30 April 2013
Wordless Wednesday
The Hero's Choice
Roger Allen graciously performed our wedding ceremony in 2005, even though we gave him only a couple days of advance notice. We'd been friends for a while. He was an aspiring author, and so was I. He also coached me in my strained relationship with my adopted kids, both of whom left the nest on unauthorized field trips and chose not to return.
Now Roger's a real author,too. He self-published his first book three years ago, "The Hero's Choice", and it's among my top ten favorite books of all time. The detailed account of a man down on his luck, "The Hero's Choice" not only demonstrates how attitude makes all the difference in facing difficult times but also teaches the reader in a non-preaching way, via an unexpected yet timely chance encounter with a mysterious stranger, how to manage crises and Murphy's Law episodes in his or her own life.
This was a book I couldn't put down. I think I read it in two days. From the beginning, I was drawn to the main characters, and I was pulling for them all the way through the book. When I finished the book, I didn't want to be done. I wanted more! I gave several copies to friends for Christmas that year, and they all said they couldn't put the book down either.
Roger Allen has a blog, too, and I'm on his mailing list. I love his uplifting notes and anecdotes that magnify how to better face harsh realities we sometimes must tackle.
This post, in my opinion, is Roger's best. Perhaps because there is a soft spot in my heart for all veterans of all wars, but maybe also because I admire and wish to emulate the courage and strength of the former prisoner of war in this particular true story.
Please don't pass up either of these gems. The message they reveal is worth every second of your time.
29 April 2013
Snowflake Monday
Mother's Day is just a couple of weeks away now. I was trying to think of a project that could double as a Mother's Day gift, and the only thing I could think of this time around was a striped snowflake pattern I started last summer.
There are many thread snowflake variations I'm still working to finish, so late last night I decided to divide the 9-page (so far) pattern into two. That way, crocheters have enough time to finish this week's pattern in time for Mother's Day. My blue and white dish cloth snowflakes are going to my mom in the mail this week! (Blue is her favorite color and the main color in her kitchen.)
Today's pattern features the worsted weight cotton yarn version of this pattern, and in next week's thread version, I'll share why this pattern got the name Many Thunders instead of Buttonhole.
Many Thunders Dish Cloth Instructions
Finished Size: 17 inches from point to point
Materials: 70-grams each cotton worsted yarn in 2 colors will supply just enough yarn for two dishcloths in opposite color schemes with a tiny bit of each left over; if working stripes of different colors, small amounts of more than two colors may be used; size I crochet hook; optional sewing needle and thread to match main color
TIP: There are a lot of ends to weave in on this project. To prevent having to go back and weave in ends at completion of project, weave in ends as you go. Contrast color ends are very easy to bury at start of each new main color round by working 5/dc groups over ends.
Round 1: With Color A (main color), ch 6, sl st in 5th ch from hook; repeat from * 4 times; ch 1, sl st in 1st ch of starting ch 6, ch 2, 1 tr in sl st to form 6th ch 5 loop.
Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same loop, * 3 dc in next ch 5 loop, ch 3, 3 dc in same loop; repeat from * around 4 times; 3 dc in next ch loop, ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off.
Round 3: With Color B (contrast color), 1 sc in any ch 3 point, * ch 4, 1 sc between next 2 3/dc groups, ch 4, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 10, sl st in 10th ch from hook; 1 sc in same ch 3 point; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off.
Round 4: With Color A, 5 dc in any ch 4 sp just left of ch 10 loop, 5 dc in next ch 4 sp, ch 3, * sk over (and behind) next ch 10 loop, 5 dc in next ch 4 sp; 5 dc in next ch 4 sp, ch 3; repeat from * around 4 times; sl st in starting dc; bind off.
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: With Color B, 1 sc in any ch 3 point, ch 3, 1 sc in same point, * ch 4, 1 sc between next 2 5/dc groups, ch 4, 1 sc in next ch 3 point, ch 3, 1 sc in same point, ch 10 (you don't have to sl st to make ch 10 loops from this round on), 1 sc in same point, ch 3, 1 sc in same point; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 sc and ch 3 of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off.
