Time for Me to Dye

I'd hoped to be able to snow dye during our storm last week. I had the day off, and I didn't have a bunch of quilts to finish by a specific time, so I began winding my white crochet thread into hanks and dipping the hanks into boiling water with soda ash to prepare for the marvelous snow for which I hoped.

The snow was shy... less than an inch. I decided it's been too long since I dyed and went to heaven, snow or not, I'm dyeing!


When Lizard came home from work that day, he asked what I was going to make with all the newly dyed thread. I'm sure he wondered why I was dyeing again when I still have quite a bit of thread from my last dyeing day.


Although I still have many unused balls of hand-dyed thread, I'm running out of pink. Again. So pink was one of the focus colors this session.


When I first began dyeing with commercial products, I mixed my own colors using primaries. For the last two or three years, I've picked up a few eye-catching colors, particularly hues being phased out and discontinued. Last year, I started buying a few new colors as they are introduced, such as cornflower, one of my favorite real world colors. I'd yet to try my new cornflower dye or the new kingfisher dye, the latter which would come in pretty handy when I try to crochet a hummingbird. Yes, I've been asked to crochet a hummingbird.




I still have trouble sometimes trying to get dark or intense colors to stick, but that's one of the things that makes dyeing fun... the unexpected.

Typically when I dye with commercial dyes (except for snow-dyeing), I dye in spring, summer or fall, and I use solar heat. Can't do that in winter, so I have to use the microwave and the stove top.

Last time I microwaved cotton thread in winter to set the colors, the cheap black acrylic yarn I used to tie the hanks melted and then even set one hank aflame. So this time, I used cotton thread to tie the cotton yarn hank and cotton yarn to tie the cotton thread hanks. This left me with a bunch of colorful cotton yarn scraps, for which I have a special project in mind!


Last time I solar-dyed, the colors settled to the bottom of the jars as they basked in the warmth of the sun, and the threads came out beautifully gradient. This time, I attempted one hank of gradient yarn and one hank of gradient thread, and all the rest I tried to dye in gradients of the same shades.




After all the threads were dried and ready to wind into balls, I still didn't get some of the darker colors, and two of the hues don't look anything like they should, but I'm happy with the final product. I'm going to have fun crocheting with these new colors! The hummingbird won't be true emerald green - this time - but that just means I'll have to dye again another day.

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Snowflake Monday

Today's snowflake pattern was inspired by a set of really awesome buttons I picked up recently at Hobby Lobby. You know, that place I should never go into because I can't just buy the one thing I need...


I think these buttons need to become snowflake centers. Perhaps the center of one of these snowflakes???






Maybe I can work one of these up into a pattern for our annual Make a Snowflake Day and Snowflake Ball on February 6, which falls on a Tuesday this year. I don't have a big snowflake project I've been secretly working on tbecause I wasn't able to crochet as much as I would have liked last year. I thought perhaps our February 5 Snowflake Monday could feature photos readers have shared with me showing how they use their snowflakes. Then I can create a special snowflake pattern for Tuesday.

What do you think? Does that make a terrific Official Snowflake Day?

If you are interested in participating, please send me a photo (to snowcatcher at att dot net) of an unusual snowflake you've made or an awesome way to use a snowflake (or snowflakes) you've made if you'd like it to be included on February 5. Let's have a Snowflake Ball and share with all!

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: 3.5 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

Sprightly Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through 2nd ch of starting ch 2 and replace loop on hook, pull loop through ch (starting popcorn stitch made), * ch 4, 5 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc (popcorn stitch made); repeat from * 4 times; ch 2, 1 dc in top of starting popcorn st to form 6th ch 4 tip of Round. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: Sl st over post of dc directly below, * ch 9, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 dc in each of next 3 ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in same ch 4 sp, ch 4, sl st in next ch 4 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last ch 4 and last sl st of final repeat; ch 2, 1 dc in starting sl st to form 6th ch 4 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.
NOTE: Yes, yet another snowflake that turns out cute if you bind off early, and here, you can see the pattern's button inspiration.


Round 3: Ch 1 (counts as sc), * working up spoke, 1 dc in bottom of next dc, 3 dc in bottom of next dc, ch 3, 1 dc in tip of spoke, ch 3, 1 dc in same spoke tip, ch 5, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 2, 1 dc in same spoke tip, ch 3, 1 dc in same spoke tip, ch 3, working back down spoke, sk next sc and next dc, 3 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc, 1 sc in next ch 4 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting ch 1; 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.

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Friday Fortius

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King Jr. #loveoneanother

A post shared by Snowcatcher (@thesnowcatcher) on Jan 12, 2018 at 4:23am PST

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Shiloh's Quilt

I learned about six months ago I'd be getting a new niece, but I didn't start working on her quilt until after finishing late Christmas presents. Once I devoted some time to it, Shiloh's quilt was finished in practically no time.

I'd picked up a Frolic layer cake by Me and My Sister when they went on clearance. I pulled out a pair of Kona orchid pinks from my Owl Be Striped leftovers for sashing and binding. While deciding which blocks would go into the quilt, I fell absolutely in love with the ladybug prints, so splurged on a full yard (at full price) for the backing.


After putting the blocks together in two nights, I discovered one yard was not quite enough for the backing. I expected that, though. I've been having fun trying to make the quilt backs creative. I pulled out the yard of blue Hi De Ho (also Me and My Sister) butterflies I bought back when I started collecting blue butterfly prints and cut a five-inch strip to insert in the backing. I'd already cut some jelly roll strips from the yard because I'm planning a blue butterfly jelly roll project down the road, so the butterfly fabric wasn't quilt wide enough for the quilt backing.

But I'd counted on that, too. I pulled out my collection of Me and My Sister charm squares (of which I now have everything I want but Giggles, Ticklish and Twirl) and used one Hi De Ho butterfly print to make up the difference.


Initially I'd planned to quilt a basic crosshatch like I've been doing, but as I got to the quilting portion of the project, I realized I don't have to go warp speed anymore, now that the 15 quilts for 15 kiddos are done. So then I thought I'd try hearts in each block. Once I sat down to the sewing machine, flowers called out to me, so that's what I did.


The flowers aren't perfect; it's very difficult to work a big design larger than about four inches) through the very tiny throat of the inexpensive little Brother machine. But I feel like I'm gaining confidence and building skill each time I try working outside my comfort zone. Hopefully my free-motion skills will get better with each quilt I finish.


I couldn't find thread to match the lighter pink I used for the sashing, but I had a spool that perfectly matched what I planned to use for the binding, so I used that. After the first couple of flowers, I wasn't sure I liked the darker pink on the light-colored blocks, but the finished quilt really grew on me. I hope Shiloh (who still hasn't made her grand entrance yet) and her family will love it!


Linking up with Busy Hands Quilts, Crazy Mom Quilts and Confessions of a Fabric Addict.

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Wordless Wednesday

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