Friday Funny

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Wear-y Scary

Remember that sorta cute little bonus dress I finished back in June???

Yeah, that's the one. Wore it to church once.

Washed it. Once. Didn't notice while wearing it the second time, last weekend, when it was finally cool enough to wear layers (because I have to wear a shirt underneath), that many of the pieced block seams had unravelled. !!!

I wore a holey dress to church. Not a holy dress. A holey dress. Lizard had multiple challenges that morning, and in my efforts to help him so we could get to church on time, I never looked at myself to make sure I was presentable. Until I sat down in the chapel. And was horrified. Just in time for Halloween. What a way to celebrate!!! I still haven't had a chance to fix it yet. Perhaps it will be scarecrow fodder in the backyard after all. Sure could have used it while we were trying to prepare the garden before our first overnight freeze on Monday!!!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Park It, Son

This isn't the blog post I had planned for today. I had to rearrange the schedule after I finally got to watch "Still", the Michael J. Fox documentary I've been wanting to see for about a couple of years now. My emotions right now are all over the charts.

The language was so bad, I would have turned it off had it not been such an important subject matter for my family. The documentary was so painful to watch, and yet, I needed to see it. I'm glad I watched, and I wish I hadn't watched. Does that make sense?

"You can't pretend you don't have Parkinson's." OUCH. My tears would not stop falling. And I was so friggin' angry at the woman who made me fight 2.5 years for Lizard's disability classification because, in her words, "He can put stamps on letters. He can wear diapers." Oh, just pretend you don't have Parkinson's. No one will notice. Your dignity means nothing.

I feel like I grew up with Michael J. Fox because he is just a couple of years older than me, and although I didn't watch much TV or many movies back then, I feel like Michael J. was in everything I did watch. This documentary made me wish even more I had grown up with Lizard so we could have married 20 years earlier and shared an extra two decades of awesome adventures. I still think we could have had the most awesome cycling kids!

Tracy Pollan Fox is one of my heroes because she has stayed with Michael J. all this time, even when he was in denial and making it worse. She has always been his best friend. 37 years. That helps me know I can make it, too. I can do this.

We can do this. Yes, there are going to be hard days. Hard weeks. Hard years. But we can do this. We will do this, and do it well.

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Snowflake Monday

I had an unexpected visit by the family of two of my grands last week, so two more of this year's Halloween snowflakes have been delivered. In person! After today's snowflakes, I need only three more!

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 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

Triple Shot VIII 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 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, 2 dc in each dc around for a total of 24 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc] 12 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Bind off if making flake in more than one color. Weave in 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.

Round 4: If using same color, ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), sk next 5 dc, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc)] 5 times; ch 5, sk next 5 dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round. If using new color, 1 dc in any dc, [ch 5, sk 5 dc, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc)] 5 times; ch 5, sk next 5 dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, in next ch 3 tip sp work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc)] 5 times, ch 5, sk next ch 5 sp, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 3, 1 sc over Rounds 4 and 5 ch 5 sp, ch 3, in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

Triple Shot VIII Snowflake Variation Instructions

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.

Make magic ring.

Round 1: [1 pc in ring, ch 3] 6 times, omitting last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in top of starting pc to create 6th ch 3 sp of Round. Pull magic circle tight..

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [in next ch 3 sp 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 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 3, in next ch 3 top work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc)] 5 times; ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 tip; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to 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 9 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 7), sk next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc)] 5 times; ch 7, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 9 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 7, sk next ch 7 sp, in next ch 3 tip sp work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc)] 5 times, ch 7, sk next ch 7 sp, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 4, 1 sc over Rounds 4 and 5 ch 7 sp, ch 4, in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: I've been stiffening my flakes with undiluted, full-strength water soluble school glue for quite a while now, and I've been squishing the glue onto and throughout each flake with my fingers (yucky mess!!!) instead of gingerly painting the flakes with glue. Yes, it's a mess. But it's faster. And stiffer.

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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Friday Fortius

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Chilly Fright

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