Mount Evans

This is my first (successful) 14er since 22 Sept 2008 and my first successful climb of Mount Evans since 23 Jun 2007.

Left home about 10 a.m. yesterday and started up the Mount Evans road on the mountain bike about an hour later. Mountain bike instead of road bike for two reasons: I am terrified the freeze cracks and sinkholes might trash my road bike, and possibly me, plus, I'm trying to get ready for Pikes Peak this weekend. I thought by riding the mountain bike up Mount Evans, Pikes Peak, which is a little steeper but much smoother, except for the unpaved portion, wouldn't seem as difficult.

I worried I might not make it to the summit on the mountain bike because I wasn't able to last year when I tried this same thing. Last year, I couldn't get past Summit Lake on the mountain bike. Granted, storms were the major culprit, but I was dead tired, too. I couldn't go any further.

Not this year. I made it to the top, and it didn't seem as hard as last year. Riding the mountain bike up a paved road didn't seem as difficult as it has in the past. I assume that's because we've been training on rough roads such as Pearl Pass, Schofield Pass, Cinnamon Pass and Engineer Pass.

The descent of Mount Evans on the mountain bike comparatively was a breeze. I have sworn for years I would never ride my road bike up Mount Evans again unless someone could take both my bike and me back down to Echo Lake, and yet, I tried again twice earlier this summer. On both attempts, I gave up because the pavement buckles are so treacherous. I didn't know until now if I could make it to the top.

When I learned I would have an hour less on Pikes Peak this year, I calculated how fast I'd need to go to make it to the top. I'd have to average 4.5 mph and keep my rest stops brief, under a minute.

Two weeks ago, I learned in Deer Creek Canyon that if I focus too much on my speed, trying to stay above 4.5 mph the entire climb, all I got was an increase in rest stops to breathe. Counterproductive. So on Mount Evans, I decided to just ride my pace and not let anything but mountain goats and wildflowers distract me. At the summit, I would check my average, and I'd know whether I could make it up Pikes Peak.

About a mile above Summit Lake, I became discouraged. I was tired, and I'd dropped to 3.8 mph several times. I thought the cause was lost; I thought the quest was hopeless. I wanted to turn back.

So I pulled over, leaned my bike against a rock, sat on another rock and ate a chocolate hazelnut butter with sugar-free raspberry jam sandwich on multigrain whole wheat bread. It worked like magic! I got back on my bike about three minutes later (all my other breaks, except for the mountain goat break, were less than a minute), and I made it to the top stopping only five more times, no depression, no despair, no worrying.

At the top, I took a picture of my bike at the elevation sign and checked the altimeter, shocked to find out it was nearly right on target. 14,135! My road bike altimeter claims I was at 18,000 feet atop 10,857-foot Wolf Creek Pass last summer.

Then I checked the average. I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd climbed Mount Evans on a mountain bike at 4.7 mph! Tears began spurting from my eyes because I knew I could make the summit of Pikes Peak now! Unless the wind stops me.

This truly was a fun ride, perhaps the most fun I've ever had on Mount Evans. The school's-in-session, weekday traffic wasn't as out of control as weekends during summer when school is out. The tourists were ultra friendly. The weather was perfect. Wildflowers are almost all gone, but I found three garden-like patches of fireweed, stonecrop and paintbrush.

On the switchbacks below the summit, non-Colorado cars would pull over, and drivers would call out through the window, "What you're doing is so inspiring!" Or, "You're almost there!" Or, "Are you part of that tour that's going on right now?" (The USA Pro Cycling Challenge is ascending Monarch Pass as I type.)

On the summit of Mount Evans, a man from a 600-foot elevation town told me he couldn't imagine riding a fat tire bike up this mountain because he was having difficulty just walking in the parking lot. Another man, who said he's at six feet of elevation when he sleeps in his own bed at home, asked if he could take a picture with my bike.

I've vowed all year I would not be swept again this year. There are lots of variables, and it is possible I might not make it. Whatever happens, I've given it my best.

In theory, I should be able to make it to the summit of Pikes Peak in six hours and six minutes, six minutes after the medal cutoff, but 24 minutes before the broom wagon. This year, The Lizard is riding, too, and he will be powerful motivation because he'll race to the top, then descend to me and go up a second time at my pace, encouraging me the entire way, making me feel like a pro by cheering, "Up, up, up!" and "Allez! Allez!"

