31 January 2020

Friday Fun

30 January 2020

Better Late Than Never


The week before Christmas Eve, I let the parents of all my grands know presents would be late. It had been a most difficult fourth quarter at work, compounded by an out-of-state funeral and then Lizard's total knee replacement. I (hilariously) thought I'd be able to finish a quilt each day I was off work after the surgery.

Please pardon me while I laugh my head off yet again...

I hated missing the deadline, and yet, I remember being a kid and loving stretching out Christmas as long as possible. I also remembered the first year I got to make something for grandkids. Adoption can sometimes complicate the planning aspect of giving, but it also adds a spice of adventure you don't ever experience when you know everyone from birth in advance.

I found out four days ahead of our first meeting, which had been scheduled right after Christmas, that four gifts would not be enough. I had four days to make 12 more hats, plus an extra or two because I didn't know for sure how many girls, how many boys or even what ages.

Those 16 kids didn't care about the date of their gift at all. Their biggest joy, I think, was seeing each other, and their second biggest joy was a tie between McDonald's Playland and the park across the street. Hats made being outdoors on a chilly day more bearable, and some of the younger kids really loved the bear ears I put on some of the hats. Gifts, however, were not the highlight of one of the most memorable events of my life.

I was a day or so late in giving (not in finishing) the second Christmas, too. The day or two after Christmas was the only day we could get almost everyone together. (One little family was missing at the annual gift giving that year, and those presents were mailed in time.) The kids were more excited about new grandparents that year because by then, they knew us a little better. They'd been just a tad apprehensive the first year. Now, I think they might actually look forward to our gift parties as much as I do. It's such an exciting event and getting better every single year!


Surgery threw another complication into the late 2019 event. Lizard wasn't up to road trips when I finished the gifts, so I had to mail them. I'm hoping to see one of the kiddos mutton bustin' during the National Western Stock Show, and half or all of the grandkids at an upcoming Mammoth game when two granddaughters will be dancing with the Wild Bunch cheerleaders.






Now that grandkid Christmas presents are done, I have to finish up new nephew Colin's quilt and quilts for two new nieces due any day now. Then perhaps I can sew something for me.














Linking up with Alycia Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

28 January 2020

Winged Walk


We recently had a two-hour gap between medical appointments for Lizard, and we spent it exploring a new (to us) park. Last fall during my raptor safari, a couple of the other photographers there asked why I'd never been to Ketring Park. I'd never heard of it. They said the park always has a great variety of birds and waterfowl. It was close to one of Lizard's appointments, so away we went!

The lake is mostly frozen right now, so we didn't see many ducks up close, and Lizard still isn't up to the full hike around the lake yet. We could hear many different bird varieties in the trees, but both of us were concentrating on Lizard's stability on the unmelted snow from our Thanksgiving blizzard. (Yes, in fact, we do indeed still have snow from last November!!!) Rest assured we want to go back to Ketring Park soon to see what we can see!

We walked only about a quarter of a mile that day. Lizard's still trying to build up to what he was able to do prior to knee surgery. We're both hoping one day soon he'll be able to walk without pain. But for now, we have to build very slowly.

As we began to leave the park to head to the next appointment, I noticed a red-tailed hawk who had been watching us the entire visit.

I've seen so many red-tailed hawks, I couldn't even begin to count them all. But rarely am I able to get as much personality on camera as this bird shared! It was so exciting to photograph a bird who knew I couldn't reach it, no matter how hard I tried, and wasn't afraid to keep being a bird while I shot 92 frames!!!









27 January 2020

Snowflake Monday


Today's pattern was initially designed at the end of the summer seven years ago, not a very snowy time for Colorado! So I read through my August 2013 journal in an effort to discover what inspired this pattern, other than the unusual first Round or the mail-order hand-dyed thread colors. (A photo tutorial of the center of today's pattern is located in last week's pattern, my Primer Snowflake.)

I had gigantic life-changing developments at work. I was having serious phone issues. (Ha ha ha! What a time to go back and read about that, after just being forced to replace and upgrade my phone AGAIN!!!). I had to change dentists because – my dentist of about 10 years had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. (Boy, did that ever feel like a ghost from the past, as Lizard was diagnosed with Parkinson's just 18 months ago.) I learned how to use the sports mode on my point-and-shoot.

My dad sent me a mile-long email about the event of my fourth year, when my birth mom permanently abandoned the family. It was the first time he'd ever "talked" with any of us kids about it in detail.

We were still on dial-up back then. We could use only so much bandwidth per day, and we had to use up some of that bandwidth watching our use.

I had a couple of remarkable experiences one August day on the train. On the morning train, a veteran sat across from me and told me he does counted cross stich. He said he did it in Afghanistan. He said the other guys all made fun of him, but you have to do something to keep your mind off the killing.

That night, a guy sat next to me who talked non-stop about his grandmother's crocheting. He said she was always making something. He said she'd see things in the store, and she'd look closely at them, she'd count, and then she'd go home and make them. He said she made afghans for all of her grandchildren. Including him.

Three times during the summer, I donated blood to a baby boy with cancer at Children's Hospital.