NOTE: If desired, you may pull ch 10 loops on this round from behind through ch 10 loops of Round 3 to see what the chained loops will look like. The chained chains may not stay put as you work the following rounds, but that's okay. It's not ruined if the chained chains come undone. All the chain loops may be chained (or rechained) after finishing Round 8.
Round 6: With Color A, 3 dc in any ch 3 sp just left of ch 10 loop, * 5 dc in each of next 2 ch 4 sp, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk over (and behind) next ch 10 loop, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in starting dc; bind off.
Round 7: With Color B, 1 sc in any ch 3 point, * ch 4, 1 sc between next 3/dc group and next 5/dc group, ch 4, 1 sc between next 2 5/dc groups, ch 4, 1 sc between next 5/dc group and next 3/dc group, ch 4, 1 dc in next ch 3 point, ch 10, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off.
Round 8: With Color A, 5 dc in any ch 4 sp just left of ch 10 loop, 5 dc in each of next 3 ch 4 sp, [ch 6, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, ch 9, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 dc in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 6, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch (3-pronged tip made)], * 5 dc in each of next 4 ch 4 loops, [ch 6, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, ch 9, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 dc in ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 6, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch (3-pronged tip made)]; repeat from * around 4 times; sl st in starting dc; bind off. Weave in ends if not already done.
NOTE: Optionally, you may secure tri-pronged tips as you go by pre-chaining chain loops, pulling first prong of tri-prong through Round 7 ch 10 loop, working 2nd sc of middle prong by pulling yarn for bring up loop around back of Round 7 ch 10 loop and pull-through loop back through ch 10 loop as shown below, working third prong and then pulling loop on hook off hook and pulling loop back out of ch 10 loop to begin working next dc as shown below.
Work tip through Round 7 ch 10 loop.
Work 2nd sc of 2nd prong around ch 10 loop to secure tip.
Work remainder of tip through Round 7 ch 10 loop.
Pull yarn and loop on hook back through ch 10 loop to work next set of dc stitches.
secured tip
Finish: Pull Round 5 ch 10 loops through Round 3 ch 10 loops from behind. Pull Round 7 ch 10 loops through Round 5 ch 10 loops from behind. Pull Round 8 tri-pronged tips through Round 7 ch 10 loops from behind. If desired, secure tri-pronged tips in place by sewing a few stitches through layers of Round 7 loops and tips with thread to match main color.
26 April 2013
Female Friday Funny
More links to make your eyes roll. I couldn't resist. I'm so sorry!
This just had to follow the above.
Now this is just getting crazy...
?!?!?
Who knew?
Tetris for Tampons
Yes, people are making wreaths with them, too.
I really didn't intend for this to be a theme. It just sort of happened.
This one's really cute.
Ummm...
You know I'm no Twilight fan, right?
No way!!!
Oh, no!
Say it ain't so...
Speechless.
Gag.
25 April 2013
Heels Over Head
a real-life adventure
Read Part XXVI here.
Now available in ebook format!
Epilogue
I started this story with the intent to help others overcome their fears but apparently was temporarily derailed by the very fear I was trying to conquer. Now that I have finished, I really can't tell if what I've been through will help someone else.
So I guess I'd better make one of those proverbial lists, just in case my verbal wanderings don't hit the mark.
The most important step in recovery for me was and is prayer. Long before this accident ever occurred, I learned, the hard way, to pray each time I took the driver's seat. I always pray I will be able to stay awake and alert, that I will not endanger the lives of others and that I will be courteous. After my accident, I was tempted to believe God had not watched over me and my kids. It took a long time for me to realize He did exactly that and more. God doesn't always prevent accidents, and He doesn't always provide happy endings. But He does hear and answer prayers. I am thankful for the lessons He taught me throughout this ordeal, and I'm thankful He was able to strengthen my faith in the process and prepare me for other calamities I would face down the road of life.
