at Knitpicks a few weeks ago and saw a couple of sock kits that were calling out to me. All of the patterns looked really nice and I'd heard good things about the yarns. I put them in a shopping cart and let them sit there until the urge passed.
Then I got the email.
Two of the kits were now on sale.
I went to the site and discovered that all of the kits I'd picked out were still in my shopping cart. (yea cookies?!)
At that point I decided it was meant to be and hit "complete purchase."
I am now the proud owner of enough yarn to make 18 pairs of socks (not counting the couple of skeins I already had in my possession).
I immediately picked a pair for myself and let each kid pick a pair (Mike has more hand knit socks then the rest of us combined).
On the needles is my pair and Little Squid's pair. Mine has cables so it is an "at home" project and his is a "purse" project. Squidette's pair is the next in line.
One sock (mine) is finished.
Only 35 more to go!
I do not usually order yarn on line. I only do it if there is something very specific I need for a project and can't easily get locally. When I knit Squidette's last blanket, I special ordered the yarn from one of my LYS's and paid a premium for it instead of going for the cheaper option on line. I'd really rather support my local businesses but ...
I'd been "window" shopping at Knitpicks a few weeks ago and saw a couple of sock kits that were calling out to me. All of the patterns looked really nice and I'd heard good things about the yarns. I put them in a shopping cart and let them sit there until the urge passed.
Then I got the email.
Two of the kits were now on sale.
I went to the site and discovered that all of the kits I'd picked out were still in my shopping cart. (yea cookies?!)
At that point I decided it was meant to be and hit "complete purchase."
I am now the proud owner of enough yarn to make 18 pairs of socks (not counting the couple of skeins I already had in my possession).
I immediately picked a pair for myself and let each kid pick a pair (Mike has more hand knit socks then the rest of us combined).
On the needles is my pair and Little Squid's pair. Mine has cables so it is an "at home" project and his is a "purse" project. Squidette's pair is the next in line.
One sock (mine) is finished.
Only 35 more to go!
Monday, January 03, 2011
Riding Through the Slush
Did you know that a "dry" slush (more ice than water) and dry pavement look a lot alike from a distance of 6 feet or more?
That was news to me.
As I rode home tonight I spied a large patch of "slush" as I turned on to Fifth Avenue. Being the smart rider that I am, I switched sides of the street and kept my eyes peeled for other patches. I rode on the left of Fifth Avenue for 10 or so blocks before I realized that most of the "slush" patches I was seeing on the right side of the street were ... wait for it ... dry pavement. D'oh!
There were no incidents on my ride home and only one small skid on some slush on the way uptown this morning.
Why did I ride, knowing that there was still icy stuff on the streets?
Because it makes me feel good.
It's kind of like a drug addiction.
But good for me.
As long as I don't fall. (and I didn't)
I find that on the days that I drive I tend to be grumpier and more tired and less productive and on the days that I ride I am generally a nicer, more tolerant person.
That said, given a repeat of today's road conditions and my need to ride at dawn and dusk, I will probably go for the car from now on. It was a bit scary and I'd rather be grumpy then scared.
(And if anyone is looking for FABULOUS, really warm athletic gear run, don't walk, to Col d'Lizard. I'm still trying to figure out how little of it I can wear and not overheat. I've already lost two layers on top and really seem to only need one on my legs. Basically, I am comfy and a lot less bulky than last year. No affiliation, I just LOVE their stuff and have ordered for the entire family!)
That was news to me.
As I rode home tonight I spied a large patch of "slush" as I turned on to Fifth Avenue. Being the smart rider that I am, I switched sides of the street and kept my eyes peeled for other patches. I rode on the left of Fifth Avenue for 10 or so blocks before I realized that most of the "slush" patches I was seeing on the right side of the street were ... wait for it ... dry pavement. D'oh!
There were no incidents on my ride home and only one small skid on some slush on the way uptown this morning.
Why did I ride, knowing that there was still icy stuff on the streets?
Because it makes me feel good.
It's kind of like a drug addiction.
But good for me.
As long as I don't fall. (and I didn't)
I find that on the days that I drive I tend to be grumpier and more tired and less productive and on the days that I ride I am generally a nicer, more tolerant person.
That said, given a repeat of today's road conditions and my need to ride at dawn and dusk, I will probably go for the car from now on. It was a bit scary and I'd rather be grumpy then scared.
(And if anyone is looking for FABULOUS, really warm athletic gear run, don't walk, to Col d'Lizard. I'm still trying to figure out how little of it I can wear and not overheat. I've already lost two layers on top and really seem to only need one on my legs. Basically, I am comfy and a lot less bulky than last year. No affiliation, I just LOVE their stuff and have ordered for the entire family!)
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Plugging Away ...
I may have been on vacation this week but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy.
The week before the break Little Squid's favorite sweater was declared dead. Little Squid promptly went into a state of deep mourning that evoked the only response possible from his mother.
But first, I tried to convince him that repair was beyond my abilities and, could I please take the two hanks that remained of the original yarn and start knitting him a replica -- which would require, at some point, the unraveling of the original sweater.
He wasn't having it.
And so, I embarked on an eight hour adventure where I turned a badly spun and inexpertly knit sweater into a (if I must say so myself) fairly decent one. (I feel free to critique the sweater since I spun and knit it for myself -- it also fit (me) badly.)
Both cuffs were reknit (the old ones practically fell off),
Wonky raglan increases were double stitched and tightened up and repairs were made all over to spots that had been worn into almost non-existence.
The result ... one happy Little Squid and a sweater that we now swear is a Zombie. (It was dead, after all.)
Next up, Mike's "felted" (actually fulled) socks.
Knit of homespun Jacob which has been marinating in the stash for so long that I remember teasing the locks while sitting in a playground watching the kids play. (It's been a few years since I've been with them to a playground.) They were also finished before the break but had to wait until I had time to put them through their first washing. The pattern? Just a basic garter rib sock knit on size 4 needles to about an inch or so longer than I would usually knit Mike's socks and with much more ease. The yarn is roughly a dk weight. I'm hoping they will full more with subsequent washings but didn't want to push it for right now.
Next up ... I'd had a partial warp on the warping board since late August. Yes, 4 full months. It started just in case I needed to try Little Squid's tallis a third time. Since I didn't ... so it sat there.
I finally wound enough ends to justify a 10 inch wide scarf warp and set up the loom.
I'm not sure how I wove the tallis so quickly. This is a lot of yardage! I threaded a straight 8 shaft twill and played with some 4 treadle patterns, weaving two complete scarves and about 24 inches of additional fabric. Eventually (probably next December), I will cut them apart and hem them for gifts.
Then I finished a pair of socks that has been hanging out as my purse project for a few months (no photo, they are in the laundry cart). Next up was supposed to be a pair of socks for Little Squid -- he of the no-longer-the-smallest feet. He'd chosen a lovely roving batt at Rhinebeck last October (yes, over a year ago) and I'd spun it up this summer but kept pushing his socks to the end of the queue because I was not crazy about the yarn and had a sneaking suspicion that it would not knit up well.
I was right. To get a nice tight sock fabric I'd have had to drop to my 000 needles. Not an option for socks that would be outgrown in a few months. So, I approached Little Squid with some trepidation. After all, this is the child who had gone into deep mourning over a sweater. I showed him another scarf that I'd woven with hand spun yarn and got his permission to weave the yarn instead of making socks out of it.
I scored!
I love how the natural color progression of the yarn works in the woven fabric. Turns out, he'd completely forgotten about choosing the batt for socks!
Now on the needles, a pair of brown socks (to match the sweater but of better yarn) for Little Squid and a pair of yellow socks for me -- to eventually be stolen by Squidette.
On the wheel -- Squidette's next sweater.
In the dye pot, two warps for my first experiments in warp "painting." And only a few days left of the break.
The week before the break Little Squid's favorite sweater was declared dead. Little Squid promptly went into a state of deep mourning that evoked the only response possible from his mother.
But first, I tried to convince him that repair was beyond my abilities and, could I please take the two hanks that remained of the original yarn and start knitting him a replica -- which would require, at some point, the unraveling of the original sweater.
He wasn't having it.
And so, I embarked on an eight hour adventure where I turned a badly spun and inexpertly knit sweater into a (if I must say so myself) fairly decent one. (I feel free to critique the sweater since I spun and knit it for myself -- it also fit (me) badly.)
Both cuffs were reknit (the old ones practically fell off),
Wonky raglan increases were double stitched and tightened up and repairs were made all over to spots that had been worn into almost non-existence.The result ... one happy Little Squid and a sweater that we now swear is a Zombie. (It was dead, after all.)
