Some Stops in Saratoga Springs

Clara and I did a little shopping during my brief visit to Saratoga Springs. (If you know my daughter, this comes as no surprise.) Our first stop was Saratoga Needle Arts, to buy some soft, bulky yarn for me to knit into a scarf to protect Clara's graceful neck from the brutal cold of northern New York.



It's a great little corner shop on Broadway, right in the heart of the shopping district. I noticed a stack of old ATHA (Association of Traditional Hooking Artists) newsletters right off, and knew I'd find a fellow hooker there. Sure enough, the owner hooks rugs, too, and had a magnificent hooked self-portrait hanging in the store.

The yarn selection was terrific -- I coveted the beautiful sock yarn, but stuck to the stuff for scarves, seeing as I haven't finished my first pair of socks yet, and I have a couple of kinds of Koigu (a hand-painted sock yarn from Canada) lined up for pairs two and three.

Here's the yarn Clara picked out -- neutrals, so the scarf will go with all her coats, and as soft as can be. It's baby alpaca -- really amazing to touch.



So, if you're knitter and you are in Saratoga, this is a great place to visit. They are very nice and very helpful, and give a 10% discount to Skidmore students! They also have a variety of classes, too. Click on their name in the first paragraph -- that will take you to their website.

Clara and I both love Indian food, especially when it is cold outside, so we went to Karavelli Indian Restaurant. I can't remember what street it's on, but it is right downtown, just a block or two from Broadway. I loved the atmosphere -- the walls are the color of turmeric and tandoori, and the food is really good. Clara had a lamb curry and I had chicken tikka. We had the biggest poori I've ever seen, piping hot and puffed full of air. It was yummy, especially with a little mango chutney tucked inside. Needless to say, Clara had lots of leftovers to take back to her dorm.

And I have to mention Putnam Market, which is pictured in the previous blog entry about Saratoga. It is Clara's favorite gourmet take-out store. They sell an amazing variety of fine cheeses. Clara loves Majorero, a cured goats milk cheese. She also loves their Hickory Smoked Chicken Salad and just about everything else they sell. (Why do I bother to pay for her to eat in the Skidmore Dining Hall?) I refused to look at the pastry counter and the hand-made chocolates . . . but we had terrific sandwiches before I left for home yesterday.

Okay -- it is past my bedtime . . . more on Saratoga the next time I'm up there. 'Night.