Missed Again and Again

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Catching the Halloween Wave

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Second Time Around

Lavender should be pruned every year to keep it healthy and blooming properly. I hadn't been doing a very good job of maintaining. I pruned for the first time in 2024, I think, at the end of the season, which I have since learned is a bit too late, although still necessary. Last year, I pruned in November, which was WAY too late.

I used this year's wonderfully smelling lavender clippings as mulch for my wisteria and my mourning glories. (Yes, I've spelled it that way intentionally. Lizard helped me plant the wisteria, mourning glories and apple trees. They were the last things we did together at home.)

I also fashioned some of the sprigs that were still alive into upside-down hanging plants in my master bath, which sees plenty of darkness now. Which is required for drying lavender. Which is why I put them there. They were extremely aromatic for about a month, but not so much now. I haven't tried crafting with lavender yet. But I will one day.

Healthy pruning at the right time (before the blossoms are completely spent) sometimes results in a second or even a third bloom. I had little hope because I was actually pruning properly, but still a bit late - at the end of July. I didn't really expect much of a second bloom.

Some of my youngest plants have blossomed heartily again! It is the coolest thing in the world to see! And smell...

Even some of the older lavender plants shot up a few spiky blooms. Just to prove getting old doesn't really bite, as we are so fond of saying and believing.

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Snowflake Monday

Today's snowflake was just a tad too big to send to Operation Ornaments, so it's still here at home with me. It also didn't pan out the way I'd imagined when I added even more rounds, so it's not that much different than my Esther Snowflake, particularly because I already incorporated one of my changes/unpgrades into last week's pattern. But, the final masterpiece looks more like a sunflower now, and I really love that.

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

Hadassah Snowflake Instructions

Special Stitches

dc cluster (3dc cl): [yo and draw up loop, yo and bring through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and bring through all 4 loops on hook

bobble st (bob): [yo and draw up loop] 3 times, yo and bring through all 7 loops on hook

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 17 dc in ring; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Don't pull magic circle too tight.

Round 2: Ch 1 (counts as 1st half of starting dc), leave loop on hook a little loose, bob into same ch as sl st, [ch 1, bob in next dc] 17 times for a total of 18 bob stitches; ch 1, sl st in top of starting bob.

Round 3: Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 1 (counts as 1st half of starting dc), leave loop on hook a little loose, 3dc cl into same ch 1 sp, [ch 2, 3dc cl into next ch 1 sp] 17 times for a total of 18 cl stitches; ch 2, sl st into top of starting cl.
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: Sl st into next ch 2 sp, ch 2, (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same ch 2 sp, [ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 2 sp, ch 4, sk next ch 2 sp, 3 dc in next ch 2 sp] 6 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; 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), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 8, sk over next ch 4 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 6, 1 sc over next Round 5 ch 8 and Round 4 ch 4 into next Round 3 ch 2 sp, ch 6, in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 10, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook and in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, ch 1, 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 Funny

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A Good Day to Dye

I've kind of become addicted to one of this year's trending Halloween color palettes. I designed a gift basket, then a cowl.

Then I decided I needed to dye thread to match.

I couldn't decide which of my three browns I should use, so I solar-dyed a hank with all three... mink brown, cinnamon and terracotta. I think this could be trending autumn colors! Don't you?

The cinnamon won, but my purple in the Halloween hank turned out a bit too dark and too blue. Which means I will be trying again.

In the meantime, I wondered, "You Blockhead!!! (Yes, I'm a Moda Blockhead, but I haven't started Blockheads 7 yet...) What in the heck are you going to do with all this thread now???"

Well, duh! Use my own patterns!

I don't know what I'm going to do with the big heart, but I do love it. I kind of want to make a snake now.

Especially after about 56 rounds so far on the basket handle. The snake would be more plump, so it won't look exactly like the handle, but I still think these are great snake colors!!!

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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Wordless Wednesday

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