Just seeing his smiling face coming back down the mountain may be enough to get me to the top. But I am packing a couple of chocolate hazelnut butter with sugar-free raspberry jam sandwiches on multigrain whole wheat bread. Just in case.

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That's what friends are for

Pikes Peak is on my brain this week. And beneath my skinny tires this coming weekend.

Just a tiny fraction of the most wonderful moral support coming my way:

"You'll make it." - The Lizard

"While I understand your sadness at not reaching the peak, I was so proud of you! How many people can say they almost made it to the top of Pikes Peak on a bicycle? That is one heck of an accomplishment. That day's blog was just so intense! I could just feel your every emotion as I read it. That was awesome writing!!! And besides, you're unique! A lot of riders reached the summit! Whoop-de-do-da! Only one had the will and determination to not quit until she was forced to. And that makes you most inspirational rider that day! Snowcatcher: Lanterne Rouge 2010." - alyeskaaurora

"On the positive side, that means 60 minutes less pain, right?" - Niamh

"All I can say is, the 'size of the fight in the girl' is incalculable in your case. You will not be swept." - Titanium

"Trust your training." - Giggles

"We're behind you all the way, pushing you with our invisible arms. Focus on the goal, breathe, and enjoy the ride either way." - Patty

"You will not be swept. I just know it." - KB

"You wake on the eve of battle to find
your armoury raided, your weapons gone,
the rules of engagement unjustly changed.

No chance to cry foul; the battle awaits.
You are a soldier.
Fight on regardless.
An invisible army fights with you." - Mrs. Micawber

"You'll make it." - Ann

"Dear Lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know,
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind." - Robert Plant

"I will not be swept." - me

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Snowflake Monday

Twenty days before this year's ride up Pikes Peak, I learned the 7.5-hour time limit has been shortened by an hour. Instead of trying to be 15 minutes faster this year, I now must be 75 minutes faster.

I was hit with a tremendous wave of discouragement and sadness. So I made a snowflake. And then I made a bunch more. In many colors. As I've said many times before, color just makes me happy.

This snowflake is perfect for variegated thread because it shows off spirals of color so effectively. I was going to name it my Spirals of Hope Snowflake until I hung a bunch of finished flakes in my window. The shape reminded me of the Ojos de Dios I made while growing up in New Mexico. I decided that would be a much cooler name, as well as more symbolic.

When I showed the prototype snowflake to The Lizard, his first comment was, "It looks like a turtle!"

Fitting. I am as slow as a turtle.

Nevertheless, the tiny bubble of hope that found a way past my fears and doubts is continuing to grow, and I'm going to do my best to reach the summit of Pikes Peak this coming weekend. A turquoise version of this snowflake will be right there with me.

Ojo de Dios, or Eye of God, is the name of yarn and stick creations made by the Huichol Indians of Mexico and Aymara Indians of Bolivia. Two dowel-like long sticks (or Popsicle sticks if you are a grade school student in New Mexico) are tied together in the form of an X or cross, and yarn is wrapped around the sticks from the center out, forming a diamond design. The Native American custom of hanging these colorful creations above the fields or sleeping areas was thought to ward off evil spirits while allowing God to watch over the crops and the sleeping people.

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: 3.25 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Ojo de Dios Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: 12 sc in ring, sl st in starting sc. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: *3 sc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc; repeat from * around 5 times. You do not have to join rounds on this snowflake until Round 7, but do mark the start so you will know where to begin the next round without having to count stitches repeatedly.

Round 3: *1 sc in next sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 1; repeat from * around 5 times.
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: *Sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 2; repeat from * around 5 times.

Round 5: *Sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 3; repeat from * around 5 times.

Round 6: *Sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 4; repeat from * around 5 times.

Round 7: *Sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 5; repeat from * around 5 times; sk starting sc; sl st in next sc.

Round 8: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), *3 dc in next sc, ch 5, sl st in top of 3rd dc (picot made), 2 dc in same sc, 1 dc in next sc, ch 4, sk next sc, 1 dc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with ch 4 and omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in starting 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.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. 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.

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He did it!

