31 August 2015

Snowflake Monday

Very cool graphic!

I've tried my best but have been unable to track down the artist who created this and this. Aren't they whimsical?!? They seem to draw from my passion for quilting, my love of embroidery and my obsession with blues. These graphics even have a denim appearance, which makes them all that much more beautiful and magnetic to me!

I hope whomever designed these two fun graphics will appreciate today's snowflake. It is my token of appreciation to the graphics designer!

Winter Ice Snowflake

While making blue flower flakes for my motif project, I ran out of size 10 periwinkle crochet thread I'd inherited from my grandmother in 1979. Needless to say, the thread was not available anymore.

I searched and found a periwinkle Lizbeth thread that's close to what I'd been using and an attractive color to boot. Lizbeth also had a new two-color twisted thread in a colorway called Winter Ice. How could I resist?

This was the first snowflake I made with that thread, just to try it out. When The Lizard first saw it, he asked if it is an Elsa snowflake because of the colors. So I suppose Winter Ice is the perfect name.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Winter Ice Snowflake Rock

Finished Size: 4.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Winter Ice Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in ring, * ch 10, 2 dc in ring; repeat from *4 times; ch 4, 1 dtr in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 10 sp of Round. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc over post of dtr directly below, * ch 8, sl st in 7th ch from hook, ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 10 sp, ch 3, 5 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 8, sl st in 7th ch from hook, ch 1, 5 dc in next ch 10 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, * 2 dtr in next ch 6 loop, [ch 3, 2 dtr in same loop] 4 times, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 4, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Winter Ice Snowflake Rock

28 August 2015

27 August 2015

Granny Squared

You'd think it goes without saying...

August 15 was Granny Square Day. Instagram users posted photos of granny squares with a special hashtag that enabled viewers to make their own digital crocheted granny square afghans.

Except the project was discovered by spammers early in the day, which, thankfully, users reported, which, unfortunately, resulted in all the granny squares being blocked for most of the day while moderators manually cleaned up the mess.

Everything was back in order by about 8 p.m., and except for crocheters who couldn't follow instructions, some fun granny square afghans saw the (internet) light of night!

Granny Square Day 2015, from Instagram

25 August 2015

Rescued

wild horses

The Lizard was helping me in the garden recently when he accidentally brushed up against one of our day lilies, the Wild Horses variety. This particular bulb has never been Superflower the way most day lilies proliferate. While some of the bulbs I bought the same year have since more than quadrupled in size, I'm usually lucky to get three or four blooms from Wild Horses each August. A couple of years, it didn't bloom at all. It's slender, stingy and finicky.

So I jumped to the rescue when the final bloom of 2015 was accidentally knocked to the ground. About two inches in length, it looked as if it needed another week of growing to open. I put it upright in a small container of stagnant water I keep in the house for the houseplants. The chlorine evaporates from the water as it sits for a few days, and I've found this sometimes murky water to be much more palatable to my plants.

two more blossoms for 2015

I didn't know if the bloom would open. All I could do was hope. The next day, one petal had peeled away. Over the next few days, the decapitated bud looked as if it might open fully.

open, open, open

About eight days later, success! My final Wild Horse of the year opened! Day lilies last only a day, so it was gone by the time I got home from work, but I got to enjoy it in the morning before work, even though the bud fell to an early near-death!

It lives!

Not perfect, but better than dead!

Day Lily Splendor

24 August 2015

Spring Star Flower Monday

Spring Star Flower

When you order garden bulbs from one seller, within a few months you're on the mailing list for all the sellers.

Not such a bad thing if you are a blue flower addict like me.

I've been drooling over a number of exotic iris bulbs ever since last autumn, when the bulbs are actually shipped, regardless of when you order. But I have approximately 12 different species of iris right now, and the bulbs are getting really crowded on my hand-shaped mound. They need to be dug up and divided next year. So I'm trying to maintain self-control and not order any more irises for a while.

The Iris Mound

However, other blue flowers catch my eye.

I'd never heard of Ipheion, and the common name, spring star flower, is as much a knockout as the actual flower! They're advertised as fragrant ground cover when you step on them (but why would you do such a thing???), and the onion-like aroma of the foliage is not appreciated by garden pests.

Win/win!!!

So, when the late summer catalog with the best sale I've seen since the first time the flowers caught my discerning eye arrived, well, it didn't take long for impulse control to fail.

The bulbs won't ship until September, so I thought I'd crochet a few. After I plant the bulbs, I won't have flowers until next April. So I thought I'd stick a spring star flower in my vest-in-progress. Keeps me from being too antsy while I wait, wait, wait...

Other flower flakes in this series include:

Mother's Day Snowflake Motif
Sunflake III
Daisyflake
Picotee Snowflake
Chamomile Snowflake
Lobelia Snowflake
Hoyaflake
Daffodil Snowflake
Windflower Snowflake
Blue Flax Snowflake
Spiderwort Snowflake
Love in a Mist Snowflake
Iris Snowflake

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes and/or flowers you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Spring Star Flower

Finished Size: flower, 2 inches across; snowflake, 5.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in 3 to 5 colors, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Spring Star Flower Snowflake

Spring Star Flower Snowflake Instructions

With yellow or stamen color, make magic ring.

Round 1: [Ch 2, 1 hdc in ring, ch 2, sl st in ring] 3 times. Bind off. Don't pull magic ring too tight yet.

Round 2: With purple or petal contrast color, 1 sc over any sl st, * ch 7, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, 1 sc into ring over same sl st, ch 7, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, working behind next stamen, 1 sc into ring over next sl st; repeat from * around 2 times for a total of 6 long, skinny petals, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Now you may pull magic ring tight.

Round 3: With lavender or pastel petal color, * 1 sc in bottom right sc of any petal (or bottom right sc petal of next petal in repeats), 1 hdc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in ch 2 tip, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook (petal point made), 2 sc in same ch 2 tip, working back down left side of petal, 1 sc in next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Round 4: With green if making leaves or white if making snowflake, working on the back of motif, 1 dc in 2 threads at base of any petal (work the dc into 2 threads to prevent the dc from pulling the petal out of proportion), * ch 3, 1 dc in 2 threads at base of next petal; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), * 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 5 sp of Round.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of tr directly below, 2 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp, * 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, 2 hdc in same sp; 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. (If making leaves, bind off green here and work remainder of Rounds in white.)

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, 1 dc in gap between next 2 sc, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, 2 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, 1 dc in gap between next 2 sc, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 8: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, 3 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 9: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 3 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 2 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 4 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, 4 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 2 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 4 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 10: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 3 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), 5 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 3 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

If using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Spring Star Flower Snowflake

21 August 2015

20 August 2015

Change of Plans


We had four days off, alone, together, in our favorite part of the state. The plan was to hike Courthouse Mountain...

Dunsinane and Precipice from the slopes of Courthouse Mountain

... Blue Lakes...

primary colors high above Blue Lake

... Highland Mary Lakes...

Highland Mary Lakes

... and Ice Lake...

Pilot Knob, Lower Ice Lake and Parry Primrose

The weather had different ideas.

Blaine Basin trail

Day I was spent in the Cimarron Basin, shooting wildflowers and moose.


On Day II, we made the spontaneous decision at the Blue Lakes/Blaine Basin fork in the trail to go left and hike the path less taken. The Lizard had climbed Mount Sneffel's Snake Route, a snow climb, via Blaine Basin a good many years ago. I'd never been on that trail. Because it was highly likely we wouldn't make it far before lightning began electrifying one of my favorite places in Colorado, I decided to try something new and see whatever Blaine Basin would share in such a short time. Blaine Basin was not stingy.

mushroom

What is that???

lots

Full=grown?

twin berries

baneberry

baneberry

unidentified and perfect for crochet

too much rain

green gentian

sticky geranium

monkshood

nodding ragwort

nearly exhausted beebalm

fireweed

my sweetie
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