Uli's Creative Corner

Yeah, I can stop counting sheep to fall asleep now.  The little sheep are all done and mighty cute.  I now just have minimal finishing left to do.  Before soon, there will be a picture of a cute little sheep sweater here. 

I had a question from Sheila about Dancing Vines.

Can you explain to me what the "X-no stitch is in the "Dancing Vines Tunic and Pullover pattern, with Sonata cotton?

I don't have my pattern in front of me right now but in the chart, it means just that..... the symbol is just there for a place holder to make the chart easier to read.  Ignore it.  Only knit the symbols that mean something ie. purl, knit or the various cable symbols and in that particular section of the chart, the stitch increases.

Hope that helps!!!

Speaking of that pattern, I abandoned it a couple of weeks ago in order to get back into the sheep sweater.  Now that's almost done, I can get back to this little project.  Nope, it's not a little project, I know, I know.  I want to get back to it but the success with the little sheep makes me want to think about finishing the languishing top down swing coat as well as the Victorian Ruby scarf.  And my fingers are itching for some new projects, too.  We'll see what happens.

I wasn't at work yesterday so today will be a vary busy day. 

Enjoy your Thursday.  Another weekend is coming up quickly.

Here's the spring poncho I was talking about yesterday.  See, there's nothing wrong with it.  The yarn is beautiful.  The shape is great.  The neck shaping is a bit small.  It's quite pretty, all around.  It's just not me.  It needs to be bigger for me or I need to be smaller for it.  Maybe the poncho and I can find a happy medium but since I'm all out of yarn, that might be a bit difficult.  I liked the suggestion from yesterday to maybe turn it into a shawl or something and I'm playing with that idea.  Maybe I will get inspired and I will rip it up and make something else creative like a shawl with the yarn.  It's too beautiful of a yarn to waste.

Knitting on the sheep sweater is progressing.  I won't show any progress pics until it is done now.  It's darn cute but it will need a good blocking when it's done to even out the little fair isle sheep.  Once that's done........ I'll focus on some spring time knitting.

Have a great Wednesday.  Middle of the week already.

The easter bunny came to our house and brought lots of chocolates but he also took something away.  Erika loved the hunt of the easter eggs and chocolates on Sunday morning.  We had lots of fun with her.  But she also knew that the Easter bunny would come and take away her bottles to give them to other babies that needed them more than her since she really is a big girl now.  That was Evan's strategy.  I was kind of freaked out whether that would have a lasting impact on her or not make her like the easter bunny.  But we had talked about that with her for a couple of weeks that when it did happen, she was fine with it.  She looked at the cupboard that held her bottles once on Sunday night and said "I guess I'll have to have a cup of milk".  No other issues until this point and I hope she gets over it that easily.

Here are some pictures of my curtain mission.  I got mor accomplished than I set out to but I also spent all of Friday and all of Monday cutting fabric or behind the sewing machine.  However, now all of what I had fabric for has been accomplished and I like the look.  Here are some shots:

The Before Shot

The After Shot

The Dining Room/Sliding Door

Now remember, the pattern for the valence over the sliding door was called "Home Dec in a Sec" and it told the humble sewer that the valence was a 2-hour job........ I never had that expectation, luckily.  I know better.  Maybe if I was doing it for the smallest window size.... but this was the largest window size you could do with the pattern.  I started just before noon.  Stopped for a bit to eat around 3 pm and finished right around 5 pm.  Bit more than 2 hours, wouldn't you say?

I'm debating whether I should talk about my spring poncho or whether I should just let it quietly die and disappear.  I was worried it would be small.  It is way small now that it is finished.  And the neck opening........... to me it seems that if a child would have breathing room with it around its neck it would probably be surprising.  It's very pretty and all but it just isn't for me.  I totally got struck by temptation of the beautiful looking yarn all bundled up in the nice kit.  The colours screamed: "Take me home, take me home" but as soon as I started knitting I had some major doubts.  Chalk it up to a learning experience.

One new finished pair of socks.  The Opal Rodeo 1154.  Love this pair.

The sheep sweater is growing.  I'm working on the yoke now.  That means since last entry, I tinished two sleeves to the yoke shaping.  I am halfway through the section with the sheep and that almost completes all the multi-colour knitting.  There are a few more rows after that, with 2 colours only and then after that it's solid blocks of colour.  I'm having fun with it now so I'm really glad that I pulled it back out and didn't give up.  This has inspired me now to work on this Mandarin Petit sweater I bought the yarn for for Erika last summer.  I think I will cast on soon but make it in the Size 6 - I have enough yarn and it might just take me that long to finish.   And then as I was flipping through that same pattern book I stopped at this little number.  I don't so crochet much but this little airy cardigan has really intrigued me.  I'd like to try crocheting this.  It's done like a top-down raglan.  Speaking of that, I have some pink yarn at home that I've been trying to find a project for.  If I can work out the tension, maybe this will be it?

I haven't worked on my own cotton sweater (Dancing Vines) yet because I'm all stuck on the little sheepies now.  I hope to be done with that some time this week.  Hope you all had a hippety hoppety Easter.

Only upon Erika's urging (let's call it crying fit) did I resurrect the sheep sweater.  I figured that if it was that important to her, I should give 4 short little rows of fair isle on DPNs another go.  I did.  Now the first sleeve is halfway finished.  I still don't think it's perfect but it's much better than it was after my first try.  I can live with it now and the sleeve will be finished before I even know it.  Now I have renewed energy for this sweater.  Is that something I could finish over the Easter weekend?  I'll try.  I know I can finish sleeve #1 tonight.  Amidst the drape sewing I might be able to work on sleeve #2 tomorrow.  Once that's all done I have the yoke to do.  I guess that will take me a bit more than 2 days but we'll see what happens.  But maybe I can soon mark off another finished object.

I had "one of those" evenings last night.  I was making dinner and the big knitfe slipped off my red onion I was chopping up for the stir fry.  It got my nail and ended up in the side of my finger.  It's not a large cut but a deep cut and it's more annyoing than anything.  I still have it band-aided up because it would bother me to no end if it didn't have a band aid on.  Obviously, from the abovoe paragraph, I was able to knit.  That same knife slipped off something last weekend but that time it only got my finger nail. 

Later we went for a walk and that was good.  I'm glad the evenings are getting a little longer.  We're starting to get back out there for walks and just generally being more active.  It was a good walk but once I sat down last night my back was extremely sore.  I know, I know........... I wore my worn out shoes that should have been thrown away a long time ago but my good set of walking shoes was at the office because I've been walking at lunch time.  So I think a combination of being hunched over the computer all day fiddling with a database and then the combination of bad shoes did me in.  Even Erika tried to rub my back. :-)

Time to get my cup of coffee and settle in for a morning of fixing a big error I noticed in my database just before quitting time yesterday.  I'll have to remember to stretch more today.

Thanks for all the awesome comments yesterday.  Every 'gal' likes to see those comments and when there are more than one or two in a day, I'm just so thrilled.  I really appreciate the comments on the vest.  It's going to be a great piece this spring and on not so hot summer days.  As I said, the white, crisp t-shirt and the capris are waiting.

I can't top yesterday with new pictures or anything like that.  I actually spent yesterday evening mostly with my socks.  Evan had to go out and get his new eye glasses so Erika and I were hanging out - just the two of us.  So without the ability to pay actual attention to my knitting I just stuck to my socks.  I finished my 1st Opal Rodeo sock.  It's really cute but I had a knot just after starting the decreases for the toe with the pattern sequence not continuing after the knot.  What a pain.  With these socks I'm trying for perfect matches because the colour repeat section is so large.  It would be really, really obvious if they didn't match.  So I pulled out yarn until I came to the same colour I was working on and finished the sock.  Then I pulled out more yarn to start the next sock at the same pattern repeat.  I think I was successful. 