The Lizard successfully completed the 2011 Deer Creek Challenge, "the toughest century ride in America!"

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Friday Funny

The lady bug is the BEST part!!! Well, except for the Bacon punchline at the end...



Find out more about LoveHopeStrength.org here. Or go to their website.

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Beautiful Bokeh

Last November, I was trying to figure out how to make the snowflake depicted on a bottle of hand soap. My thread project failed miserably, but I got some great bokeh samples while I was playing around, and I've been itching to share some tips ever since my ingenious snowflake project crumpled.

First, I probably ought to explain what bokeh means. No, it's not broken with a few typos! But it does sound like a Japanese word, right? Correct. It stems from the Japanese word boke, pronounced bo with a long o and keh with a soft e, such as when you question something weird, "Eh?"


Bokeh is the term applied to the degree of detail in the background of a photo. Good bokeh, achieved by using a large aperture (small number on the lens ring, such as 2 or 4) means your main subject is well focused and the background seems misty or blurred, not drawing attention away from your main subject. Bad bokeh could be used to describe a photo in which something in the background seems to be growing out of the main subject's head or a photo in which distracting cars and tail lights in the background compete with the close-up image of a flower or statue.

no bokeh filter

homemade star-shaped bokeh filter

Sometimes you want the background detail to be identifiable, but in most cases, you want it to compliment the main subject, not steal the viewer's eye.

I've previously shared some tips about how to achieve visually pleasing depth of field (amount of focus within a photo), and now I'm going to share how to make homemade bokeh filters to enhance photos and make it look like you have a top dollar professional studio.

You may buy bokeh filters at camera shops or online. Photojojo has a somewhat reasonable set with extraordinary variety. Or you can make your own and make them any size and shape you like. Here's another similar kit likely via the designer/developer.

I took the cardboard packaging from suction cup packages and used a variety of hole punches to make my own bokeh filters. I colored the cardboard black before punching holes to prevent light reflections when the filter is mounted (via tape or my fingers) to the camera lens.


A vignette is what you will achieve if you use too small an aperture, such as 16 or 22, while using bokeh filters.


Too small an aperture opening also might be smaller than your cutout, resulting in partial highlights, like my severed teddy bears. (Which we probably could call Broken Bokeh!)


By placing the bokeh filters in front of your lens, you are shaping light sources and highlights in the background. This can be really handy for wedding shots, allowing you to surround your subjects with hearts. At Halloween, you can fill your background with half moons, and at Christmas, you can enhance already beautiful lights with star shapes.

In this age of digital, you can play around with aperture until you find what you like best and what works best with the filters you use. For most of the pictures I've included here, I've used a wide angle to medium telephoto zoom lens, fully zoomed, with a larger aperture, mostly in the 4-5.6 range.

These are my outdoor Christmas lights, slightly out of focus, with no bokeh filter. The shape of the lights comes from the shape of the adjustable metal aperture leaves inside the camera.


I want to make those same Christmas lights fancy, as in the photo at the top of this post. I used the star bokeh filter over my lens (just holding it in place with my hand) for the photo with the snowflake soap bottle.

These are my outdoor Christmas lights on the floor, with the snowflake bokeh filter hand-held in front of my lens. The snowflake opening is bigger than the aperture -- yet more Broken Bokeh.


Your background highlights do not have to be lights. I shot my Christmas cactus blossoms with my bead- and crystal-decked crocheted snowflakes in the background, the beads and crystals backlit by the sun. My snowflake hole punch is too big for bokeh purposes, but even partially cut off, it still looks pretty cool to me.


Check out this informative piece and the wonderful video that perfectly demonstrates the power of beautiful bokeh.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Murphy's Law, Episode 378, with a twist

We'd planned to drive to Leadville last weekend to watch the start of THE mountain bike race, then ride around Turquoise Lake a time or two. Decided at the last minute our time would be better spent riding Deer Creek Canyon, which requires no driving. We ride to the start and ride home after the finish. The Lizard is participating in the Deer Creek Challenge next weekend, so this was his final chance to train.

Good climbs, legs ready, whip up a whole wheat pasta salad while we search the internet for Leadville 100 results. We were really hoping Fat Cyclist would finally nail his sub-9 finish, the 100 mile course in 9 hours or less for the prized belt buckle. Fatty had added incentive this year. Specialized offered to GIVE him the S-works 29er he was demo-ing if he could claim the sub-9 on it.