Next up, Mike's "felted" (actually fulled) socks.
Knit of homespun Jacob which has been marinating in the stash for so long that I remember teasing the locks while sitting in a playground watching the kids play. (It's been a few years since I've been with them to a playground.) They were also finished before the break but had to wait until I had time to put them through their first washing. The pattern? Just a basic garter rib sock knit on size 4 needles to about an inch or so longer than I would usually knit Mike's socks and with much more ease. The yarn is roughly a dk weight. I'm hoping they will full more with subsequent washings but didn't want to push it for right now.Next up ... I'd had a partial warp on the warping board since late August. Yes, 4 full months. It started just in case I needed to try Little Squid's tallis a third time. Since I didn't ... so it sat there.
I finally wound enough ends to justify a 10 inch wide scarf warp and set up the loom.
I'm not sure how I wove the tallis so quickly. This is a lot of yardage! I threaded a straight 8 shaft twill and played with some 4 treadle patterns, weaving two complete scarves and about 24 inches of additional fabric. Eventually (probably next December), I will cut them apart and hem them for gifts.
Then I finished a pair of socks that has been hanging out as my purse project for a few months (no photo, they are in the laundry cart). Next up was supposed to be a pair of socks for Little Squid -- he of the no-longer-the-smallest feet. He'd chosen a lovely roving batt at Rhinebeck last October (yes, over a year ago) and I'd spun it up this summer but kept pushing his socks to the end of the queue because I was not crazy about the yarn and had a sneaking suspicion that it would not knit up well.
I was right. To get a nice tight sock fabric I'd have had to drop to my 000 needles. Not an option for socks that would be outgrown in a few months. So, I approached Little Squid with some trepidation. After all, this is the child who had gone into deep mourning over a sweater. I showed him another scarf that I'd woven with hand spun yarn and got his permission to weave the yarn instead of making socks out of it.
I scored!
I love how the natural color progression of the yarn works in the woven fabric. Turns out, he'd completely forgotten about choosing the batt for socks!Now on the needles, a pair of brown socks (to match the sweater but of better yarn) for Little Squid and a pair of yellow socks for me -- to eventually be stolen by Squidette.
On the wheel -- Squidette's next sweater.
In the dye pot, two warps for my first experiments in warp "painting." And only a few days left of the break.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Felted socks
Mike asked me to make him felted socks. Actually, the conversation went something like this ...
Me: (Entering apartment after a below-freezing commute from work) You know,it may be below freezing but even my feet were warm on the ride tonight. And I'm still wearing my biking sandals. Why don't you try it?
Mike: Because I don't have felted socks.
And hence the photograph of a pair of felted socks in progress.
They are being knit at the same time because I am unsure as to how far this Jacob wool will go so, if I have to add something else ... both socks will be fairly similar.
Now to find the silk sock liners that go underneath the felted socks in the sandals. Lands' End is sold out of his size.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Done!
Roughly three years in the making since I said "choose your design."There was the false start with a pound of BFL roving that was far to little and spun far too thick for what I wanted. After that, I purchased 3 pounds of white shetland from Halcyon. Did some spinning and dying sampling and then dove in and dyed the roving.
Determined that the roving was far to unevenly dyed to give a consistent color for the body of the sweater so carded it all up multiple times to blend the colors.
Spent most of a summer carding and spinning.
Knit the back and sleeves within a month or so and then started the front. Worked it two rows at a shot for another month or three before I realized it wasn't working. Put it into time out for 3-5 months and then regraphed and regrouped, knitting it up within a month of ripping it back to the hem.
Took 3-5 weeks to hide the ends on the back of the front and all of two days to sew it together.
Looks happy, doesn't he?Yarn is a three-ply, roughly dk weight. Sweater is knit 5.5 stitches to the inch and really seems to fit perfectly. Basic design is from my knitting bible -- Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns.
Now to get busy spinning Batya's new sweater.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Oops
Guess when I added the hat picture I lost this one!
Location : 307-399 W 26th St, New York, NY 10001,
Still going ...
This sweater is the gift that keeps giving!
But on the other hand, it's not the only project I've been working on.
Location : 307-399 W 26th St, New York, NY 10001,
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Stocking Up
Earlier today I predicted a long, cold winter. Having thus predicted, it was imperative to make sure that the apartment was fully provisioned.
