31 August 2022

Wordless Wednesday

30 August 2022

Blogless Life

I've pondered off and on during the last three years whether I should continue blogging. Blogging isn't THE platform to reach interested followers these days, and people, generally speaking, just aren't into reading anymore. I guess some do read other forms of social media, but blogging isn't THE fad these days. Besides, my creative leisure seems to be more and more limited as time goes on, and sometimes, my own publishing deadlines are downright discouraging for me.

Then, halfway through 2022, my blog disappeared. Six weeks it took me to get it back up and running! 16 hours of online chats with techs who apparently didn't know anymore than I did about what was wrong. What felt like zillions of emails and assorted social media inquiries as to whether I was okay, if I had taken my blog down again (I did that briefly in 2020), and why the danged free patterns had disappeared.

Ravelry announcing my patterns had been discontinued. Facebook censoring my Sisters of the Snowflake pattern links to a new temporary blog I set up during the interim - because the word "snowflake" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. The security warnings readers would have to navigate when trying to access my unhosted blog or temporary blog.

I'd thought I had only three regular daily readers until my dad died in June. I thought I had just two daily readers left. I found out there are a lot more people who care about us than I realized. And I learned, via temporary loss of it, my blog is very important to me. I actually had no idea I get so much satisfaction from the weekly challenge of a new snowflake pattern and a (hopefully) monthly WIP finish until my blog went away.

I knew family and friends on social media missed my daily photos because they tell me almost every single time I do on rare occasion share a photo now. Several have said my photos brighten their day, and I know they want me to go back to daily posting. I didn't realize, however, how much I crave Wordless Wednesday until I lost it. I assumed my photos had become boring because we don't get out much these days, and how many garden photos can you publicly share before you've drained all interest out of your followers?

There are moments now when I think I could never give up blogging. Just moments, mind you. I'm not promising I will blog forever, but I don't think I'm going to be wavering about whether to keep going for a while. This was a tough enough and rewarding enough experience that it recharged my blogging batteries. And maybe recharging those batteries has also refreshed the creativity wells deep inside me.

29 August 2022

Snowflake Monday

This is my Dad flake. Thank you, Don Komarechka, for the inspiration!

The last time I saw my dad, he was still playing with the Wilson Basketball Net I sent him for Father's Day back in 2012. He positioned the hoop over his train room trash can. He'd wad up his trash and throw it through the hoop (and score!!!) on a daily basis. (He'd been a hoopster in high school.) Hospice didn't remove the hoop from his train room when they moved an IV bed in for him in May or when they removed the bed a few weeks later. That silly hoop was still in Dad's train room, with the mini basketball, right where he'd last played with them, when family began arriving for the memorial service in June. So many precious memories!

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: 4 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

SPECIAL STITCHES:

Popcorn Stitch (pc)

Work 5 dc in designated st, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc.

Dad Snowflake Instructions

Ch 15; taking care not to twist work, sl st in 1st ch.

Round 1: 1 pc in same ch as sl st, [sk next 2 ch, ch 3, pc in next ch, ch 3, pc in next ch] 6 times, omitting last pc of final repeat; sl st in top back of starting pc.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same sp as sl st, [ch 1, in top back of next pc work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 3 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 3: Ch 7 (fcounts as 1 dc and [ch 5, in next ch 3 tip work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc)] 6 times, omitting last dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 for form 6th ch 3 tip 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 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [sk next dc and next 2 ch, in next ch (middle ch of ch 5) work (1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr), in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 6 times, omitting lasst 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 snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

25 August 2022

Elephant Rocked

Back in 2020, when Lizard was recovering from knee surgery, I pulled out one of the wide backing combos I'd bought to teach him how to quilt many years earlier, possibly the year we moved into our house and actually had room to work on sewing and quilting projects. When I bought the fabric, I fully intended for him to doodle with my domestic sewing machine. He had drawn some of the most wonderful doodles!

Parkinson's later robbed him of his steady hand. After his diagnosis in 2018, he did a lot of coloring with pencils because that actually helps people with Parkinson's manage their symptoms. At least in the early stages. I'm not so sure it's helpful now, but we do keep trying.

Lizard's Colored Pencil Therapy

We bought Ringo, our longarm, in 2019 I think, specifically for him to be able to doodle on fabric. We thought that might be even easier for him than colored pencils. Plus, with a stand-up machine, you almost can get in a full-body workout! If you try... I would be able to use the longarm, too, and words cannot describe how thrilled I was with that prospect. However, the main reason we invested in the machine was to help slow the progression of Parkinson's. Lizard quickly finished a quilt once the machine was set up and he'd completed the tutorials.

We didn't know at the time his back was getting worse and worse; we thought it was the Parkinson's. Ultimately, he was forced to undergo emergency back surgery and was unable to maneuver Ringo. I'm still hoping to one day get him back into quilting because I do think it will help. But for now, I pulled out the black and gold wide-back quilt sandwich I'd put together for him, fulling intending to practice my own doodling before I conquer Matthew's quilt. (I have other wide-back quilt sandwiches ready for Lizard to quilt when he's ready. When he feels like quilting again. Fingers crossed for when and not if.)


