Rock and Troll Monday

NOTE: Fundraising for 2016 has concluded. I haven't decided whether to do another booklet for 2017 because we haven't decided whether we can afford to participate in another MS-150 in 2017. I'll announce our decision as soon as we make it.


Is it a rock?


A hideaway?


A troll???


My new PDF pattern booklet to benefit the fight against multiple sclerosis finally is here!

After nearly 18 months of drafting, crocheting, stiffening, stuffing, photographing, editing, writing, editing, writing, editing, writing and then just a bit more writing and editing... "Sea Quell" is available beginning today.

My new PDF booklet of patterns will not be published on my blog but instead will be offered as a unique thank you card to anyone who makes a tax-deductible donation of at least $10 to your choice of The Davis Phinney Foundation (which has a goal of making life better for people who have Parkinson's), or The Michael J. Fox Foundation (which has a goal of finding a cure).

Each time a donation is made, I receive an email notifying me of the donation, and I email the pdf booklet as a token of my gratitude. I try to respond to each donation on the day they are made. However, please bear in mind I am not always able to check email 24 hours a day, especially during the work week. If you make a donation and don't hear from me within three days, it's possible I did not receive notification. In that case, please notify me at flake at snowcatcherphotos dot com.


My previous pdf booklets are available also. I will send all eight of the old booklets to anyone who makes a donation of $40 or more, which is the equivalent of $5 per booklet. If you would like fewer than the whole set, please make sure I know which pdf booklets you want.

All donations to the Davis Phinney Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation are tax deductible.

This new PDF booklet includes 11 snowflake patterns, 9 snowflake frames and the patterns for the Rock and Troll. (I have republished two patterns from my blog in this booklet, the Moss Snowflake and the Vitamin C Snowflake Frame.)


I had SUCH fun working up my first little Troll with my very own indigo-dyed cotton thread, but once again, my own short-sightedness brought on a bit of a dilemma.

When I first began dyeing yarn and thread, I wound hanks of 100 yards. I quickly learned 100 yards often is not enough to complete a project other than a few snowflakes. So I began dyeing 150-yard hanks.

That still wasn't enough for this "Frozen"-inspired character and his little hideaway. I ran out of thread before finishing the initial Rock. I plan to dye lots and lots more denim-hued thread because it's one of my favorite natural dyes, but an indigo vat is not one anyone should do indoors. Although I use pre-reduced crystals, true indigo dye is processed with... um... well, urine, and even the pre-reduced vat carries... well, an unpleasant odor. It's still too cold outside at night for the next two or three months for me to start a new vat. It would freeze overnight, and I'm NOT bringing such a vat indoors to heat and ferment!!!




As a temporary fix, I pulled out some of my indigo-dyed fingering weight wool to start a new Rock and found it stretches around the Troll much easier than the cotton thread version of a Rock. That is something to consider when making your own Rock. However, matching my Troll identically to his Rock, in my opinion, is my ultimate goal. Initially, I planned to make a natural-dyed rainbow of little Trolls, but I don't have enough thread in any of my hand-dyed colors to complete even one matching Rock and Troll.

My rainbow Rock and Troll project will have to wait until summer or later.


Sigh.

Alas, my main pattern-tweaking and testing Troll is not made of my own naturally hand-dyed thread. Somehow, the colors of store-bought thread just don't look as foresty or woodsy, wouldn't you agree?


Nevertheless, my Teal Troll, whom I think I will name Teala, needs some jewelry, don't you think? So instead of a snowflake pattern this week, I'm sharing the recipe for a Troll Necklace. I plan to share an outfit for the gray Troll, whom I think I will call Grayson, next week, and I'm still trying to figure out what Indy, the indigo Troll, needs in order to be dressed to roll. (Needs to be denim, doesn't it?) I hope you don't mind an April break from snowflakes. Snowflakes will be return after I properly dress my Trolls!

Here are links to all the PDF snowflake booklets I've published so far.

2015 booklet
2014 booklet
2013 booklet
2012 booklet
This is the best link showing the snowflakes in the 2011 booklet.

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


Troll Necklace Instructions

Finished Size: 4 inches long
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in brown, gray or black, size 7 crochet hook, rock- or gem-like beads, all-purpose glue


NOTE: To make this necklace as instructed, you will need to know how to do foundation single crochet (fsc). There are many tutorials on the internet. Moogly's has one of my favorite's (she's done great tutorials for all kinds of crochet stitches), and it's located here.

String 3 or 5 beads onto thread. For me, this was the most difficult part of the entire project because I couldn't get the crochet thread through the bead openings, even though it should have fit. I finally was successful when I put a doubled piece of sewing thread through a small sewing needle, then put the crochet thread through the sewing thread loop. I then put the needle through each bead opening, then GENTLY pulled the crochet thread through the opening by pulling on the end the sewing thread. Worked like a dream!

10 fsc, * ch 1, catching bead in stitch, sl st in last fsc, 3 fsc; repeat from * 2 or 4 times, depending upon how many beads you strung; 10 fsc. Necklace probably will not be big enough to fit over Troll's head, so fit necklace around Troll head and sl st in starting fsc and bind off or bind off and tie knot. Dab with a dot of glue to secure knots, allow to dry thoroughly, then snip off ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Please bear in mind this project has small parts that could be swallowed by children who put things in their mouths.


Now, we can't very well have a Troll Necklace without making one for the Prince or Princess, can we?

Troll Prince or Princess Necklace Instructions

Finished Size: 20 inches long
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, rock- or gem-like beads, all-purpose glue


String 15 beads onto thread.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

80 fsc, * ch 1, catching bead in stitch, sl st in each of last 2 fsc, 5 fsc; repeat from * 14 times; 80 fsc; sl st in starting fsc and bind off or bind off and tie knot. Dab with a dot of glue to secure knots, allow to dry thoroughly, then snip off ends.

Please bear in mind this project also has small parts that could be swallowed by children who put things in their mouths.

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