Uli's Creative Corner

I got a nice message from Yarngirl today about my Charlotte chart.  It's still here - I just haven't finished updating my template............. shame on me.  Who would have "thunk" that people still head over here to find that chart.

Yarngirl, I'm really hoping that you'll come back here because I have no other way of reaching you.  I can't seem to attach something to an e-mail response in motime and I don't have your actual e-mail or blog link if you have a blog.

So, here's the link - right clicking and saving it should do the trick but do let me know if you have troubles.  I haven't looked at this chart in ages and ages:

 

Charlotte Spreadsheet
(Right Click on link and Save)

And my big news, I can't talk much about but I am going to be published in a Jewelry magazine soon. I have a super tight deadline for my submission.  And the coolest thing is that they contacted me..... it just fell into my lap and even though I'm more freaked out than I can describe, I have the definite feeling that I just have to run with it.  How often does something like this come around?

One more day............... I'm so ready for the weekend.

I'm still chugging along on my Kauni cardie............ aside from the odd few stitches on some socks, that's all I've been working on even though I've had some fun ideas for stuff that I'd love to put into my store.

So here is the issue with the colour dilemma - I have since figured out why the abrupt change in colour.  I'm not sure if you'll be able to see from the picture but do have a look:

Look at these angels....................... more pictures of my budding artists:

It's a weird busy day today.  Hubby is over on the other side of the water - the helicopter should have taken him there by now.  I managed to get both kids dressed and ready for daycare and out the door at a decent time and I "only" arrived late at work by about 45 minutes.  But then, that's my self-imposed time as nobody is really watching the clock.  Breakfast for the kids though consisted of a cereal bar in the car. :-) 

I'm just quickly posting this bit of promo today because I had a wonderful reader in a comment ask me about stitch markers.  I don't have many in my store right now but I have a few sets of stitch markers that I made a little while ago.  They are lovely.  The beads are so pretty and sparkly.  I experimented with closed jump rings and they turned out beautifully.  The closed jump rings have an advantage over open jump rings in that there is no potential for the ring snagging the knitting.  I like them but I could only find the closed rings in sterling silver making them not only sparkly but also precious.....  I want to be adding more and more stitch markers over time as I find the time to make more.  Here are the pictures of a few:




These last ones are my Itty Bitty markers.  They have small rings and are meant for sock knitting or lace on delicate needles.  They are shown suspended on a 2.5 mm Crystal Palace bamboo needle.

These are all listed in my store and I have a special Fibre Lover section where I have all my stitch markers, knitting/spinning/crochet cell phone charms as well as my shawl pins.

Hope everyone's week is going well.  For now, I'm feeling a tad tired but it has already been a long day and will continue to be a long one.

Okay, so let's forget about the template for the moment.  It's bugging me that I haven't yanked it into shape yet but I just haven't had the time.  I'm trying to do so much all at the same time.  The template will happen - eventually soon. :-)  But then I wonder if it bothers anyone else out there nearly as much as it bothers me.... probably not.  I've also slowed right down on Ravelry and updating my stash but I had made good progress while I was on holidays.  Oh yeah, that's it............... I'm back at work and the January blahs are slowing me right down - or is that what it's like when the big 4 - 0 is looming right around the corner?  I wanna have a virtual party or should it be more like a wake?  I mean, doesn't it feel like you're getting old when you go for your fun check-up with your family physician and all of a sudden you're getting to go and have tests and mamograms and the whole big done?  Yikes.  But I digress.

Let's talk about JR's 2nd birthday.......... I can't believe that he turned 2 last Thursday.  Wow.  Where did the time go?  It most certainly got away from me.  So we had a little party.  I made a great dinner and then the inlaws canceled.  So it was just my Mom and Dad and the four of us.  It was nice and relaxing.  JR loved his cake and had fun with his presents.  Of course, Little Miss enjoyed helping.

A bit late for the A post but since I just signed up I figured I should include one for "A".

A is for Ansbach and Ansbach is my home town in Germany.  I lived there since the age of 5 until we moved to Canada when I was almost 17.  It is now only a short time in my almost 40 years on this planet but it was where I spent all my "growing years".  First day of Kindergarten, first day of Grade 1, first love, teenage rebel times.  I especially remember Ansbach fondly for its yarn shops.  Now, that was all back then.  I haven't been back in many, many moons so I have no idea what's going on there now.  I still have friends there that I write to and I hope to get back there one day.

Yesterday, I forgot that in all my excitement about my Kauni cardigan, I actually meant to make a comment about the KnitPicks Harmony needles.

Before Christmas, I ordered some needle tips in the Harmony wood as well as some DPNs to check them out.  The 3.5 mm Harmony tips are on my Kauni right now and I also have a set of 2.25 mm DPNs with some Opal sock yarn on the needles and so far, I'm loving both of them.  I like my regular nickel needle tip needle set that my hubby gave me for Christmas some time ago but I can see myself very quickly adding onto my Harmony set.  I'm thinking about dropping birthday hints left right and center................. after all, it's a milestone birthday for me coming up in just over a month.  Yikes............ I'm petrified - so I might as well be treated to some lovely knitterly type gifts, eh?

No new pics today but I started the actual pattern on the Kauni last night and got one square done.  I'm liking it.  I'm liking it.  I made good progress watching the first set of auditions for American Idol.  One sure wonders what goes through some peoples' heads!!!

Well, I thought about power knitting through the pair of Opal Acapulco socks that I have on those Harmony needles right now.  One of hubby's aunts gave me a big hint when we saw her before Christmas that she'd really love a pair of colourful socks some time.  I figured I could treat her but didn't get anything accomplished for Christmas.  She's in town right now (they live way up north) and we thought that with some engineering, we could get her and "great grandma" to also come for JR's birthday party on the weekend.  My MIL was on the same wave length but hubby's Auntie wasn't up for it.  I'm highly disappointed by that (she's usually my favourite extended family auntie).  In turn, she wants us to make the trek out to where great grandma lives, with the kids and all the next weekend to see her.  We just made that big trek last weekend.  And.... we can't take them anywhere because there isn't enough room in our vehicle to do that.  Okay, rant over.  I guess I just had my feelings hurt.  So, she'll get some socks at some point but not this time.  I don't think I could have finished them by Saturday anyways.

Introducing sock pair #2 for 2008:

Bear with me as I fiddle around with a different look over the next few days..............

Sock pair #2 of the year is growing.  I've finished the first sock and the second sock has been started.  I'm very pleased with that.  My Dad's birthday is on January 18th (the day after JR's 2nd birthday) and we're celebrating both their special days on the 19th.  That means I have 11 more days to finish that sock and I should have no problem accomplishing that.  Here it is: