During the nearly 10 years that I lived in Queens, NY in the 80s, most of my yarn shopping was at Nelson Yarns in Ridgewood. Several years ago, I took my daughter to the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and drove down Fresh Pond Road, but Nelson Yarns was no longer there. Fortunately, I found out that Lion Brand has a studio in Chelsea, so I jumped at the chance to accompany my husband on a business trip to New Jersey. For eight years, I commuted from Queens to Midtown on the subway, but riding NJ Transit trains was a new experience for me. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Woodbridge, NJ, and the staff was amazing, as usual. Not knowing how far the train station was from the hotel, I took an Uber on Monday and took note of the streets along the way. Since it was only a 5-minute drive, I decided to walk on Tuesday. The weather was beautiful, and I thoroughly enjoyed the walk down Main Street.
As usual, Penn Station is a hive of activity with commuters rushing to catch their trains or enjoying a meal or coffee while they wait. There are shops that sell souvenirs, magazines, clothing, cell phone accessories, and so much more. Street musicians perform for tips, filling the area with their music.
On my last trip to New York, the new buildings in the World Trade Center had not yet started. This week I was fortunate to be able to visit the new Freedom Tower and the Oculus. Another treat was lunch with some family members who I had not seen in many years.
Lion Yarn Studio is located on 15th Street in Chelsea, an unassuming little shop with an amazing window display. Inside, they sell Lion Brand products including yarn, hooks, and notions. Their "On The Table" display provides free patterns for Lion yarns. Classes and workshops of all types and for all skill levels are offered on weekends and in the evenings. It's definitely a stop you'll want to add to your itinerary if you're planning a trip to New York. My next trip to the area will be to the Lion Yarn Outlet in New Jersey, but I will have to remember to take an empty suitcase with me to hold all the yarn I'm going to buy!
For our last dinner in Woodbridge, we tried a local restaurant, Miller's Ale House. We don't drink beer, but the food was excellent, and so was the service. I look forward to trying more of their menu if I'm ever in Woodbridge again.
For the Father's Day Friday Freebie, I chose a fish-shaped dish towel that I designed for my father last year to use when he barbeques.
https://www.myfingersfly.com/products/fish-dish-towel-crochet-pattern
Fish Dish Towel
Materials:
Sugar ‘n Cream Cotton yarn – 1 oz MC (If you want to use a separate color for the tail and fins, you need 0.7 oz MC and 0.3 oz CC.)
Size G crochet hook
Yarn needle
1 ½” plastic ring
Towel measures approximately 11” x 7” (not incuding ring).
Directions:
BODY: Row 1: Work 5 sc through ring. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 2-6: Work 2 hdc in 1st st, hdc across to last st, 2 hdc in last st. Ch 1, turn. (16 hdc at end of Row 6).
Rows 7-10: Work 2 hdc in 1st st, hdc in each st across. Ch 1, turn. (19 hdc at end of Row 10).
Rows 11-20: Work even in hdc. Ch 1, turn.
Rows 21-27: Dec, hdc across to last 2 st, dec. Ch 1, turn. (5 hdc at end of Row 27).
TAIL: (If using contrasting colors, change colors here.)
Row 1: 2 hdc in each st across. Ch 1, turn. (10 hdc)
Row 2: *Hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st,* repeat across. Ch 1, turn. (15 hdc)
Row 3: *Hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st,* repeat across. Ch 1, turn. (20 hdc)
Row 4: Hdc across. Fasten off.
LARGE FIN:
Row 1: Attach yarn at end of Row 11 of body. Make 12 sc evenly spaced across top of fish.
Row 2: Dec over 1st 2 sts, sc across. Ch 1, turn. (11 sc).
Row 3: Sc across to last 2 sts, dec over last 2 sts. Ch 1, turn. (10 sc).
Row 4: Repeat Row 2 (9 sc).
Row 5: Repeat Row 3 (8 sc).
Row 6: Hdc in each of next 3 sts, sc in each of next 3 sts, sl st in each of last 2 sts. Fasten off.
SMALL FIN: On bottom of fish, attach yarn at opposite end of row where the top fin ends. Ch 2, 2 dc, 2 hdc, and 2 sc evenly spaced across ends of rows. Sl st. Fasten off.
PDF available at https://www.myfingersfly.com/products/fish-dish-towel-crochet-pattern