Major Knitter

Happy Easter, Mets Style

When you have a Mets fan in the house, even holiday decorations take on a certain hue...

Let's Go Mets!

Faith and Fear in Flushing Comes to Westport

If you're a Mets fan (and you know we are), then you know all about Greg Prince and his "blog for Mets fans who like to read." BF and Greg have been virtual buddies for awhile - often watching Mets games and simultaneously holding in-depth conversations of 140 characters or less. Tonight was the first time they got to meet in person while Greg was in town to promote his new book Piazza:  Catcher, Slugger, Icon, Star

BF, his baseball buddy Larry and I posed for a picture with Greg at Staples High School

After the chitchat, we invited Greg and his hosts the Chasin family, to come to the house to take a picture with the Mets statue.  

Greg had taken a picture hugging this statue when it was on display in Manhattan on Avenue of the Americas in 2008 prior to the auction to raise funds for the MLB charities.  So tonight Greg and Liberty Shea were reunited.

And finally, Greg posed for a picture wearing BF's Bambi's Bandits hat from 1982 in honor of George Bamberger - the Met's Manager and the bandits, or rather, reserve Mets who would steal the game.

It's rare that you can share so much passion for a sport like BF and Greg do. Seeing them together was a rare treat. I've heard Greg's name for so long, it's hard to believe this was their first meeting in person.  

Thanks Greg for making the trek to Connecticut.  I just have one thing to say...

Let's Go Mets!

 

 

 

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday Baby!

For BF's birthday each year we try to take a road trip and watch the Mets play somewhere fun and exciting.  It's great fun and we really get to see parts of the country by way of a road trip that we wouldn't otherwise discover.  This year the Mets played the Orioles in nearby Baltimore, Maryland, so our road trip was not the big pilgrimage like other years.  So instead of the "Great American Road Trip" ("GART") as I've dubbed the last few year's trips, this was more of a one night "Good American Road Trip" - but it was great just the same.  Even though we were only gone for two days, we really enjoyed Baltimore's inner harbor.  We got up early in the morning and drove six hours (with stops, of course) to Baltimore, checked into our hotel and walked around the inner harbor and explored Baltimore.  

BF is not much of a seaman, so we avoided all the wonderful museums aboard ships.  They look like great fun - and I would definitely put them on a list for touring for those who do not get seasick just hearing the word "water" - so instead of a ship museum, we meandered down the street and chose to visit the Star Spangled Banner Flag House where the huge flag was sewn and flown over Fort McHenry in 1814 (oddly enough, during the Battle of 1812) which inspired Francis Scott Key to pen the lyrics to our National Anthem.

Here's a great view of the Pickersgill Flag House and the museum in the background.  You can read more about it on the Baltimore Heritage site.  We got there late in the day but had a wonderful time watching the brief film, touring the house (I *love* historic old houses!) and learning about a bit of Americana.  BF even noted that I somehow managed to wrap a "textile, historical, military, and gun stop with a strong female lead" on our mini-GART.  

 After a little rest, we walked to the Oriole Park at Camden Yards early so we could walk around, see everything, and eat before the game.  I learned that this ballpark was the first to really think outside the box and create a pleasing downtown stadium, blending the old and the new, creating an ambience for fans with shops and restaurants for a full game experience.  BF and I go to a lot of ballgames and I think that this is my favorite ballpark to date.  Additionally we had great seats (not amazing - but great) and they did not cost a fortune.  That's the way a ball game should be.  You should be able to take the family and root for your favorite team without breaking the bank.

The game was very exciting from the very first inning.  We stayed until the bitter end when the Orioles hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 9th to win the game.  Disappointing -- yes.  Great game -- that too.

But the best part of all was stopping to visit friends on the way home.  We stopped in Media, Pennsylvania to see a dear friend from BF's college days.  We arrived early - as usual - so we walked around a bit and stumbled upon the Pennsylvania Veteran's Museum in the old Armory (and underneath Trader Joe's).   It was very well done and it even had some great representation of Women in the Military.  I especially loved the female Sergeant Major's uniform (with a more current photo attached on the lapel).  Who was this woman?  I'd like to know.  

Some have suggested it was SgtMaj Grace Carle.  I think that would be pretty darned cool.  Unfortunately, the uniform wasn't identified on the display - just this photo dangling from a lapel pin with no name.  Of course, I didn't think to look on the inside collar of the uniform.  Maybe if I thought I could have gotten away with it, I would have!

After our visit in Media, we drove to downtown Philadelphia to meet with BF's 4th grade teacher.  So.much.fun.  We shared stories and memories and had a great time.  We were also very fortunate to avoid the rainstorms as we were walking around during the day.  I took some great pictures of the visits, but BF's rule is "no pictures of BF on the blog" so you'll just have to trust me that everyone looked wonderful.  It was a fantastic, albeit brief, Great American Road Trip.  I can't wait to find out where the Mets will be playing next year.  I'm quietly rooting for a game against the Atlanta Braves or the Florida Marlins next August so we can plan a week-long Southern US trip.  Scratch that.  We could fill in a two-week long trip to stop and visit everyone and everything I want to see from Florida to Philadelphia!  

Let's Go Mets!



 

 

New York Mets Stitch n' Pitch

Hey there Knitters.  This is just what you've been waiting for.

The New York Mets are having their 2014 Stitch and Pitch on Sunday, September 14th at 1:10 p.m. 

Date	Time	Opponent
Sun, Sep 14	1:10 pm	Mets vs Washington Nationals

Join the Mets for the 8th Annual Stitch N' Pitch event at Citi Field!

