Uli's Creative Corner

I haven't updated my blog because I haven't taken pictures of my lovelies............. but last night, I finally did so now I have a few things to show off:

Mid May, I went to International Fiber Fest.  I didn't have much time and I had JR with me so my enjoyment was limited but it was a good show.  I got to meet my friend Shelley from Fun Knits and a few goodies followed me home:

A lovely skein of Sweatermaker hand dyed fingering weight yarn

two more skeins of Sweatermaker hand dyed fingering weight - aren't the coulours gorgeous?

and this great skein of Tofutsies from South West Trading Company.

The yarn has a great feel.  I can't wait to knit up some socks with it.

And in my wildest dreams, I see myself practicing with my drop spindle more regularly so I couldn't resist these colours one bit:

I bought those from a place called Wild Rose Fibers from Alberta.  Haven't touched any of them yet, of course.

I started Sivia Harding's Gothic Leave Lace stole over the long weekend and here is where I got to:

I'm knitting it in Koigu KPPM and aren't the colours just so "ME"?  I like the pattern and I like the yarn.  What you can't see in the picture is that I didn't finish my last row.  Why,  you may wonder?  Well, I'm short a stitch and can't find the problem.  It was late night lace knitting at its fines.  I'll have to pick it up again when I have a moment to spare.  Those moments are far and few between.

I'm also doing i-chord edging on Little Miss hoodie.  By the time it's done, it will be so hot, she won't need a light weight spring sweater.  I will perservere. :-)

Little Miss and I were having some picture taking fun after I had taken the pictures of the yarn:

She's growing into such a big little lady.  Very precocious and bossy but oh so fun.

JR is going to be the kid who eats us out of house and home.  He was quite sick a couple of weekends ago and now, since he's eating again, he's eating like he's never eaten before.  It's crazy.  Little Miss' first words aside from Ma-Ma and Da-Da was shoes.  JR's first recognizable word aside from the Ma-Mas and Da-Das is MORE. :-)

I really hope that my friends and readers over the years still come popping around when I update even though my posts are boring and far and few between.  It's crazy.  My brain is so full right now, that every time I try to put something new in, I have to let go of something old.  I'm seeing very forgetful these days.  As usual, I'm probably biting off more than I can chew.

Last but not least, come and visit my newest pin I listed on Etsy.  I love the colours. 

I'm planning on making some other shawl pins soon.  I picked up some awesome porcelain beads that were handmade in Africa a little while ago and some of them will be perfect for some new pins.  Of course, everything is time consuming.

Stop by and say HI..... it's more fun than to think you're talking to yourself.

Just wanted to share my casual summer fun earring creations with you.......... so I updated the "OTHER" blog - hop on over: Sparkles & Fuzz

See you back here with some pics of some new stuff I got at Fiberfest International last weekend soon.

How to make Chocolate Chip Cookies

(a recipe by Little Miss - 5 1/2 years old - as recorded and transcribed by her daycare teachers)

I think they sugar in them.  Definitely chocolate chips, sometimes she puts Smarties in it.  She uses butter.  She puts brown sugar in the dough.  She uses two eggs in it.  She mixes them up with a mixing pan.  She puts chocolate chips in it.  She takes the bowl off the mixer, I'll call it that cuz I don't know what its name is.  She puts them on a pan, then puts them in the oven.  The balls of dough are this BIG.  Then you flatten them up or all the smarties or chocolate chips will fall out or they will break apart.  The temperature is really suppose to be 500 degrees, I thin, if my mom put them in the oven for 40 minutes they would like burn so I would think about 5 minutes.  She lets them cool down then lets me taste them.

Happy Mother's Day

You know, I was still taking a load of laundry out of the dryer in our basement at 11 pm last night.  Except for a few minutes here and there, I hadn't sat down on the couch yet.  I went to bed shortly thereafter.  I'm not complaining but when I was driving home from picking up the Little Miss from daycare, I saw some of the neighbourhood stay-at-home Moms sitting on the front porch together having a nice chat and a relaxing cup of tea with each other.  I have nothing against Stay-at-Home Moms and I think that job is often just as tough and I don't think I'm suited for it but when I saw that idyllic little scene in the cul-de-sac I did feel that pang of jealousy.  It is really tough some days. 

These aren't meant for anyone yet and I'm not sure why I'm knitting them but I felt like starting a pair of booties.  I love the colours and I think the resulting booties will be so cute.  I think I'll have to make a little rolled brim hat.  Maybe they're destined for my store on Etsy.  If I ever finish them, that is.  Finishing is a really tough thing for me these days.

It was my Mom's 70th birthday last week and I had them over for a lovely dinner on Sunday.  I made a great chocolate cake and this is what JR looked like at the end of dinner:

Someone had a lot of fun anyways.

So as you see, I can't finish a knitting project if my life depended on it these days but I decided to join the Gothic Leaf Stole KAL.  This is part of the Sivia Harding yahoo group.  I haven't fully participated in that group for a while and my Hanging Garden stole is languishing in the drawer but I'm going to use my Koigu - that alone should inspire me to knit this project.  Unfortunately, I'm about 125 yards short of the required yardage but I'm going to make it just a little narrower and that should do it.  I'm also going to used beads which I'm waiting for right now and I think that lace pattern is easy enough that I can focus on it when I do get a chance to knit.  So wish me well.  I want to make that for our 3-day cruise Evan and I are taking in late September, early October.   Our first trip without kids.

There is a new post up on my Vox Blog - Sparkles & Fuzz and if you would like to see what I made for my Mom for her birthday, you can take a peek there.  There's also a picture of my latest chainmaille pride & joy, a copper and sterling silver bracelet.  In my store are a bunch of new additions, especially a number of really casual summer fun time earrings.  Pop on over for a visit.