I'm also getting close to having sock #1 of my top secret socks done.

And while in front of the computer - Erika was playing and I wasn't interested in the computer any longer - I cast on for the Sheep sweater sleeve again.  I only did about 5 out of 20 rounds needed for the ribbing.  I will try that fair isle border again.

I was also thinking that now that I'm not abandoning the sheep sweater, I will also not abandon the top-down swing coat.  Bit by bit, those will be finished over the next few months.

Next up for me: Keep plugging away at Dancing Vines.  I'll show a picture once I get one pattern repeat done.  If I can ever track down any yarn for the puzzle shirt I showed earlier last week, I'll make that for Erika.  I think I'll set some time aside soon to cast on for the little black bag.

This weekend watch for "before & after" pictures of my family room window.  I better put it in writing so that I won't ignore my best laid plans to finally sew those drapes.  4 days off for us coming up after tomorrow.

Which kind of banana do you like better...... the banan that's still almost green, has no brown spots and is nice and firm?  Or the banana that's got spots all over and starts bordering on mushy.......... well, if given the choice, I'll go for the barely yellow, firm and no spotted banana.  My husband will take the spotted one any day so it works out for us.  But when you look at it through the eyes of a 3-year old, she wanted the clean banana and not the dirty one.

I'm getting into thw swing of Dancing Vines.  It's a very pretty pattern to knit and certainly keeps my attention.  After 15 rows of the pattern (2 nights of knitting) I am through the first ball.  Each pattern repeat is 31 rows.  Wow....  It will just take forever but I think now that I've got the pattern all set-up, the rows are starting to go a bit faster.

Well, the sheep sweater will have to be resurrected and I'll have to tackle fair isle on DPNs again.  Ms. Erika had a huge fit when she asked me where her green knitting went and I told her that I put it away for a while.  It has to come back.  I guess I'll be finishing it after all.

So here is what I've completed on my Opal Rodeo sock.  As of this morning, I'm at the toe decreases already.  Don't you just love these colours?

A bit blurry but lovely, in my opinion.

And here, finally, is the presentation of the Secret Garden Vest.

And for the real model shot where I show my face

Remember that was first thing in the morning before heading off to work.  The other shot, I had to cut my head off because I looked half asleep.

Have an awesome day!!!!

Good Monday Morning!!!

Oh yes, the weekend is already over.  What's that all about?

The Sewing and Needlecraft show on Saturday was fun.  I think they overpriced the admisstion a little bit.  $10 for 2 days.... $10 for one day.  There were only a few different vendors than last year.  Lots of sewing and quilting and very little knitting.  I did buy some very cute heart buttons for some possible baby gifts in the near future.  I also bought a kit to make this very, very soft baby quilt - or let's call it Erika quilt.  It's all in primary colours, very soft, very simple........... it would be a great baby gift but I think I still will make it for Erika.  She'll enjoy another softie blankie.  I have a bit of buyer's remorse about that one.  I better sew it up very, very soon.

The Secret Garden Vest is completely finished - finally - it took me over two weeks to get the edgings done and then finally to put the buttons on.  I wore it to church yesterday and I'm wearing it right now.  I got Evan to take some pics of me this morning so I'll show it off tomorrow.  It's one of those projects that only looks good on someone's body.  When you lay it out or hang it on a hanger, it just looks big and very floppy.  I like it a lot and it fits well.  You can make up your own mind on that when I download the pictures for tomorrow's post.

Well, I kicked the little sheep sweater into the corner in quite a hissy fit on Saturday.  I started the first sleeve, totally not feeling like working on it but I felt I should because I should finish what's started.  I'm working the sleeves on DPNs and for some reason, I could not get the little fair isle border to work out for me on the dpns.  I hated every minute of those 4 (yes, count with me - 4 only) rows of fair isle.  It looked awful.  So I ripped and threw it all in a corner.  I don't want to continue working on it but now that I think of it, I shouldn't let 4 rows of fair isle on DPNs get the better of me.  I've done lots of fair isle like that.  So maybe I'll reconsider and try again with a bit more patience and focus.

