So good. (They named it twice.)

Oh yes, plenty of new places for my little red book this time around.

So I got to NYC on Tuesday afternoon.  In the end I was glad I didn't do the stopover option via Washington as it meant I got to fly Virgin, direct, which was very civilised.  Just so you know, when you bring your dpns on board in your purse, and the yarn elsewhere in your check-in bag, this is how much sock you can knit on a transatlantic flight. 

I checked into my (free! woo-hoo) hotel which was pretty good by Manhattan standards - check out the knitting couch in the corner:

and headed straight out to do a little light shopping before meeting my friend.

First stop Kinokuniya.  It would take a long time to browse there even if I did speak Japanese.  Instead it was a matter of pulling out dozens of spine-out books to find the right ones.  Somehow I knew when I went in there that I'd only buy two books - being modest and still thinking of the luggage allowance at the start of the trip - and some stationery which doesn't count.  You know the way.

This is the embroidery book which is just too cute, suitable for all the imminent baby presents. 

Here's a detail from the bag book (ISBN 4834724840):  I never thought I liked yoyos (or Suffolk puffs as they are also known) that much but I'm very taken with this.

And the stationery has the usual charmingly translated English.

After that I went to see a friend, M,  who manages a bar on 8th Avenue.   I haven't seen her for six years and she's now married and is expecting a baby so it was great to catch up.   Mind you, it did mean that it was 4am my time by the time I got back to the hotel to bed.  This was the view from my hotel window when I got back:

Fortified by a humongous breakfast from my favourite bagel place on 3rd Avenue,

which obliterated the need for lunch,  Wednesday was the Garment District Day.   

Mainly W38th and W39th St, and most of them. (BTW Liesl's post here gives lots of addresses - I'm cheating now and not putting them in myself).

A selection of the mountains of ribbon from Daytona Trimmings.   I loved this place.  Seriously - look at the rick rack selection...

The sales assistant was laughing at me because she could see my eyes boggling when she told me the prices, as she grabbed each of my choices and unwound it by the armful ("The thin one?  That's 5 yards for a dollar," as I of course calculated it all back to my wonderful British pounds and giggled like a loon) and I thought that the prices were amazing.  Although there was one ribbon that was slightly off register in the printing but I think that was just one.

From Lin's Trimming at 256 West 38th.

From M&J trimmings:

I didn't buy as much as normal here because I'd already made so many stops on W39th.

More bits from various places.

Ok, that gets me to about 3.30 that afternoon.  But I need my bed.  So will continue tomorrow.  Well done for getting this far.

Comments

[kirsty]

Ha ha! "knitting couch" ha ha!!
I am so jealous of those trims! At those prices!! See that blue one witht he little cherries/apples on it? I bought some of that here for about $3 a metre. GO YOU!!!

[Thimbleanna]

Oh! Now I'm distraught -- I've just missed you! I'm giving the garment district my first shot on Friday -- too excited for words. I hope you'll finish up your post before I go!!! Glad you're back -- I was thinking this morning how we hadn't heard from you in awhile!

[Sarah Jayne]

Wow - looks like you found some great stuff. Can't wait for the next installment.

[claire]

5 yards for a dollar - words to tempt me to book some tickets and head to NY myself :)

[julie]

You certainly picked up some fab trims - what an Aladdin's cave that place looks - I'm not suprised you were giggling like a loon! Glad you had a great time.

[Lucy]

Ooooooooooooh I'm greeeeeeeen all over. You lucky thing!

[Jade]

And next up, the fabrics??? How cheap are those ribbons! I'm getting ripped off over here.

[Ali]

The rick rack alone was worth the trip. Aaargh - why aren't I jumping on a plane?

[dottycookie]

Ribbon paradise - how did you cope? I am quite serious, I think faced with all those selections I would literally panic.

I dare you to embroider something with "Rabbit Boy" on it. Or is it just me finding that very funny?

I'm glad you had that fab view from your hotel - the Chrysler building is my absolute favourite!