Squidette's new hat
Squidette's new hat
Fun Fiber for me
It was pretty!
It shouted "take me home" so loudly that I had to buy it to shut it up.
These whispered "make your son a sweater" (And there is so much that I might get one, too!)
Squidette's new sweater. Yes, it does sparkle. Why do you ask?
Comfort spinning for those times when I really don't want to worry about consistency. I see a woven shawl coming from these ...I am now totally prepared for multiple snow days ... yeah, right, like that'll happen!
(A preknit pair of gloves for Little Squid also found their way into my bag as did some beef jerkey. But that's it. I swear!)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Work in progress
Mike's new sweater. The back and sleeves have been done for quite a while and I am plugging away on the front. I'm not hiding the ends as I go because I know I will need to be very careful about it. Besides, I actually don't mind hiding ends.
This will not be done for Rhinebeck but that's just fine 'cause Mike isn't joining us.
I'll be there on Sunday so that I can both work and attend the Manhattan high school fair on Saturday. It was a tough choice as to which to do on which day as they are both more crowded on Saturday and both have slimmer pickings on Sunday. I decided to do the fair first mainly to get it off my back since I really don't want to go, either as a mom or as a rep of a "Court Order," school. But the mom part won out. :-)
Location : 549-551 Lenox Ave, New York, NY 10030,
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Back to normal?
It's been a busy week here at Casa del Squid.
Tuesday Mike went back to work (I'd been back for a week), Wednesday the kids went back to school and then Rosh Hashanah started Wednesday night. Wednesday night and Thursday was partially spent in synagogue. On Friday, Little Squid turned 13. Friday night found us back in shul where I blessed the candles and Little Squid sang the kiddush in an amazingly mature and beautiful voice. Saturday ... well on Saturday Little Squid was called to the Torah and now has the official status of Bar Mitzvah. He led the service, chanted from the Torah and Haftorah and made us very proud. We finished off the weekend by riding 35 miles of the NYC Century Bike ride. Without Little Squid. He stayed home and recovered.
(Pile of tallit (in bags) on top of a pillow and next to the oboe. On top, Mike's then Little Squid's and finally, Squidette's)
I went into the week absolutely nuts. Between the start of school (for which I'd spent countless hours in a very hot office the week before) and the personal events of last week, I was functioning on sheer adrenaline. Everything got done and got done well, but I was not my usual calm, collected self.
Little Squid's handwoven (by yours truly) tallis and kippah. Squidette did the embroidery on the atarah (neck band). (Tallis is merino laceweight woven at 12 epi in plain old tabby.)
Now, however, with all that behind me, I feel like myself again. The bike ride helped. I needed those exercise induced endorphins to smooth out the last of the rough edges.
Little Squid playing the oboe with his Klezmer group at his own reception
Tuesday Mike went back to work (I'd been back for a week), Wednesday the kids went back to school and then Rosh Hashanah started Wednesday night. Wednesday night and Thursday was partially spent in synagogue. On Friday, Little Squid turned 13. Friday night found us back in shul where I blessed the candles and Little Squid sang the kiddush in an amazingly mature and beautiful voice. Saturday ... well on Saturday Little Squid was called to the Torah and now has the official status of Bar Mitzvah. He led the service, chanted from the Torah and Haftorah and made us very proud. We finished off the weekend by riding 35 miles of the NYC Century Bike ride. Without Little Squid. He stayed home and recovered.
(Pile of tallit (in bags) on top of a pillow and next to the oboe. On top, Mike's then Little Squid's and finally, Squidette's)I went into the week absolutely nuts. Between the start of school (for which I'd spent countless hours in a very hot office the week before) and the personal events of last week, I was functioning on sheer adrenaline. Everything got done and got done well, but I was not my usual calm, collected self.
Little Squid's handwoven (by yours truly) tallis and kippah. Squidette did the embroidery on the atarah (neck band). (Tallis is merino laceweight woven at 12 epi in plain old tabby.)
Little Squid playing the oboe with his Klezmer group at his own receptionTomorrow? Back to normal.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
The Many Faces ...
... of Natan.
My happy, contemplative, serious, silly, smart, talented, sensitive, incredible son! May this year bring many, many wonderful things.
Happy, Happy Birthday!
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
L'shana tova
A joyous and healthy New Year to all my friends and family.