I got some Opal Rodeo the other day from my wonderful Opal pusher over at Fun Knits.  If you are ever looking for a great source of Opal, check out her e-bay auctions and e-bay store for Opal and other great yarns.  I had to see what colour 1152 would work up like and I got so hooked.  I cast on in bed on Saturday night.  Only did about 3 or 4 rounds of the ribbing and then just worked on it a bit here and there yesterday.  And guess what, this stuff is so addictive that I already just turned the heel and picked up the in-step stitches.  There goes my theory on long pattern repeats.  They work up fast.  I'll have to show you a progress pic because I'm totally in love with this shade of Rodeo.

Socks still seem to be my friend when nothing else is highly inspriing right now.  I can work on them and make progress fairly quickly and I have no lack of fun sock yarn.  This morning I was playing with a sock yarn idea in my head..... I'm thinking of making a little vest for Erika using some Opal but I think I'd need more than one ball of the same colourway.  I have to think a bit more.

I did start working on Dancing Vines last night.  I had cast on at least a week ago and done the first set-up row but never progressed past that.  The body is worked in the round.  Over 324 stitches with a fairly complex cable pattern, this one isn't cruising along what you'd call a "quick knit".  I did about 4 rows of the pattern last night before I stopped and moved on to something that didn't take as much focus.  I'll have to have my patience with this one but I think it will be great when I do get it done.

We had pretty stormy weather this past weekend and it's still not a whole lot nicer out.  Enjoy your day.  I'll be back with some interesting pictures tomorrow.

It's Friday before spring break and what does that mean to me?  Not a whole lot yet because Erika isn't in school yet.  I don't get the time off but everyone that I generally work with gets the time off as the schools are closed so I can look forward to some time to catch up at the office, get organized and get some outstanding stuff taken care of.

I didn't post yesterday because yesterday was nuts.  Today should be a little quieter.

I am looking forward to the weekend.  Like last year I've decided to attend the Vancouver Sewing and Craft Show with a friend.  Evan will take Erika to music and then meet up with a friend of his.  I get the day off (or at least part of the day).  I'm pretty happy about that.  It should be fun.  I understand there will be at least two knitting stores represented this year.  Last year, there really was only one.  I would say the majority of booths are quilting and sewing type crafts.  I'm looking forward to just wondering around and about.

Sunday my Mom and Dad are coming over for dinner.  I think I'll make a Lasagna and a salad.  Nothing too big or fancy.  Mom said she'll bring a cake.... yumm!!!

Look at this Puzzle Shirt.  It's a free pattern (okay, I know, it's in German - but as you know, that doesn't bother me one bit).  I'm dying to make that for Erika and she likes it, too.  I am finding it a bit challenging finding the right yarn.

This weekend I hope that I can relax besides all my other fun activities and get down to the knitty gritty of some of my knitting projects.  I'm bottoming out a bit.  Hitting a bit of a lull.  I'm not sure what it is but I look at my stuff and I need something that wows me to keep going.  I started a really pretty patterned sock last night but I can't show it off because it's a secret giftie for someone.  I'm very much in like with the pattern and yarn though.  I might just power through those socks this weekend.  I need to sew buttons on my Secret Garden Vest.  That should help me get the feeling of completion a bit.  I'm at the armhole shaping of the sheep sweater and although I feel like putting it down until next fall, I fear that I'll never pick it up if I don't finish it now.  So maybe I'll push myself to start the sleeves this weekend.  Then the spring poncho.......... I'm so not motivated to rip one piece back and pick up the stitches to be able to finish the second piece and make them both the same size.  And then there's something about the drop stitch pattern that I need to work ad nauseum on the Victorian Rube (Blue) Scarf.  yawn.......... The top down swing coat is on the ice for next fall.  And I cast on for Dancing Vines but I haven't touched it since knitting the first set-up row.  But that should be a fairly challenging pattern.  So I should just get on with it.  Right?  So we'll see what inspires me this weekend.