Sit together with family, friends, and fellow Stitch N' Pitch fans in discounted Left Field Landing seats.

For the first time ever a we will be giving a Limited Edition 8" Mrs. Met plush doll to the first 1,000 fans who purchase Stitch N' Pitch tickets through this online offer!

Location	Your Price
Left Field Landing	$30

Who wants to go?  You need to buy your tickets through this special in order to receive the Mrs. Met plush doll.  Contact Thomas Vilanova or Carla SAnchez-Armora to buy your tickets for the September 14th day game.  Won't it be fun?

Thomas Vilanova
Mets Ticket & Sales Service Specialist    
(718) 507-8499
[email protected]

or 

Carla Sanchez-Armora    
Group Sales Representative    
(718) 559-3196
[email protected]

Let's Go Mets!

 

 

 

New York Mets - Stitch & Pitch

Last weekend was Stitch & Pitch day at Citi Field.  Since BF and I are huge Mets fans, we bought four tickets for the group seating and made plans to attend the big day.  Excited about Stitch & Pitch day, the plans got even better when we discovered it was also going to be Banner Day.

After dinner the night before the game, BF asked me about the banner I was going to make.  Feeling like a son had told me about a needed costume for school the next day, I quickly assembled a banner. Primogeniture even helped me make the blue i-cord on my French Knitting Spool.  Fortunately, I had some special printer paper for making iron-on transfers.  I copied pictures of Gary, Keith and Ron... and the judge Kevin and labeled them "A Tight Knit Group."  

 

The best part of Banner Day is getting to go on the field to be judged.  It was great fun!

Well, going on the field was the best part for any baseball fan.  For the knitting fans, getting the special giveaway was the best part.

It was a Mr. Met bobblehead - KNITTING!

Then we went to our seats in the Stitch & Pitch section to knit and watch the game.  OK - I knit and the guys watched the game.  Unfortunately, the Mets only advertised this event to regular Mets fans so there were only ten knitters/stitchers in attendance as far as I could tell.  The rest of the fans were there for the bobblehead (which appears to be selling on ebay for $100 already).  He's pretty cute, so I can see why they'd want to get one.

I knit my pink socks and made great progress.  Our seats were in the nosebleed section, and I'm afraid of heights, so I focused mostly on the knitting in my lap rather than watching the game far down below.

It was very fun.  Next year, if they host Stitch & Pitch again, I'll post about it earlier so we can get a larger representation attend.  Let's Go Mets!

 

Wilma is a Mets Fan

My friend Virginia loves bulldogs.  In fact, she currently has two Olivia and Jag, and was in heaven when she met Wilma.  Actually, I think Wilma was the one who was in heaven.  She loves it when people pay attention to her.  In fact, she thinks that people come to the house to see her and only her.  She really is a diva.

This week Virginia stopped by with a gift for Wilma - her very own Mets doggy sweater.

Virginia and Wilma

I think Wilma was meant for the runway!

Sitting pretty.

All worn out from trying on her new outfit.

Awww - she even got a ruffly collar.

So there you have it.  We can hardly wait for the cold weather so Wilma can wear her new sweater outdoors.  She just loves her new friend.  What's not to like?  Thanks Virginia!

 

Let's Go Mets!

Each year BF and I go to a day game with our friend Judy to cheer on the Mets.  It's a wonderful tradition and we truly enjoy every minute of it.

We arrive by subway at Citi Field.  We walk around and locate our brick outside.

We wander around the stadium before the game and enjoy the best lunch in the house.

We stand for the National Anthem (removing our caps, of course) and watch the ceremonial first pitch.  This year that honor went to Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas.

We hope Mr. Met will come near us for a picture (he didn't --- this was as close as he got).

We take the traditional sock knitting picture before the game.

And we wait for our favorite Met - David Wright to come to the plate.

Unfortunately, we almost always watch the Mets lose.  But we still go.  We love our traditions.  And we love our Mets.  Let's Go Mets!

 

Mets Baseball Ornaments

We have a few themes on our Christmas tree.  Baseball and the New York Mets make up a part of our tree.

Mr. Met

My first hand knit Mets sock ornament.

One of BF's baseball cards.  It's not a Met, but it's a pretty funny baseball card!

A classic Mets glass ball ornament.

A Mets jersey - #45

45 is Pedro Martinez' jersey.

The 2011 striped Mets hand knit socks.

Hmmmm.  I'll have to start looking early for some new baseball ornaments for 2012.  Have any ideas?  Will you keep on the lookout for me?

 

S is for Shea Stadium Statue of Liberty

There was no way I could limit my choice of items to just one for the letter "S" - so stay tuned for daily posts for the next 2 weeks that all start with the letter S.  Yes, I really did come up with fourteen unique and relevant posts.  Anyway, remember this post?  After the parade of statues, each one was auctioned off to raise money for the Major League Baseball charities.  How could BF and I pass up this opportunity to help others?  We knew Liberty Shea had to live at our home, and after a bit of angst and worry, it became official - we had a new member of the household.

Today was officially the last game at Shea.  I'm so sorry to say that the Mets said good-bye with a whimper.  But just the same, Shea has been home to many great memories for us.  We hope Citi Field will bring our beloved Mets more luck.  Go Mets!

Mr. Met Meets Major Knitter

BF and I went to the Mets game tonight with Ms. Judy.  We had a blast celebrating BF's big day.  Judy and I happened to catch Mr. Met and we snapped a photo of Mr. Met and Major Knitter with the Kaffe Fassett Floral Jacket.  Could life get any better than this?