Location : Hudson River Greenway, New York, NY 10036,
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Erie Canal Adventure Days 9 and 10
Little Falls to Amsterdam and Amsterdam to Albany
As we were warned when we left Senaca Falls, there were far more hills on the eastern end of our journey than on the western side. From the time we left the canal in Clyde, we had ridden more and more on roads and less and less on trail. The roads , while paralleling the canal do not keep the even level imposed on the tow paths. For the most part, the hills are not horrible, and, for some one not toting an addition 20 pounds or so of stuff, might even be enjoyable.
Leaving Little Falls was fairly straight forward though we did make one unnecessary circle getting to the trail, adding all of half a mile or so to the day.By this point in the trip we had established pretty set patterns to our trek. Mike and Squidette took the lead and Little Squid and I trailed behind. Periodically I would get Little Squid singing which worked to quicken his pace -- otherwise he tended to get lost in his thoughts as he looked around and when that happened, he slowed down quite a bit. Since I do the same thing, I really only nudged him forward when I could no longer see Mike and Squidette up ahead. That said, he and I had a great time working our way through a variety of Broadway musicals. West Side Story, by the way, does not really lend itself to quick cycling.Every 5 miles or so, Mike would pull over and wait for us to catch up and we would make a quick assessment of people's needs regarding food, water and bladder status. Stops occurred at other times as well, usually surrounding the last item in that list. We noticed that on the western end of the Canal, there were porta-potties at almost every lock. That was sadly not true for the eastern end and we found ourselves having to go away from the trail to find relief.
The ride to Fultonville, our lunch stop, was uneventful. The journey from Fultonville to Amsterdam, almost so.As we approached Fort Hunter, the trail changed from asphalt (a lovely relief from the stone dust of previous days) to concrete as we crossed an old railroad bridge. I was pondering the change in pavement when I caught up to Mike, who was talking with a couple of riders heading in the opposite direction. One was heading to Buffalo and planning on doing it in 2 days. As it was after 2 when we met him, and we were barely 50 miles out of Albany, I seriously wonder if he was able to make it. The other, was a local who taught us a bit about the area. The bridge we were on was apparently (as I had assumed) an old railroad bridge. The reason it was covered in concrete was because in 1987 a bridge on the NYS thruway had collapsed and this old railroad bridge had been quickly repaved in order to accommodate the necessary detour. Just north of this bridge were the remains of an aqueduct that had carried the Erie Canal over Schoarie Crossing. The aqueduct was still largely intact and was holding up far better than the doomed, modern, bridge.From the bridge, we detoured a few miles to historic Fort Hunter where, after making several wrong turns, we learned more about the canal and got a look at more remains of the old canal.
Finishing with the fort, hot and tired, we wearily pedaled into Amsterdam, a town that has seen far better days but which boasts a fantastic Indian restaurant in the hotel we stayed in (the only lodging in town). Here, my brother Mike and his s.o., Maria, joined us for a lovely dinner (which stood up favorably to some of the best Indian food that we've ever had) . Sleep came fairly quickly, to be rudely interrupted by some college kids (an assumption regarding age based on behavior) being very loud and banging doors and basically acting like kids, at 2 a.m. I was very tempted to get my revenge the next morning as we packed up at 7 a.m., but restrained myself in consideration of any other guests.
The last day found us mostly on paved trail, some of which was absolutely delightful to ride. As we rode the last miles into Albany we experienced rolling hills that were actually fun to ride. They reminded me why we were doing this and revived my joy in riding despite my sleep deprived and sore state at that point.
We rolled into Albany around 3:00 and immediately headed to the Amtrak station in Rennsaeler where we traded our tickets for the next day in for tickets for the next train out.
By 4:00 we were safely seated and heading for home.
420 miles over 9 days of riding.
We traversed New York state at its widest point, saw some beautiful scenery and some, sadly run down towns. We met great people and had lots of satisfying meals. No one got sick, injuries were limited to some minor scrapes and we had practically no mechanical problems.
Will we do this again? Maybe. The major drawback with this kind of trip is that every night is in a different place. The pressure to get from one place to the next and to ride a minimum number of miles each day was a little wearing. I, personally, never got to ride at my own pace. I was always either bringing up the rear, with the tired or slower child of the moment, or racing to catch up to the three of them when sudden energy spurts hit Little Squid.
Overall, I had a great time and really feel a sense of accomplishment. I want to do something similar next year.
As we were warned when we left Senaca Falls, there were far more hills on the eastern end of our journey than on the western side. From the time we left the canal in Clyde, we had ridden more and more on roads and less and less on trail. The roads , while paralleling the canal do not keep the even level imposed on the tow paths. For the most part, the hills are not horrible, and, for some one not toting an addition 20 pounds or so of stuff, might even be enjoyable.
Leaving Little Falls was fairly straight forward though we did make one unnecessary circle getting to the trail, adding all of half a mile or so to the day.By this point in the trip we had established pretty set patterns to our trek. Mike and Squidette took the lead and Little Squid and I trailed behind. Periodically I would get Little Squid singing which worked to quicken his pace -- otherwise he tended to get lost in his thoughts as he looked around and when that happened, he slowed down quite a bit. Since I do the same thing, I really only nudged him forward when I could no longer see Mike and Squidette up ahead. That said, he and I had a great time working our way through a variety of Broadway musicals. West Side Story, by the way, does not really lend itself to quick cycling.Every 5 miles or so, Mike would pull over and wait for us to catch up and we would make a quick assessment of people's needs regarding food, water and bladder status. Stops occurred at other times as well, usually surrounding the last item in that list. We noticed that on the western end of the Canal, there were porta-potties at almost every lock. That was sadly not true for the eastern end and we found ourselves having to go away from the trail to find relief.
The ride to Fultonville, our lunch stop, was uneventful. The journey from Fultonville to Amsterdam, almost so.As we approached Fort Hunter, the trail changed from asphalt (a lovely relief from the stone dust of previous days) to concrete as we crossed an old railroad bridge. I was pondering the change in pavement when I caught up to Mike, who was talking with a couple of riders heading in the opposite direction. One was heading to Buffalo and planning on doing it in 2 days. As it was after 2 when we met him, and we were barely 50 miles out of Albany, I seriously wonder if he was able to make it. The other, was a local who taught us a bit about the area. The bridge we were on was apparently (as I had assumed) an old railroad bridge. The reason it was covered in concrete was because in 1987 a bridge on the NYS thruway had collapsed and this old railroad bridge had been quickly repaved in order to accommodate the necessary detour. Just north of this bridge were the remains of an aqueduct that had carried the Erie Canal over Schoarie Crossing. The aqueduct was still largely intact and was holding up far better than the doomed, modern, bridge.From the bridge, we detoured a few miles to historic Fort Hunter where, after making several wrong turns, we learned more about the canal and got a look at more remains of the old canal.
Finishing with the fort, hot and tired, we wearily pedaled into Amsterdam, a town that has seen far better days but which boasts a fantastic Indian restaurant in the hotel we stayed in (the only lodging in town). Here, my brother Mike and his s.o., Maria, joined us for a lovely dinner (which stood up favorably to some of the best Indian food that we've ever had) . Sleep came fairly quickly, to be rudely interrupted by some college kids (an assumption regarding age based on behavior) being very loud and banging doors and basically acting like kids, at 2 a.m. I was very tempted to get my revenge the next morning as we packed up at 7 a.m., but restrained myself in consideration of any other guests.
The last day found us mostly on paved trail, some of which was absolutely delightful to ride. As we rode the last miles into Albany we experienced rolling hills that were actually fun to ride. They reminded me why we were doing this and revived my joy in riding despite my sleep deprived and sore state at that point.We rolled into Albany around 3:00 and immediately headed to the Amtrak station in Rennsaeler where we traded our tickets for the next day in for tickets for the next train out.
By 4:00 we were safely seated and heading for home.
420 miles over 9 days of riding.
We traversed New York state at its widest point, saw some beautiful scenery and some, sadly run down towns. We met great people and had lots of satisfying meals. No one got sick, injuries were limited to some minor scrapes and we had practically no mechanical problems.Will we do this again? Maybe. The major drawback with this kind of trip is that every night is in a different place. The pressure to get from one place to the next and to ride a minimum number of miles each day was a little wearing. I, personally, never got to ride at my own pace. I was always either bringing up the rear, with the tired or slower child of the moment, or racing to catch up to the three of them when sudden energy spurts hit Little Squid.