August was the month I picked up running again after rehabbing from my Over The Bars Scar Club bicycle accident a year and a half earlier. I ran a quarter of a mile the first day, half a mile the second day and two half-miles the third day. Then couldn't move the fourth day. My then-doctor (now retired) chewed me out royal! Following emergency back surgery in 2005, I could never run the distance or the intensity I had run before. I have to work up slowly, taking about eight weeks, running only two or three times a week, to add another quarter of a mile. I've been shooting for a mile ever since, and I can never get past 3/4s of a mile before winter and ice shut me down again before the next year.

In August we had house guests with small children from Canada. The mother was fairly interested in my natural dyeing. During one night of their stay, we had a coyote in our backyard singing, a thrill for them and us. The dad wanted us to ride up Pikes Peak with him on our bicycles the final day of their stay. Lizard made it halfway up the mountain before the wind got the best of him. Our friend made it to the top. I didn't try, thanks to the wind.

I was trying every kind of natural dye under the sun, literally, that summer. I tried every single weed and almost every breed of flower in our yard and neighborhood! I came up with what I thought at the time was one of my best creations ever, my all-natural dyed Summer of Color afghan.






It seems August of 2013 was a pretty big month in my life! I did find several journal entries oozing with pride over snowflakes I'd designed, but I didn't specify any of them by name except San Luis. I didn't even mention I'd created three versions of a pattern. So I'm not sure if any of the above experiences inspired today's snowflake. I can only tell you journaling is awesome.

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: 7.5 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

Journaling Snowflake Instructions


Option 1

Round 1: [Ch 10, 1 dc in 8th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch (petal made)] 6 times; sl st in starting ch (same ch as 1st sc).

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [in next petal loop work (3 sc, 3 hdc, 3 dc, 3 hdc, 3 sc), 1 dc around base gap between petals] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), *sk next 3 sc, 1 sc in each of next 3 hdc, ch 3, 1 hdc in next dc, ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 hdc in next dc, ch 3, 1 sc in each of next 3 hdc, sk next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), *3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
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 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), *3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc and ch of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 6: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), *5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc and ch 2 of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 4.

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), * sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, 3 dc in same sp, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.


Option 2

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 6, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 5, sl st in sc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.


Option 3

Round 7: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), [5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 6, sl st in 6th ch from hook, 2 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1] 6 times, omitting last dc and ch 2 of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 4.

Round 8: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 6, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 5, sl st in sc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc in same sp, ch 3, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last 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.

21 January 2020

Dance in the Rain


I'd been feeling just a tad sorry for myself because it seemed like all I did was work full time, be a full-time caregiver, struggle with technology (trying to set up new irascible smartphones), and sleep. When I could sleep.

Christmas gifts were late. I had no time to sew, quilt, design or crochet. I barely had time to write in my journal each night. It's dark when I go to work in the mornings, and it's dark before I get off in the evenings. I'd lost most of the unedited photos I'd taken in the last two years. We were starting over on a new year of health insurance deductibles. There had been a handful of deaths, two in the extended family. And I still can't get rid of the aphids on my indoor pepper plants.

Grrr!

Then I (belatedly) read Roger Allen's blog post about living intentionally. I stopped to ponder for a few minutes if I was guilty of simply existing when I could have been living intentionally.

One of the first eye-opening revelations I realized when I stopped to look back at me in the last few weeks was Lizard's life. He got a brand new knee for Christmas. But brand new doesn't mean everything works as good as new right away.

In late December and all January mornings when I could walk on the greenway before boarding the train for work, I could. Even if only for five or ten minutes. Lizard could not.

When I couldn't sleep at night, it wasn't because of pain. If only Lizard could have had nights so easy.

When I mourned because I couldn't do the things I wanted to do, I forgot I was serving someone very important to me every single day. Lizard was unable to return the favor for a long time. (He is making dinner for us by himself for the first time since surgery as I type this post!)

After Lizard began to heal from the surgery a bit and grow in independence, I knew the day will come when I can do other things. Lizard still is not sure if he will be able to do all the things he could do before the surgery.

When I had moments I just needed a breath of fresh air at home, I could step out on the porch for a few minutes. At work, I couldn't step outside, but I could step away from the computer for a minute or two. For two weeks, Lizard had no such luxury. Now he's healing, and he's able to move around independently, but he still can't come and go when and where he pleases. Tremendous pain hasn't evaporated, either.

When I get discouraged because it feels as if things will never change, I can (although I sometimes forget to) make lemonade from my lemons. Try to make the best of my situation and look forward to a bright future.

Lizard has had many days in the past two months when he was not sure he will fully recover from surgery. Even if he is able to drive and get on a bike somewhere down the road, the Parkinson's is not going to heal. It is not going to go away. And there is a likelihood it will get worse.

When Lizard gets discouraged and fearful things will never get better, he tries to remember Linda Olson, who lost three limbs as a young mother many years ago and then in 2015 was diagnosed with Parkinson's. As if she didn't already have enough trauma!!! She tries to maintain a cheerful outlook and has never stopped going and doing. Lizard wants to tackle life with the same gusto.

Kind of makes my woes seem a little piddly.