He did!!!!!

All those years of trying, and he finally got it. He drove to Leadville chanting, "Sub-9, and you're mine!" And he got it!

So inspirational for the big rides we have coming up! If Fatty can do it, so can we!!!

Then comes Monday morning, and blood red fluid all over the ground beneath the car just a few miles from work. Lost the brakes. Oh, my gosh. We lost the brakes.

If we had driven to Leadville on Saturday, we would have scaled three mountain passes in the 4Runner. That trusty OLD, official SAG vehicle pushing 285,000 miles. And we would have lost brakes. A lot further from home, and possibly on a descent. Probably on Kenosha Pass. A steep two-lane highway with plenty of traffic and no runaway truck ramp I can recall.

It could have been a disaster.

Thank you, God, for keeping us safe.

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Snowflake Monday

I created this flowery snowflake while The Lizard drove us and our mountain bikes to the Columbine Mine trailhead for a big training ride, and I created it specifically to decorate a green floral batik dress I designed.

The snowflake doesn't look anything like a columbine, Colorado's state flower, but I love the name, and I enjoy naming my snowflakes after significant events/places, so Columbine Mine is the name this snowflake gets.

Columbine Mine is located on the flanks of Quail Mountain (another very cool name!), which sits at the foot of 13,940-foot centennial peak Mount Hope. The name Mount Hope has special significance for me because so many of my family members and friends have had or are going through chemo due to cancer. But that's another story for another snowflake another day. Suffice it to say you'll eventually be seeing Mount Hope on a future Snowflake Monday.

Columbine Mine is one of the toughest segments of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. (Powerline is the most difficult, but I'm not naming a snowflake after that!) Now that I've ridden a portion of the Columbine Mine climb, I have even more admiration for the racers who tackle it each year.

In both the 2009 and 2010 Race Across the Sky movies, which document the Leadville 100, long strings of riders are shown pushing their bikes up the steep alpine trail to Columbine Mine, refusing to give up. In the 2010 movie, 50-year-old Grace Ragland describes being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 18 and then is shown riding up that tough Columbine Mine climb until she can't keep the bike upright any longer. She cheerfully dismounts and begins pushing her bike. Straight up.

"It's easier to smile than it is to frown," Ragland optimistically explains, smiling, as she shoves her bike up the steep, rocky mountain. "When you frown, you've defeated yourself."

And then she takes a deep breath (at an altitude of about 12,000 feet, where there is no air) and softly exclaims, "Whee!"

The Leadville 100 became more than just a mountain bike race in 2007 when not-yet-disgraced Tour de France winner Floyd Landis competed and was beat by local champion Dave Weins. (Landis later was stripped of his Tour de France title for doping.) In 2008, Lance Armstrong competed in the Leadville 100, and Weins beat him by two minutes. The following year, Armstrong unretired from cycling and returned to the Tour de France, which he followed up with a tour de Leadville, finally ending Wein's six-year reign as King of one of the oldest mountain bike marathons. (In my eyes, Dave Weins is still the uncontested winner.) Armstrong finished the last few miles with a flat rear tire (and chunked his empty C02 cartridge into the wilderness after an unsuccessful attempt at fixing his own flat!!!). Last year, Tour de France podium finisher Levi Leipheimer took the crown. (In the years since I originally wrote this blog post, we’ve discovered many of the American Tour de France cyclists of that era were not clean.)

This year, Weins was successful in the Leadville 100 lottery, which all riders, with the possible exception of Armstrong, must endure in order to compete, but announced the week before the event he would not be participating.

Todd Wells, the current US cyclocross, cross country and short track champion, went on to win this year's race over the weekend. He came in third last year, even though he and Levi Leipheimer collided about 40 miles into the race. Wells' wheel was trashed, and 53-year-old teammate Ned "Deadly Nedly" Overend gave up one of his and still managed to come in 30th. (Ned is very vocal about cycling cheaters, and rightly so.)

Leadville is all about digging deep, endurance and perseverance.

Here is one volunteer's excellent report of the affect of altitude on a flatlander, stuffing packets for the 2006 Leadville 100 and then manning the Columbine Mine aid station during the race. She included wonderful photos of the historical landmark for which this snowflake is named.