Overall, I had a great time and really feel a sense of accomplishment. I want to do something similar next year.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Squid on Wheels: Erie Canal Adventure Day 8
Rome to Little Falls
[A brief thought before I get started ... when we arrived home on Saturday, we first went to Whole Foods to stock up on some necessities. While Mike and Squidette went into the store, Little Squid and I watched the bikes. In the ten minutes that I was waiting on the street, I saw more people than I had seen for all of the preceding 10 days. I'm not sure what that means but it is significant. We saw very few people on the streets in any of the towns and cities we visited. Now, we did, mostly, stay confined to one narrow corridor as defined by the Erie Canal but, we also spent an entire 36 hours in Syracuse. Was the lack of people on the streets due to the pervasive car culture? Was it just that these places are so small that there just aren't that many people to see? Or, could it be that New York City is just way too crowded? Or, all of the above. What do you think?]
***
We had some difficulty leaving Rome. It seems, that while all roads may lead to Rome, not all roads lead away from it. Some, in fact, pretend to lead away but circle right back.
Once we did finally find the trail out of Rome, we had little difficulty with directions for the rest of the day. The only mechanical difficulties of the trip occurred on the final stretch into Little Falls when my chain lost it's moorings. A quick flick of the fingers (making them rather dirty) restored order to my world and we landed there safely.
Our day started with the only chain restaurant of the trip, a Denny's for breakfast. Lunch was at a nice diner in Frankfort which was followed by a trip to the Remington Arms Museum in nearby Illion.
No, I am not really a gun loving type of gal. I don't dislike them, per se, but my passions run to fiber, not flintlocks. Despite that, the museum was quite interesting (and very small) and had some nice examples of workmanship on the firearms on display.
Then, eying threatening skies, we hustled on to Little Falls and our Inn for the night.
The Canal Side Inn is known more for its food than its lodgings, mainly because the food is fabulous and the rooms are few. The rooms we had, however, a suite, were lovely, clean, well appointed, and the sofa bed much more comfortable that the one in the high class hotel in Syracuse.
The chef is also the owner of the whole establishment and he and his staff graciously fed us the bistro menu (lighter fare and lower prices) in the main dining room. We left feeling well fed.
Once again, we had landed in a town too late to go into any of the shops (no museums here) but had a lovely walk on the waterfront and in the historic canal area.
[A brief thought before I get started ... when we arrived home on Saturday, we first went to Whole Foods to stock up on some necessities. While Mike and Squidette went into the store, Little Squid and I watched the bikes. In the ten minutes that I was waiting on the street, I saw more people than I had seen for all of the preceding 10 days. I'm not sure what that means but it is significant. We saw very few people on the streets in any of the towns and cities we visited. Now, we did, mostly, stay confined to one narrow corridor as defined by the Erie Canal but, we also spent an entire 36 hours in Syracuse. Was the lack of people on the streets due to the pervasive car culture? Was it just that these places are so small that there just aren't that many people to see? Or, could it be that New York City is just way too crowded? Or, all of the above. What do you think?]
***
We had some difficulty leaving Rome. It seems, that while all roads may lead to Rome, not all roads lead away from it. Some, in fact, pretend to lead away but circle right back.
Once we did finally find the trail out of Rome, we had little difficulty with directions for the rest of the day. The only mechanical difficulties of the trip occurred on the final stretch into Little Falls when my chain lost it's moorings. A quick flick of the fingers (making them rather dirty) restored order to my world and we landed there safely.
Our day started with the only chain restaurant of the trip, a Denny's for breakfast. Lunch was at a nice diner in Frankfort which was followed by a trip to the Remington Arms Museum in nearby Illion.
No, I am not really a gun loving type of gal. I don't dislike them, per se, but my passions run to fiber, not flintlocks. Despite that, the museum was quite interesting (and very small) and had some nice examples of workmanship on the firearms on display.
Then, eying threatening skies, we hustled on to Little Falls and our Inn for the night.
The Canal Side Inn is known more for its food than its lodgings, mainly because the food is fabulous and the rooms are few. The rooms we had, however, a suite, were lovely, clean, well appointed, and the sofa bed much more comfortable that the one in the high class hotel in Syracuse.The chef is also the owner of the whole establishment and he and his staff graciously fed us the bistro menu (lighter fare and lower prices) in the main dining room. We left feeling well fed.
Once again, we had landed in a town too late to go into any of the shops (no museums here) but had a lovely walk on the waterfront and in the historic canal area.
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