Uli's Creative Corner

Oh, it's Thursday, the start of the Canada Day long weekend.  Yeah!!!!  Erika is on a field trip to the beach and fortunately, the rain stopped and the sun is starting to poke through and it's even feeling warm out there.  It's a good thing!!!  She was so excited.  I can't even put it into words.  It's a big think if she wakes up willingly and jumps out of bed ready for action.  That NEVER happens.  Actually, it happened twice this week.  Today because of the field trip and on Monday because of the nail polish.  I had to polish toes and finger nails for her, all in purple.... and she was more than excited about that, too.  I never wear nail polish so just the fact that she had to have nail polish was a surprise to me.  I guess other girls in daycare must have had some.

No needles were picked up last night.  Just didn't get a moment at all.

I've been quiet about the SockPal-2-za........... been thinking and thinking and thinking.  So many pretty patterns, so much pretty yarn..... such a hard decision to make.  I think I have settled on a pretty pattern.  Very simple structured pattern but very pretty.  Now I just have to figure out what yarn and colours to go for.  I've been given pretty much a blank slate.  I'm on a "anything goes" mission.  I will have to investigate what my stash has in store.  I also have 3 other pair of gift socks to knit for another sock exchange I'm participating in.  So guess what.... I won't tempt myself with any other projects.  I'm taking sock needles and sock yarn on our vacation.  How many pairs of socks can I knit in a week of vacation???  It will be a "relaxing" vacation - not a run around/sight seeing type vacation.  I'm going for 2 pair.

Then there are also the Chutes and Ladders socks from the Six Sox KAL that I definitely want to give a try and then there are my Mustersocken KAL socks, too.  I'm almost finished with sock 1 and although I really enjoy the pattern, I haven't been super interested in those socks lately.

I'm hungry and don't have a lunch with me.  I think it's time to go find some food.  Have an enjoyable Canada Day if you're north of the border and a great 4th of July weekend if you're south of me!!!

This week is just nutso........... I have no idea whether I'm coming or going or what day of the week it even is.  Don't know why.  It's not that it's entirely off track with being busy or anything.  It's a short week for us and I think I'm so anticipating the Friday off that every day seems like Thursday.  But we're getting down to the count down.  Tomorrow is TGIT.  It's also the children's last day at school.  Now that doesn't affect me personally in terms of having a child on vacation since Erika isn't quite school age yet but since I do work (year-round however) in the education system, the last day of school means the quiet, catch-up type days of summer are ahead.  The days when we go to casual dress.  The days when we work slightly longer days but get some extra days off in lieu.  The days when the phone doesn't ring off the hook.  And the days when you can try and play catch-up and even contemplate sitting down to eat your lunch.  I celebrate summer for that reason every year but I also know that it leads up to my very busiest time of the year, September and October and you better believe how fast that's around the corner.  It's all good though.  Right now it seems that we have months ahead of us yet.

This week, I've been working on Hearts and Lace (my name for it).  It's growing and I'm working on the second heart.  I'm having a few issues with the holes being the same size with a yo, k2tog as compared to a yo, sl1, k1, psso slipped stitch.  But I think it will balance itself with a bit of blocking.  I'm not too fussy about it.  I had a bit of surprise knitting time yesterday.   Well, it wasn't surprise knitting time but it turned into knitting time when I realized I could do it during this meeting.  We had a landscape designer come to our house to give us a consultation regarding our postage sized back yard.  She drew us a "to-scale" design including all the plants we could plant etc.  So while she was designing away and giving us suggestions, I had my knitting in hand.  The way she designed our backyard, it could become an oasis of peace and quiet and pretty flowers and foliage but the money to invest in that would be just incredible.  We'll do some of it ourselves but we wouldn't be able to do all of it so we'll have to see what and how much we can afford to do.  It's pretty much all on hold for now - as are all other big expenditures....... for obvious reasons.

I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some progress pics.

I indulged myself in a little bit of baby knitting this weekend although the little hat I made turned out a bit bigger than infant size.  Nonetheless, it's very, very cute and I have enough yarn left to make another one the same size or, as I'm planning to do, I definitely have enough to downsize the pattern a little and make it smaller.  It's made with some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in their Rainbow colour.  The pattern is a Lorna's Laces pattern.  Here are a couple of pictures:

Here's the front view

This is a bit of a view from the top

There are 2 things I want to do with this pattern.  One is to downsize it to make it more of a newborn size and the other is to re-calculate the numbers so I can use leftover sock weight yarn, especially any leftover Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock.  Very fun and quick nit.  I got it done on Saturday evening.