Lizard's Elephant Quilt, all ready to go in 2020, but he was unable to work on the project at all that year.
(And now I see I used the wrong color on the black!!! Lizard had picked out greens, not the gold I used!)

Last week I loaded the sandwich back onto Ringo and got ready to begin quilting. I positioned the gold fabric on top because I thought I would be more inspired by using a dark-colored thread on the light background than if I used a light-colored thread on the dark background. (And easier for my old eyes to see!) As I was loading the bobbin thread, I noticed chalk outlines on the black fabric on the bottom of the sandwich. I'd totally forgotten I'd chalked an elephant onto the black fabric for Lizard to quilt. I'd totally forgotten he had requested the elephant when I'd expected him to ask me to draw a lizard.


2009 Elephant Rock

I think Lizard wanted an elephant because we were hoping to ride Elephant Rock, one of our favorite charity rides. Neither of us expected all the upcoming 2020 organized rides to be cancelled. Neither of us knew at the time Lizard's charity ride calendar may not happen again. Neither of us knew a second year of ride cancellations would result in Elephant Rock being sold (along with many of our other favorite rides). And neither of us knew 2022 would end up being the final year of our beloved Elephant Rock because the new owner isn't going to offer that one again. I do expect the new owner will come up with an alternative ride - likely a gravel ride - for next year, possibly even called Elephant Rock, but for now, Elephant Rock the way we knew it is just a memory. Or many memories. Many exhilerating memories.

So, I decided to turn the quilt sandwich over and quilt the elephant I'd drawn for Lizard two years ago. Our first 15 years together were powered by cycling. Maybe I should have quilted bicycle gears or wheels into the ground areas of the quilt instead of waves of sand...


2013 Elephant Rock

I had to roll the loaded quilt back and forth on the longarm many times to complete the longest vertical lines without having to cut the thread and bury knots. Yet, the quilt worked up quickly. I had it done in two nights.

The quilt was bound over the weekend as planned, then washed on Monday. Finishing the quilt kind of felt like an Elephant Rock weekend all over again, just without the sweat and miles.

You really can't see the yellow elephant on the black back of the quilt, but the back is flannel, so very warm and cuddly. Just like our Elephant Rock memories.

I don't have to wonder what I'm going to do with this quilt. Lizard wasted no time making fast friends with his new reversible companion.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

23 August 2022

Just Peachy

It's Palisade peach season!!!

We couldn't make a trip west, but our dairy was offering bushels of fresh peaches, so we partook! And everything at our house right now is peachy keen!

They say the way to a man's heart is via his stomach. My Lizard LOVES peaches! And I am so happy to oblige!

He recently told me all the stuff I make with no sugar tastes so good. He said most stuff made without sugar has no flavor, but that my baking and cooking tastes awesome. Pretty darned cool for someone who had no sense of taste or smell for about 15 years, thanks to an undiagnosed case of Parkinson's. Four years of daily tablespoons of manitol in plain yogurt (along with fresh fruit) has brought back just enough of both that he can enjoy the lavender in the garden (and in Epsom salt soaks) and the homegrown chilis and Palisade peaches in the dining room!

peach empanada

22 August 2022

Snowflake Monday

Oh, my, didn't Alexey preserve a masterpiece with this photograph?!?

I wasn't going to write much more today, but my snowflake needed a name. We recently visited the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs because the forecast was for a dusting of snow atop nearby Pikes Peak. I've shot some stunning sunrises of Pikes from Garden of the Gods, so it seemed worth getting up at 4 in the morning to be there in time for first light.

Clouds hampered the initial alpen glow, and there was no snow on the peak (although I'll bet it got a fresh dusting that night!!!). I got a few decent shots, and then we rode our bikes around the park. It was a very short ride, but exercise is good for Lizard, no matter how long or how strenuous. I'm so proud of him for trying! Neither of us had climbed like that in probably four years, so the ride alone was worth the trip. The scenery, though... You cannot go wrong with red rock!

Here are some photos from my most recent trip along with photos from other excursions when the sun did light up the Garden. One of the rock formation names seemed to fit for today's pattern. Can you tell which rocks are the Cathedral Spires?

orange glow lasted but a few minutes

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: 6.75 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

Spires Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), [1 dc in ring, ch 3] 5 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 5. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: [Ch 3, 1 tr in next ch, ch 1, 1 dtr in next ch, ch 1, 1 tr in next ch 1, ch 3, sl st in next dc] 6 times, omitting last ch 3 and last sl st of final repeat; 1 tr in same ch as Round 1 sl st; sl st in 3rd and 4th loops of tr just made.

Round 3: [Ch 5, sl st in middle ch of next ch 3, ch 5, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 18, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook and in each of next 11 ch, ch 1, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 5, sl st in middle ch of next ch 3] 6 times, omitting last ch 5 and last sl st of final repeat; 1 dtr in middle ch of next ch 3.
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 4: [Ch 5, sk next dtr (next ch 5 sp in repeats), 1 dc in next ch 5, ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, sl st in next dc, working up spoke [[1 sc around next sc into top of st on opposite side of spoke, ch 1, sk next sc]] 6 times, 5 sc in ch 5 point of spoke, working back down spoke [[ch 1, sk next sc, 1 sc around next sc into ch 1 on opposite side of spoke] 6 times, sl st in next dc] 6 times; 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.

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