Happy Birthday to Mom!

My Mom's birthday was on Sunday, and I went home to NM to celebrate!

We spent Friday in Santa Fe, including a very short walk through the not-yet-fully-changing aspens up near the ski area.





The walk was short because (1) I'm no longer used to 10,000 feet above sea level and (2) it started raining. Apparently the short, cold rain was just what the aspens needed- a friend called Sunday morning to say how gloriously golden everything was on the mountain.

I try not to give too many hand-knitted gifts to family and friends. While the gifts are appreciated, I think that most people don't care as much as I do and would just as soon have something else. But this year, all Mom got was hand-knitted goodness- because she has shamelessly dropped hints about wanting these two specific things.

I managed to finish the fingerless gloves as my plane landed in Albuquerque. A little too close for comfort, but they were done nonetheless. A perfect fit, and a bit hit!



This is my own mish-mash pattern based on the wonderful glove article in Interweave Knits Winter 2003. The yarn is Louet Gems Opal, navy blue.

I also gave Mom the Cherry Scarf Redux. She liked mine so much that I'm rather surprised I was able to get out of New Mexico with it when I moved in May!



Also a big hit.

I really enjoyed being back in NM for a few fall days. The weather was really cool and crisp, a perfect hint of winter. It's still in the mid-90s in Austin, so that kind of weather is not yet on the horizon here. Sigh.

Albuquerque Wedding Vendor Reviews

Hopefully this is the last wedding-related post I'll write. :-) (all photos copyright Ginger Russell unless otherwise noted).

I had a really hard time finding information about New Mexico wedding vendors online when I was planning my wedding. I managed to find really fantastic people to work with, and want to make sure other people can find them, too!

We had our reception at the Albuquerque Museum. It's a beautiful space and we were generally really happy with them. The staff isn't very accomodating- we had a close call on scheduling (they had a lecture for 25 people scheduled to end about an hour and a half before our reception was scheduled to start, and they refused to do anything to make our reception setup easier). If you use Stefani at City Treats as your caterer, though, you can get around some of the Museum staff issues.




(this is not a Ginger Russell photo)


(this is not a Ginger Russell photo)

Speaking of Stefani and City Treats, LOVE THEM!!!!! I cannot say enough wonderful things about Stefani and her staff. The food was awesome, there was a TON of extra food, they managed to get tables, chairs, and complicated table decorations for 180 people set up in a REALLY SHORT amount of time, and her prices were the best in town. The staff was incredibly professional. Stefani also does events outside the Museum- if you need a caterer anywhere in Albuquerque, USE STEFANI. You will not be disappointed.




(this is not a Ginger Russell photo)

Melba of Melba's Floral Studio did our flowers, and they were beautiful. We kept things somewhat simple, using mostly white tulips (spring wedding), but everything Melba did was gorgeous and very reasonably priced.






Ginger Russell was our wedding photographer, and we are really happy with the work she did. Ginger is a delight to work with, and she really captured the feeling of our day. She lives up in Santa Fe, and her prices were good- not cheap, but far less than other photographers who specialize in the journalistic style we were hoping for and only slightly more expensive than the blah photo factories that everyone in Albuquerque seems to choose. We're working on putting the album together right now, and I am really excited to see it. Ginger's work is really wonderful- check out her blog- she does portraits and non-wedding photography as well.

We hired Jim Gross of Carousel of Music as our DJ. He was fantastic. EVERYONE, from age 8 to 70, had a great time dancing, and several people commented that he was playing all of their favorite songs. I even had people call me after the wedding to ask for the playlists because they loved the music so much. Each of Jim's DJs are also talented musicians who play live music (included in the package price) for an hour during dinner or cocktails- Jim plays classical guitar and was wonderful. Jim also had the best prices in town.

Finally, we rented a limo, but not just any limo- we got a 1956 Chevy Imperial Limo from Monty at Imperial Limos. He's a gas, and the car was fantastic.




(this is not a Ginger Russell photo)
If you're planning a wedding in Albuquerque or Santa Fe, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have- there aren't a lot of internet resources for New Mexico wedding vendors and I'm happy to share my research and thoughts if you'll find it useful!