The rest of the weekend has been an absolute blur.  I had a really good time playing my guitar again but my poor little fingers are still sore today.  I've still got what it takes to sing those high descants except that I was maybe a bit rusty around a few of them because even though some of the pieces of music I had done before, I haven't done them in so long that what used to be natural and ingrained in my brain, yesterday I actually had to think about ie. timing, when to come in on a certain part etc.  It all worked out though and was so worth the trip out to UBC.  Amazing how things have changed out there in terms of the construction that's going on etc.

We came home and we all fell asleep on the couche.  Well, I was the exhausted one in the group but Evan got to fall asleep while Erika wouldn't give me much of a chance to have any rest. 

I'm so far behind my housework now.  I didn't get much laundry done and finally about 7:30 last night I ran up to the grocery store to get some basic groceries for the week.  This week I should really get my basic prenatal blood tests done.... yuck.  I hate getting my blood drawn.  I've been putting it off since my next appointment isn't until the very last week of July.  I wonder if my colleagues noticed that I put on decaf for the coffee today.  I bet you nobody noticed. :-)

Have a great week!!!

Well, it's the first official weekend of summer.  The weather forecast doesn't sound that promising but I think we're in for trying to get some of the essentials for our upcoming trip ie. beach sandals, a sleeping bag for Erika etc.

Tomorrow morning I get a bit of a break and I get a chance to meet up with a friend for some coffee and some knitting.  I'm pleased about that.  I'm ready for a break.

Most of my little bit of knitting time I've had has been working on JoJo and I'm getting close to having the first front done.  It's a very soothing knit because it's easy and I can make some progress even with just a few minutes at a time.

Of course, I've been going through my old baby patterns and been thinking of the possibilities.  When the stress of deciding whether I should take certain tests for this pregnancy because I'm at a higher risk of the baby having certain problems due to my age overwhelms me and takes the joy out of these early weeks of pregnancy, I turn to my knitting books and think about the knitting possibilities.  It most certainly has soothing powers.  And then I turn away and dare not start or even plan anything because it's still so darn early and so many things can still go wrong.  Mind you, Erika decided to name "her real baby" (as she likes to call the jelly bean) Z, Baba or Cheerios.  What a clown!!!!  I like her view of creating life - in her words.  "God picks out our new baby and Daddy gets to pick out the baby's name".  Daddy?  What's up with that?  I think Mommy will have a say in that process, too. :-)

On Sunday we go to my old stomping grounds - UBC.  I'll be singing and playing my guitar with my old choir (mind you, only the director and one other person are still there from the past).  The Basilian priests are moving on and Fr. Leo who was always like a grandpa to me and who married Evan and I is leaving.  So this will be a service to honour him and one other priest in that community.  We're having a big bash for them and I'm so pleased that I was asked to come back and bring my voice and my music with me for this occasion.  I'd better practice a bit tomorrow so I won't make a total fool of myself.  It's a long story, but around the time that Erika was about 7 or 8 months, I hung up my guitar and haven't looked back much since then.  So I'm a bit rusty.

Busy but fun weekend!

Thanks for all the well-wishes on baby and the great comments about the puzzle sweater.  That was one heck of a fun sweater to do.  It was also frustrating at times, especially when it came to weaving in ends.  I am really pleased with it though and the yarn (Schachenmayr Punto) is wonderful.  It was hard to find locally or even in Canada but it's an awesome yarn, especially for kid's knits.  Now I haven't washed it yet or anything like that but it just has that softness to it that kids will like - not scratchy at all.

Well, as far as the surprise contest for a ball of sock yarn from my extensive stash........... drum roll.......... the winner is Brenda.  I was amazed how everyone just seemed to zone in on the 9-month work in progress.

I have a new finished sock for you.  The sock yarn is Regia Tip&Top Cotton in colour 1084.  The socks are very nice and soft.  I think the leftover (hopefully enough) will make a cute little baby hat!!!

I have lots of sock knitting to do this summer.  I'm doing a few exchanges including the Sockpaltwozaa........... my sock knitting will probably be the only knitting that will travel along with me on our summer vacation this year.  We'll see how many pairs of socks I can knit while we're gone.  Ferry rides, driving time etc..... Maybe 2 pair?