The second most important element in my revitalization was the desire and ability to journal. I didn't finish this book when I wanted to, but I did record daily experiences in my journal, a magnificent buried treasure I could draw upon later, containing many healing moments that likely would have faded from memory had I not taken the time to jot them down.
Family, friends and a good therapist also were helpful. When I felt worthless, guilty or just plain terrified, my family and friends rallied around me and reminded me of the fun memories that sporadically played hide and seek. They bolstered my confidence, my sense of adventure and my yearning to get back out into the mountains. They hungered for my photos. They kept being my confidants and friends, especially when I felt unworthy of their efforts.
Nothing in life can be tackled without humor, or at least a smile. When I look back at the first three chapters of this book, I can see how I tried – desperately sometimes – to make myself laugh. I was very hard on the rescue personnel and hospital staff. And yet, there is this prevailing flavor – a subconscious attempt to describe events in a manner that might at least cause eyeballs to roll, if not outright laughter. As I began to heal, my kids were instrumental because they were comedians in a former life, sent here to torment me with nonstop nonsense and everlasting entertainment.
Children truly are resilient, and I am continually inspired by their zest, curiosity and freshness. Both of my kids experienced some dreadfully hard things before they entered my home, and their sheer desire to survive makes them daily miracles in my life. Their path still is not easy; both have ghosts that haunt them still. Deep down inside, however, both of them have clung to the healing powers of laughter. Even from the darkest abyss, they try to crack silly jokes and make Jim Carreyesque faces. They evoke laughter even when it's not appropriate.
Attitude is a final key ingredient to healing through and through. It is a product of all the other essential elements. I'm not sure it can thrive without the rest. So many times I wallowed chin-deep in negative emotions that threatened to devour me and imprison me. I think the hardest thing, more difficult than getting hit by a truck, adopting special needs kids, negotiating with high-pressure salespeople and sneezing with broken ribs, is pulling myself up out of the gutter when I feel defeated, broken, rejected or abandoned. Without the soothing and healing balm of God, true friends, self-reflection and laughter, a bad attitude cannot be easily shirked.
In reviewing the details of my rollover accident, I sometimes feel as if I'm reading about a different person, not me. I've changed so much. I’ve grown so much. I've survived so much more now. This really is my story. I really did rise above May 25th, 1996. I made it!
Had I known some nine and a half years ago that finishing this endeavor would take only four more nights, I could have finished it way back then. But, oh, heck! Then I wouldn't have been able to finish up with four-wheeling in an SUV in Alaska!
Read Part XXVIII here. (link will not work until May 2)
Table of Contents
Copyright 2013 by Deborah and Brett Atkinson
23 April 2013
Practice Makes Perfect
Well, let me rephrase that. I am far from perfect, but I am getting a little better at free motion quilting, a.k.a. FMQ.
This project was born when I caught The Lizard doodling in a notebook while he waited for me at the train stop. Turns out he does this on a regular basis, but rarely am I able to sneak up on him.
I think he was a bit embarrassed at having been caught at first. I think he thought I would laugh at his doodles. Instead, I marveled.
"Babe!" I oozed. "You should be doing this on a quilt. This would make the most incredible quilt ever. Please let me teach you!"
He agreed. I set up a simple little quilt square for him. But with the big bike rides we've got coming up, and out-of-town guests arriving this weekend who want to take a trip up one of our favorite trails, he's got bikes on the racks and grease on his fingers for a few more days.
Which may be a good thing. If I'm going to teach The Lizard to FMQ, I need to get at least a little better at it. After I finished his little practice square, I decided to make one for me, too.
After machine basting in a color I didn't intend to use in the practice piece, I traced a lizard outline with chartreuse thread onto the turquoise blue fabric. Using a different color for the basting makes pulling the basting out a little easier at the end of a project.
My initial intent was to draw little pebbles all over the background. After six pebbles, I decided I should focus on "smooth" and "not jerky" for a while because, well, my FMQ is really awful. It looks nervous and uptight!