(albuquerque, new mexico, wedding, vendor, venue, caterer, reception, photographer, flowers, dj, limo)

Balloon Fiesta is Cool

The Balloon Fiesta is going on this week. Today's weather is overcast with low clouds. I really enjoyed my drive to school, watching a gigantic pink pig-shaped balloon dipping in and out of the fog.... Only in New Mexico!

Ah, Taos.

Knitter's Review has a great summary of the Taos Wool Festival. It really was good. Next trip, I have to check out La Lana Wools. I would add Taos Sunflower Yarns to her list of yarn stores- fantastic shop.

That's all I have time for today, folks!

Taos Wool Festival, Part II: Yarny Goodness.

Meg and I had a fantastic time at the Taos Wool Festival. We left Albuquerque Friday night after a wonderful Chinese meal and drove up to Taos. We stayed at the Kachina Best Western Inn, which was pretty cool. Very vintage, pretty grounds, but paper thin walks. Fortunatly our neighbors were NOT feeling frisky...

We woke up early Saturday morning, primped, and headed to Michael's Kitchen for breakfast. MMMM. Love Michael's. We strolled in to Kit Carson Park right as the vendors opened up.

And it's a good thing we did, because Brooks Fiber was PACKED, and looked like it had been looted by our second visit around 11:00.

Looking around the booth, you can see why:



Yeah. I got some stuff here. Most of it was even on SALE. Lawd, I love this stuff.

I also spent a lot at Carol Mullen's. She's retiring, so you can't get any more! It's really a shame- she has fantastic color sense. Her booth also looked like it had been raided, and you would NOT believe the lines to get in... She had Mountain Colors hanging on the walls...



And her own stuff on the table. YUMMY.



Lezlie King, who I rapsodized about after seeing her stuff at the Fiber Fiesta, was there with her fabulous natural color dyed yarns.





I didn't even get pictures of the place where I bought gorgeous hand dyed sport weight sock yarn! Like these other booths, they were a mob scene.

Galina Khmeleva of Skaska Designs had absolutely stunning lace and lace weight yarns. Serious lace- like thinner than dental floss, and lots of size 0000 knitting needles. I am convinced that this booth inspires the most awestruck cussing of any thing I have ever seen. It's impressive.

I didn't make it back to Interlacements, which makes me sad. They were right next to the Vortex otherwise known as Brooks Fiber.

Part of what makes Taos so wonderful is that it's mostly small, independent animal growers, spinners, and color artists. There were some fabulous, fabulous one of a kind items there. There was also a lot of really horrible, horrible felted stuff. Not my style at all. No offense to those who dig it, but there's some BAD felting happening in this world right now. Yikes.

All in all, this was a fabulous show, and I'm planning on going back next year. I will definitely go up the night before, because otherwise you miss all the good stuff at the great vendors, like Brooks. It was pretty picked over by noon.
knitting

Taos Wool Festival, Part I: The Haul

Oh good Lord. I blew my wad of cash three times over at Taos, and it was worth every single penny. I'm fondling my purchases and am dreaming of what to make of each treasure.

For the first time ever, my stash enhancement requires a knitting section and a spinning section.

Here's an overview (click to make bigger, and ignore the Constitutional Law book lurking ominously in the upper right corner....):



Knitting Goodies:





Starting in the Top Right, then going clockwise:

• Knitting Vintage Socks: New Twists on Classic Patterns, by Nancy Bush. First purchase of the day.
  
• 2 skeins (1000 yards) of Brooks Farm Primero 100% Kid Mohair in fabulous browns and blues. Like buttah. AND it was on SALE. Booyeah!
  
• 1 skein (500 yards) of Brooks Farm Duet 55% Kid Mohair and 45% Fine Wool in amazing shades of red.
  
• A handknit hat in shades of Teal from Carol Mullen, who, sadly for the fiber world, is retiring this year.
  
• Two skeins (~500 yards) of heavy worsted wool in oranges and blues. Really spectactular stuff.
  
• Two Skeins (400 yards each) of Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co. Single Sport, which will become two fabulous pairs of socks. One is a lovely minty green and the other is peach/orange/yellow sherberty colored.

And now for the spinning haul:



Starting with the big red blob and working down clockwise:

• A ton of Carol Mullen's handdyed Corriedale Roving, and it was CHEAP.
  
• A walnut niddy noddy from Magpie Wood Works. Holy cow, this guy is amazing. The wood is so. SOFT.
  