Time to pick myself up, dust myself off and sing a happy tune.

20 January 2020

Snowflake Monday


Today's pattern is a primer for next week's pattern. Both patterns have an unusual start, which I have done before in the distant past, and I thought a photo tutorial of how to achieve this type of snowflake might be a great way to kick off the new year. Today's pattern also is a great simple flake to demonstrate how pinning can totally change the personality of the snowflake.


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: 5.5 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

Primer Snowflake Instructions

Round 1: [Ch 10, 1 dc in 8th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch (petal made)] 6 times; sl st in starting ch (same ch as 1st sc).
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: Ch 4 (counts as 1 tr and ch 1), [3 sc in next petal loop, ch 20, 1 sc in 10th ch from hook, ch 10, 3 sc in same petal loop, ch 1, 1 tr in next gap between petals] 6 times, omitting last tr of final repeat; sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 4; 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 snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

16 January 2020

Can't Stop Dyeing

heavenly avocado skin dye

It wasn't how I needed to spend a Saturday afternoon, but it was the first Saturday afternoon I had to myself in several months, and by golly, I'm dyeing to spend it!!!


I actually started the first portion of this project a couple of weeks ago. I'd brought in five of my avocado pit and skin dyes in September prior to our first frost, hoping if they stewed a bit longer, I could eke more color from them. Some of these jars have provided four or five dips already.

My amaryllises are going nuts and all beginning to bloom, and I didn't have window space for the dyes anymore. Those cumbersome jars had to go.


So I wound four hanks of crochet thread and strained every last one of the jars. The fifth and darkest dye jar got a pair of cotton socks about a month ago, when I first started pulling the amaryllises out of the basement, one by one, one each week so the staggered blooms would last as long as I could make them. I poured the sock jar contents into my dye pot, which I left on the floor in the garage. I can't solar dye outside anymore because the jars would freeze every single night. There have been days when the dyes wouldn't have thawed in the sun because our highs have been in the 'teens. (We've also had a few unseasonable 60s, and boy, are those refreshing!)

I let the thread soak in the dyes in the jars on the floor in the kitchen for a whole week. Each night when I got home from work, I nuked each jar in the microwave for one minute. I totally forgot about the socks until last weekend. The socks had survived the deep freeze cycle, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Saturday, I strained the socks and the threads so I could reclaim my garage and kitchen floors.


The thread colors aren't as dark as I'd hoped, but I LOVE the new earthy shades, especially that pastel pink!




And check out the socks!!! Oh, my! Perhaps I should let some thread in avocado dye freeze in the garage a couple of times to see what happens!




I was so tickled with the range of colors, even though the threads are so pastel, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer. Four of the avocados I bought about a month ago had a lot of visible red hue in the skin. Surely these skins would produce some awesome reds or pinks, right?


I typically do not save skins during the winter because I don't know if they would produce color after being frozen, like what I get from the pits after five months in the freezer. And I don't have window space to solar soak the skins while the amaryllises are craving sunshine. These red-toned avocados, however, presented more temptation than I could resist. Surely I could make space for just one little jar...


This is four avocado skins. They've soaked in the window in the sun for just about three weeks. I wound one more hank of crochet thread and strained the new avocado skin dye, then just about floated out of the atmosphere when I saw the color on the thread!!!






I'm going to let this thread soak for another week. I don't know if the final color will be this rich, but oh, can I dream!

If I do get such rich color from this batch of skins, I think I will buy a bunch more avocados and try to make another batch of dye after the amaryllises are done, and perhaps I can darken up my avocado dress next summer!!! Oh, how heavenly that would be!!!


While I was cleaning up the avocado dye mess, I decided I should go ahead and discard the first set of professional dyes I mixed, perhaps ten years ago. They've been patiently waiting to be used in the basement all this time. I learned after the first couple of dye sessions that professional dyes weaken with age and that my bottles probably wouldn't produce any lasting color after about three months. But I couldn't bring myself to throw them out. They were all very small bottles, the one-ounce travel bottles available in grocery and department stores.

As I began to collect the very aged dyes, I decided it wouldn't hurt to try using them. If the colors don't stick, no big deal; I can overdye. I dug out a PFD remnant from my snow-dyeing days and then decided a pair of socks might be fun, too. I mordanted the cotton in soda ash with salt, then laid out the dyeables on the rocks in the backyard and squirted away.


I then nuked the fabric and socks for 30 seconds, then laid them out in the basement. I didn't have any idea what they would look like after washing, but perhaps it would be a fun little waste of time.

I opened the washer expecting to find such pastel colors, they could pass as white. I am SO glad I didn't just toss the dyes! I'm so glad I gave them the chance to show their stuff! The greens and blues are pretty pale, but this turned out far better than I expected!


I then decided I could make room on one window sill for a few small dye jars. I wound eight more hanks of crochet thread, then prepared my little stackable plastic ice cream jars with a rainbow of colors.






These will get to soak for a week, also. I'm hoping for more gradients to replace what I've almost used up. I love crocheting with gradient or variegated thread I've dyed myself and watching the color changes between stitches. One of my favorite things to do on the commuter train!






Linking up with Alycia Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.
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