Spring is back.......... we had summer for 2 1/2 days and cloudy spring weather seems to be back.

Well, it didn't seem too much of a surprise.... most people that commented guessed.  Anyone guessed that we're expecting is right.  It's still so early that we pray that everything will go well especially in those first few weeks.  We just came back from the doctor's office but that was very anticlimatic.  She didn't even do a test saying that if the home tests (all 3 of them) all came back positive, there is really no need to do one at the office.  Other than that, we just talked about the basics and my last pregnancy and some of the decisions about tests we have to make since I'm no spring chicken any longer.  The baby will be due right around my birthday.  I'm excited and terrified at the same time.  I don't make a good patient.  I'm very nervous and anxious about anything to do with doctors and hospitals etc. 

But now I should show you the promised puzzle sweater since this is probably more exciting for anyone who comes here for knitting content.

Cute, eh?

More news tomorrow!

Oh, some times technology can sure be frustrating.  My post today was going to be about the finally finished puzzle sweater.  I even have a couple of model shots.  I also had to show off a finished pair of socks.  Well, it all failed last night and I couldn't upload any of the pictures.  So here we go on a Monday morning without pictures.  I'm very disappointed.

Father's Day was fun.  Luckily, the sun came out in the afternoon and we had a really fun BBQ with my Mom and Dad, Evan's Dad and all of us.

Well, as I said, the puzzle sweater is finally finished.  I took it to the LYS to show the pieces off because that's where I bought the yarn and I don't get there often.  The owner gave me a slap on the wrist for dragging out the finishing.  I guess that inspired me enough......  In any case, it's done and I'm so pleased with it.

I also knit the toe on a Regip Tip Top Cotton pair of socks.  That toe had been waiting to be knit since the beginning of June.  Phew......... done.

And that really is about it.  Time just flies these days.  We seem to get very little sit-down/relax time.  I am so excited about our upcoming little vacation.  3 more weeks and we're off.  Yeah!!!  I'll probably take all sock knitting goodies.

Well, without pictures, I don't feel like I have too much interesting going on to tell you.  I'll try again for tomorrow.

It's Friday - yeah!!!!!  It has been a long week.  Very busy and with all kinds of excitement.

Yesterday at the LYS, I saw some really cool yarn.  Oh boy........... I wanted some.  But I resisted.  I might have to go back though.  i can't even describe it but it was a fall yarn already and I can't find a link of it on the internet at all.  Very pretty stuff though.

I went out for the loveliest dinner with a girlfriend last night.  What a treat.  A nice quiet restaurant close to the beach.  A wonderful meal.  Nice conversation.  No kids' menu. :-)  We had fun while Evan and Erika went to the birthday party.  They had fun, too but I think I had more fun that Evan.  It was just so relaxing.

As a result, when I came home though I went into full action with Erika and didn't sit down much to pick up the needles at all.  I really hope that I can finish the puzzle sweater this weekend.  I just have to finish a few more silly seams.

Hopefully I can show some fun pictures next week.  We're having a Father's Day BBQ on Sunday.  That should be fun.  Other than that, we're having a fairly quiet weekend.

Enjoy the weekend.

So why did my template go all wonky..... even though I didn't change any of the code?  Go figure!!!

Be back tomorrow with some stuff - but very little knitting...........

I needed a bit of fun knitting yesterday so I dug into Jo Jo from Beesknees Knits.  It's such a cute pattern and since Candace is the favourite cardie for Erika right now and the perfect weight to wear each and every morning I figured it was time to make something similar as she outgrows this pattern.  So the start of JoJo.  I wasn't quite sure how the yarn combination I had envisioned would look but I must say..... it's working out really well.  I'm using Opal Petticoat and a light blue Opal solid colour.  It's working well and the first front is growing quickly.

I also made it around the needle on Dancing Vines a few times.  After a walk to the park with Erika and some time watering the plants I ended up having a bit of a quiet evening as I watched Canadian Idol and Evan took Erika to bed.  It was nice and relaxing.  I needed it.

Work is busy and stressful right now.  Yuck............ can't wait for the weekend and can't wait for the slower pace of summer to arrive. 

See yesterday's post.......... you can still leave me some guesses about my surprise in my comments until next Tuesday for a draw of a skein of sock yarn.