I wasn't able to learn why the mine received this name, so I can only speculate it was because flowers were plentiful and enjoyed. When I researched Columbine Mine, all I could come up with were events not worthy of snowflake design or flower names, so I'll just say the columbine is one of my favorite flowers, and it's a thrill to have a treasured snowflake with such a beautiful name.

Because, according to racers, the Leadville 100 is beyond long and includes the Columbine Mine, I am naming the lace edging I created to coordinate with the snowflake after the mountain bike race. The hemline felt a hundred miles long while I was working the five rows of crochet along the edge. You may read about the dress here. I had sort of a crochet race of my own to finish the dress the last couple of weeks because I couldn't wait to wear it. Now that it's finished, I feel as if I've completed a finger marathon!

Special thanks to The Lizard for this fun photo shoot.

This is all I had left of a 300-yard ball of hand-dyed thread from Sara's Colorwave Yarn after 2.5 motifs and the lace edging.

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

Columbine Mine Snowflake

Finished Size: 5.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Columbine Mine Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 11 dc in ring; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, [sk 1 dc, in next dc work (2 dc ch 3, 2 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 2 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 3: Ch 8 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 7, 1 sc in next ch 3 point] 5 times; ch 7, sl st in 1st ch of starting ch 8.

Round 4: [In next ch 7 sp work (1 sc 2 hdc, 3 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc)] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 5: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dtr and [ch 2), 1 sc in middle dc of next 3/dc group, ch 2, sk next 3 st, in next sc work (1 dtr, ch 3, 1 dtr)] 6 times, omitting last dtr of final repeat; sl st in 5th ch of starting ch 7.

Round 6: [1 sc in each of next 2 ch 2 sp, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), 5 sc in next ch 3 sp] 6 times; sl st in starting 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 7: Sl st in next sc, ch 7 (counts as 1 tr and ch 3), 1 tr in same sc, [ch 3, in next sc work (1 tr, ch 3, 1 tr), ch 1, sk 3 sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 dc in next hdc, ch 1, sk 1 dc, in next dc work ((1 dc, ch 1) 4 times), sk next dc, 1 dc in next hdc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 1*, sk next 3 sc, in next sc work (1 tr; ch 3, 1 tr)] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4.

Round 8: [3 sc in next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch 1 sp, 2 sc in next ch1 sp, 1 sc and 1 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 2 dc in each of next 3 ch 1 sp, 1 hdc and 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, sk next 2 ch 1 sp] 6 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

NOTE: When I came back to rework (and fix, not realizing beforehand it needed attention) this pattern (sadly, 12 years later!!!), I changed up the final two Rounds to make a snowflakier snowflake. Hope you enjoy this Easter egg alternative!

Round 7: Sl st in next sc, ch 7 (counts as 1 tr and ch 3), 1 tr in same sc, [ch 3, in next sc work (1 tr, ch 3, 1 tr), ch 1, sk 3 sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 dc in next hdc, ch 1, sk 1 dc, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 tr, ch 5, 1 tr, ch 1, 1 dc, ch 1), sk next dc, 1 dc in next hdc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, ch 1, sk next sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 1*, sk next 3 sc, in next sc work (1 tr; ch 3, 1 tr)] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4.

Round 8: [3 sc in next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 hdc, 1 sc), 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch 1 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc and 1 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 2 dc in next ch 1 sp, in next ch 5 sp work (5 dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 5 dc), 2 dc in next ch 1 sp, 1 hdc and 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, sk next 2 ch 1 sp] 6 times; sl st in starting sc; 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.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. 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.

NOTE: I did not stiffen or glitter snowflake motifs to be sewn onto dress sleeves, but I did block them, and they have held their shape through one machine washing so far.

Leadville 100 Edging

Finished Size: 1.75 inches wide
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, garment to be edged, matching sewing thread, pins

Leadville 100 Crochet Edging Instructions

I sewed along the edge of my hemline with sewing thread as close in color to my crochet thread as I could get, and then I worked the foundation row of the edging right into the sewing stitches, one double crochet in every third stitch, with a chain in between each double crochet. These instructions are written for lace worked in the round, going around the bottom of a finished garment (or sleeve edges, if desired). I have not written this pattern for a flat strip of lace that may be sewn onto a project. Yet.