Off I go.............

How much do you love eating out with your toddlers?  Well, sometimes we do and sometimes we don't but we do eat most of our meals at home, especially during the week.  Yesterday was a bit crazy.  Evan and Erika had optomotrist appointments at the end of the day and I took them so that I could drive them home assuming that Evan would get drops in his eyes and have a bit of a hard time driving.  The optometrist office was hopping.  They were very efficient but it seemed that we were there forever - I figure we were there for at least 2 hours.  When we left we had to go back to my office to gather some stuff from the office for my presentation this morning (which is now done........ yeah........... and I think it went okay).  So we decided to go out for dinner.  We were debating between 2 restaurants - Moxies and Sammy J Peppers.  We go to Sammy Js every once in a while and like it there but we decided to try Moxies for a change.  We did get seated right away.  The restaurant was busy but not terribly busy.  Almost 20 minutes passed and nobody came to our table to even take a drink order.  This is tough especially when you have a 3 year old, very, very hungry toddler who keeps asking why they don't want to give her any food.  I have to say, she was a charm.  Between trips to the bathroom and some colouring, Erika and I kept busy.  At some point, I stopped our hostess and asked if we had a waiter or waitress because nobody had come yet and we were on borrowed time with a toddler who was very hungry.  We waited at least another 5 minutes with no service and then we went and got up and left the restaurant.  I have never left a restaurant before but I think this was highly appropriate.  We then proceeded to Sammy Js just down the street and got instant service.  We mentioned to our waiter that we had just left another restaurant and he said immediately: "Must have been Moxies, they are known for ther poor service".  Credit goes to him, because he recognized we were tired and hungry.  He got our drinks right away and took Erika's food order before we even decided what we would have.  He had the smarts to know that a hungry toddler is tough to keep entertained.  So, our evening turned out to be a rather late one but we did have a really good meal and I have already e-mailed Moxie's Restaurants to complain about the experience we had.  Maybe we're overreacting but I really don't think it's too much to ask to be at least served some drinks within 5-10 minutes of being seated at a restaurant.  They lost our business last night and we won't go back.

The optometrist appointment was neat.  I had no idea how they would examine little kids' eyes but now I know.  They use pictures.  It was funny... instead of Erika using the word hand, she said mitten because she always asks us to draw her mitten when we trace the outline of her hand.  Her eyes are developing normally and there is no reason for any concern.  And Evan's eyes are fine, too.  His prescription didn't even change.  He did buy himself some new, very sharp frames though.  His old ones are 10 or 15 years old.  I was teasing him that now he really looked the accountant part.

Now that all of this is said and done, I can tell you that I didn't do any knitting at all last night.  Maybe 3 or 4 rows on the spring poncho and a few rows on Erika's sheep sweater.  Erika's sheep sweater is now at the armhole shaping so my next job is working the sleeves so I can combine it all for the yoke.

I am going to work as late tonight as it takes to get a particular project finished.  I hope I'll be finished by at least 5 pm but it might be 6 pm.  It will probably be another fairly late night and little knitting but we'll see.

Have a great one!!!

Trying to look cool just doesn't work for me........... see what I mean?

What a lousy shot........ but it does show off Phil'Onde not only on a hanger but on me.  Next model shoot, I'll try to smile and avoid the "trying to look cool snare".  I thinkI need a more creative photographer, too.

I finished these last night.  Aren't the colours just nuts???  I've seen discussions about colour pooling with the Lorna's Laces.  Doesn't bother me at all.  I think it makes them kind of funky.

Just a bit of knitting on the spring poncho last night.  I'm about halfway through the secon piece.  I still have no faith in it coming even remotely close to fitting but I am not giving up until it's done and I can block the heck out of it.

Crazy day today.  Take it easy.