So I scribbled. I didn't pay any attention at all to the design. I just tried to make smooth, fluid motions. For a couple of hours!
This used up a ton more thread than I'd intended, but I think the exercise was productive. Toward the latter half of my project, I began moving more controlled, more evenly, without having to concentrate on it as much.
After I finished the square, I tried to think of a way to use it. After all, it turned out pretty darned awesome, in my opinion, even if it isn't perfect and even if it is just scribbling. Plus, I can't allow all that thread to go to waste, can I?
I've been toting along a purple snowflake bag every workday for my commuting crafting since about October. With all the snow we've been receiving the last couple of weeks, I decided it's time for the snowflakes to go. I need something bright and springy.
Instead of pulling out the old and time-worn summer bag, I turned the scribbled lizard into a new one. And I've been carrying it along with me on the train every day since!
22 April 2013
Snowflake Monday
Sometimes while I'm trying to use up tiny scraps of thread, I come up with what I think is a great idea for a one-round snowflake, but there are too many stitches for a tiny flake. After I finish off the thread scraps, I try again with a bigger center and a bigger supply of thread. Sometimes, the second flake comes out better than the first!
Sometimes the first flake isn't too bad once I get it pinned out. Today I present a double whammy because I like both variations. And I finished off two short thread remnants in the process!
Because this is such a handy little pair of patterns, I've named them after one of the 14ers in my favorite part of the state: Handies Peak.
There is no record of how 14,048-foot Handies got such a handy name, but according to speculation, the name Handie may have been one of the early pioneers or surveyors along Cinnamon Pass. The name was already in place prior to the Hayden survey in 1874. If the U.S. Forest Service had its way, the peak would have been named Tabasco, after the Tabasco Meat Sauce Company that financed a prolific silver mine near Handies.
Handies Peak is the highest point managed by the Bureau of Land Management outside of Alaska. It's also the highest point of the Hardrock 100-mile foot race, which features 33,992 feet of climbing. !!! Now, THAT's Tabasco!!!
No, I have never done the Hardrock 100, and I have no interest whatsoever in running 100 miles anywhere. Give me a bike, and we're on. But 100 miles of trail running: My knee would not survive.
Nevertheless, I have been atop the gorgeous summit of Handies. It was such a fun and beautiful climb, I would handily do it again someday in order to photograph participants in the Hardrock 100.
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!
Finished Size: Handies Peak Snowflake, 2 inches from point to point; Tabasco Peak Snowflake, 3 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 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
Handies Peak Snowflake Instructions
Make magic ring.
Round 1: * 1 sc in ring, ch 8, 1 sc in ring, ch 5; repeat from * 4 times; 1 sc in ring, ch 8, 1 sc in ring, ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form last ch 5 sp of round. Don’t pull magic ring too tight.
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 2: 2 sc over post of tr just worked, * ch 1, 2 dc in next ch 8 sp, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 3 sc in next ch 5 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
Tabasco Peak Snowflake Instructions
Make magic ring.
Round 1: 12 sc in ring; sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight.
Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), * 1 dc in next sc, ch 2; repeat from * around 10 times; 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 4 to form last ch 2 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: 1 sc over post of hdc just worked, ch 8, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp, * ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp, ch 8, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form last ch 5 sp of round.
Round 4: 2 sc over post of tr just worked, * ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 8 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in 4th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 4, sl st in sc (tri-picot made), 3 dc in same ch 8 sp, ch 1, 3 sc in next ch 5 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends. Weave in ends.
While remaking Tabasco Peak in white for my snowflake directory, I decided to dress it up a bit. I like the new points so much, I am including the Easter egg pattern here, but I think I’ll be using these points on future snowflakes. I really like this new flake!
Round 4: 2 sc over post of tr just worked, [in next ch 8 tip work (3 dc, ch 10, 1 dc, ch 15, 1 dc, ch 10, 3 dc), 3 sc in next ch 5 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends. 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.