Round 1: Leaving a long tail and using the chainless double crochet start (st as if to chain, yo and bring up loop through desired sewing start stitch, yo and bring through 2 loops on hook, yo and bring through 2 remaining loops on hook), 1 dc in the center hemline sewing stitch in the back of garment, * ch 1, 1 dc in 3rd sewing stitch from hook; repeat from * around, adjusting skipped sewing stitch count as necessary to maintain a multiple of 24-eyelet (24-ch 1 sp) sections. (I had to skip 1 sewn stitch instead of 2 twice to obtain the correct number of eyelets, and I spaced out the 2 adjustments so they aren’t noticeable to the naked eye.) Sl st into starting dc.
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: Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 8 (counts as 1 dtr and ch 3), 1 dtr in same ch 1 sp, ch 1, sk 3 ch 1 sp, *2 sc in next ch 1 sp, 2 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 3 dc in next ch 1 sp, 2 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1, sk 3 ch 1 sp, 1 dtr in next ch 1 sp, ch 3, [1 dtr in same ch 1 sp, ch 3] 2 times, 1 dtr in same sp, ch 1, sk 3 ch 1 sp; repeat from * around, ending with [1 dtr in same sp as starting dtr, ch 3] 2 times; sl st in 5th ch of starting ch 8. (If you screwed up your count on the first row, instead of frogging and starting all over, calculate how many additional or fewer ch 1 spaces you need, and rip out double the amount of sk 3/ch 1 sp segments you need to accommodate the shortage/overage and rework those segments, using sk 2 or sk 4 ch 1 sp, as applicable, every other sk. Your adjustments should not be noticeable. Yes, this comes from the voice of experience. Twice.)

Round 3: *5 sc in next ch 3 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, sk 1 sc, 1 sc in each of next 3 st, 1 hdc in next st, 2 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in each of next 3 st, sk 1 sc, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, 5 sc in next ch 5 sp, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in same sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around; sl st in starting sc.

Round 4: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), sk 1 st, *1 tr in next st (should be middle of 5/sc group), ch 1, sk 8 st, 1 dtr in next st (should be 1st dc of 2/dc group), ch 3, 1 dtr in same st, ch 3, 1 dtr in next st, ch 3, 1 dtr in same st, ch 1, sk 8 st, 1 tr in next st (should be middle sc of 5/sc group), ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 hdc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 sc in next st (should be middle dc of 3/dc group), ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 hdc in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, sk next st; repeat from * around, ending with sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3 instead of final dc of last repeat.

Round 5: *2 sc in next ch 1 sp (between Round 4 starting ch and tr), 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in same sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, 2 sc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in next ch 1 sp, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, 1 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around; sl st in starting sc; bind off, leaving long tail. Weave in ends across many stitches to provide durability during washing.

Blocking: Using a blocking board (or a firm bed covered with blanket and towel beneath hem if you don’t have a blocking board), pin half, a third or a quarter of the edged hemline, whatever will fit on the blocking apparatus you use, and spray lightly with water. Allow ample time for drying. Block and repeat equal-sized sections as needed until entire garment edging has been shaped.

Care: I've run my dress through the washing machine (cold, gentle) and the dryer (light, lowest setting), and the crochet work has held. We are told to never hang hand-crocheted or hand-knitted garments to dry laundering by hand and to always dry flat, on a towel. However, I think this dress could be hung to dry, as long as the sleeve motifs are finger-shaped and checked for weight pull.

As a hand-crocheted or hand-knit garment becomes softer through multiple wearings and washings, it may be necessary to block again from time to time. Keeping a crocheted edging blocked is worth the time it takes. I occasionally still wear a crocheted collar my grandmother made for herself before I was born, and I've been wearing it for more than 30 years now. It's much softer than it was when my grandmother died, but it is every bit as beautiful as it was the last time I saw her wearing it.

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Friday Funny

Grand Rapids pulls it off again! This incredible, amazing retirement home video was shot in ONE take! Watch for magnificent little touches, such as prune juice cocktails...