• A mid-whorl walnut spindle, also from Magpie Wood Works. I went to visit this spindle four times before I finally broke down and bought it. The wood is so soft- it's absolutely amazing. And it makes me feel like I can spin!
  
• An ounce of white angora rabbit roving- ha! I can't even pretend like I'll ever be able to spin this.
  
• The white blob is about 3/4 of an ounce of plain white corriedale roving from a sheep named "Nicholas." The first roving I bought, and when I bought it I honestly thought it would be the only roving I was going to buy. HA. I am absolutely in love with Nicholas- the wool makes me feel like I actually have a chance at spinning- the fibers slide and move and spin up the way it seems like they're supposed to. I should call this vendor and buy up the rest of Nicholas's bounty!!!!
  
• Last but not least, a ton of roving from Fiber Fanatic (Laura Easterling). The colorway is "Crayola" and it is actually brighter in person than in the picture. I know. Scary.
  

Yes, friends, it was a very, very good day in Taos.

Toas Wool Festival Shopping List.

Things I want to buy:

• Niddy-noddy.
  
• Heavier drop spindle, maybe a top-whorl.
  
• Yarn. Duh.
  
• Something orange.
  
• Something fuzzy.
  
• Anything handspun or handpainted.
• Pale green cashmere laceweight, if it's there.
  
• Yarn Harlot's new book
  
• Maybe another book, though I can't remember what else I was wanting...
  

I wish Taos would put up their vendor list. I e-mailed them a few weeks ago and they said it probably wouldn't be up until well after the festival. Dang.

Old School New Mexico Architecture

I love New Mexico. My Mom had an estate sale a few weekends ago in a stunning house right on Rio Grande. For those not from Albuquerque, Rio Grande is a magnigicent boulevard with extraordinarily pricey homes (think million pluss...)

The house was designed by famous New Mexico architect John Gaw Meem in 1937. The family will be restoring the house according to his original plans.



It's over 6500 square feet, adobe in the Territorial Style, on 10 acres just off the river.



While it needs some updating, it is spectacular. All the proportions are right. It's not too pretentious, but when you go inside, it all feels perfect. This is what you see when you go in the front door.



There's a formal dining room to the left, along with the kitchen and a large family room. To the right is a large living room, and a wing with 3 or 4 bedrooms. Straight ahead is a spectacular breezeway.



The tacky sliding glass doors will be replaced with French doors, as designated in the original plans. The light fixtures are original tin work- gorgeous. At one end of the breezeway is a fantastic example of a kiva fireplace.



And here's a close up of the details built in to the fireplace.



It was fabulous to be in this great old house for a day. I really enjoyed watching te people who "got" the house- they were awestruck. Pretty darn cool, if you ask me.

Fabulous New Mexico Restaurants!!!

I've had some great meals recently and wanted to share with you!

We went to the ORIGINAL Range Cafe in Bernalillo the other night. The Range has recently opened restaurants in Albuquerque, but the branch locations are just plain awful. That's all there is to it. The original, however, if fanfreakingtastic. I had the spinach salad topped with chile-rubbed shrimp, jicama, and red bell peppers with apple vinaigrette. It was a great mixture of flavors and textures. Mom and C each had the fajita chicken enchiladas, which looked really good. I can't stress this enough people: avoid the in town locations and make the drive to Bernalillo- it is SO WORTH YOUR TIME.

C and I had a date on Friday and we went to the Turtle Mountain Brewing Company in Rio Rancho. Warning: they do not have air conditioning. You know what? I didn't care. It was phenomenal. Best pizza I have ever eaten. Their crust is really thin and crispy, and everything has SUCH great flavor! I had the El Capitan, which had fresh zucchini, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions. Wowza. The beer was great, too. I had the Left Coast Pale Ale, which was great. Fruity, a little bitter, really nice. We will DEFINITELY be going back out to Rio Rancho for another meal here.

Finally, the BEST sushi in Albuquerque isn't in Albuquerque at all- it's past Turtle Mountain Brewing Co at Noda's. Oh my GOSH. The fish is amazingly fresh, the preparation is both traditional and incredibly innovative, and the flavors! I should write an ode to Noda's. There is nothing I can say that will do this place justice. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Meg, when do you want to go back?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

food