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Going Green

A few months ago, I accidentally stepped through a point on the handkerchief hemline of my favorite skirt, and the heel of my shoe went right through the fabric. The hole likely can be patched. One day. My heart, however, was yearning for a new and improved lime green batik masterpiece. I'd been saving up a ball of lime green crochet thread for just such a project.

I have a collection of lime green batiks. I bought one or two yards at a time, thinking one day I might make a quilt. I still hope to do that one day, but for now, smaller projects are more desirable because they don't take as long.

I'd cut into the stash a few years ago to build a bag. My bag bit the dust after just one season. I later made the skirt, and it lasted a lot longer. New lime green batiks kept catching my eye, and I began rebuilding my the stash again to make the new dress I could see in my head. A yard here, a yard there; one by one, I restashed.

Turquoise is my favorite color, but there's something about lime green. I can't explain it. Perhaps it just yearns to be my favorite color.

I finally found just the right plum and kiwi batik to complete my reconstructed stash back in May, and the one-yard cut was the last I needed. I finally had enough fabric for a dress! But it was cycling season. Sewing time is never easy to come by in spring, summer and fall. Some winters can be difficult, as well.

Sometimes, my sewing machine waits a very, very long time for me to be a close friend.

Three weeks ago, I rummaged through my ancient patterns. Most of them are from the '70s and '80s, but the boxes containing them were so buried in my basement, the patterns felt much older, much longer lost. Cobwebs probably helped...

Yes, I have cobwebs. I confess. I haven't been in that maze of boxes since... since the last time I needed a pattern, which probably was the summer of '09, when I had to make a pioneer bonnet for The Trek.

I selected two patterns I could combine to come up with the twirly dress I could see in my head.

Two weeks ago, I began mixing and matching delicate pieces of tissue-like paper and cutting out pieces that had never been used before. Each day for an entire week, I thought I could finish cutting the fabric in one night, and I'd have the dress finished on a second night.

But it's still cycling season. It's still gardening season.

Cutting and preparing the pattern took four nights! Drawing my own diagonal lines on the pattern pieces proved to be more challenging than I'd thought.

But then it was done. Now I could soar. Even if I didn't get home until 8 p.m., I knew I could whip this baby out. Embellishment would take significantly longer, but I speed through dresses. I can't muster any meaningful velocity on a bicycle, but a sewing machine gives me wings.

I was so excited, I could barely sleep. I jumped out of bed before the sun came up to begin piecing the next morning, and the dress body was put together before I left for work. I also managed to find the perfect thread and proper settings for the topstitching I wanted to do, and I finished half of the topstitching before work. That night, I finished the machine embellishment. Only the sleeves remained, and they were destined for something special.

While The Lizard drove us and our bikes to the Columbine Mine trailhead for a training ride the next day, I created Embellishment #1 and #2. When we got home late that night, I attached my lime green snowflake flowers to the sleeves. The next morning, I cut the fabric from beneath the motifs and whip stitched the cut edges under tightly. Setting in sleeves takes me no time at all when I'm excited about wearing the finished product.

I wore the dress to church that day. I decided the neckline needed another motif, and I'd planned all along to crochet a matching edging. The most difficult part of this step is working on the dress, because I want to wear it, and I can't while I am working on it!!!

I wore the dress to work to see what people would say. They loved it, and everyone thought I should leave it alone, not add anything else. Which was just the fuel I needed to keep going.

The hemline edging took three more nights, with lots of do-overs to get the long, flat design to somewhat resemble the round, curvy design of the snowflake flowers.

One more snowflake flower, a few stitches to tack it in place, and viola! My new favorite dress was ready to wear again!

Complicating the entire project was trying to write the crochet patterns as I was working out the designs. That made things take much longer. But pattern writing is easier done while the crochet is being worked out than waiting until after the project is finished.

Now that I've sunned myself in this awesome creation, I want more. If I had enough lime green thread, I'd crochet a floppy hat to match. And a parasol! Maybe matching lacy gloves will suffice. There's enough thread left to wrap my hands in yet more crochet.

Ooooooh, and what about tie-up espadrilles, with crocheted lime green ties?!?

Now I want to make the whole ensemble, including the hat and parasol, all over again in blue batiks. And then again in violet batiks with bright pinks and roses. You think maybe I've learned to buy adequate crochet thread before I start a project?

Dang. I should have been a fashion designer.

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