Early Garden

We didn't really have a winter this year. Oh, how I have missed the snow and the snowflake photography!!! (I've snapped a total of three snowflake photos all year until Friday, when I got to snap 98 more.) Yet we've been missing out on a bunch of really good weather days we could have gotten some work done in the yard.

We finally took advantage of perfect weather before our first snow accumulation of the year. I stuffed three gigantic black trash bags with leaves. I feel like I didn't even make a dent, but I filled our trash bin. I couldn't fit anymore. So another good weather day will be required.

And just look what I found in my garden! In February!!! Hundreds more grape hyacinth and scores of full-sized hyacinths, daffodils and tulips also are looking like blooms might form soon. This makes up a tiny bit for lack of snowflakes this year!

The tiny little live evergreen I bought so many years ago when we realized we couldn't have a traditional Christmas tree in our house anymore and planted in a half beer barrel after trying to snap a potential Christmas card photo has grown a foot or two. I really felt like it was rootbound. So I dug a hole where I wanted to plant it in the ground. When my afternoon strong-bodied helpers arrived, they were frustrated with me because they'd offered to dig the hole. My back and hips were SO sore!!!

My helpers transplanted the little tree for me, and I'm as happy as can be! I think my little tree might love its new home, too. I still have some rock work I want to do at the base, but for now, I have a new tree!!! We're going to do this again in another month or two because I have always wanted to put a pair of apple trees in our backyard. Or maybe an apple and a cherry... My helpers threatened to not show up if I don't let them dig the holes next time.

Then my strong-bodied afternoon helpers went to work trying to dig deeper the holes next to our new pergola (they'd helped build it last fall, I think) so we can install my new trellis, which they helped me build about a month or so ago. I didn't know we needed to plant the trellis in the ground in cement. I was pretty naive. I should have known there is NO friggin' way the trellis would stay in place in our winds!

Now, two of the four holes are deep enough, and my helpers ended up having to saw a huge section of a humongous root out of the ground because it crossed the path of the second two holes. So we didn't get the trellis in yet. But the root is gone!!!

This likely was one of the roots that messed up the plumbing beneath the basement of my house. It should be made of gold for what it has cost me so far. Perhaps I should pay someone to carve it into a garden ornament for me...

So, at least one more digging session will be required. Plus the mixing of the cement, planting of the posts, then installation of the trellis. And we'll need more of this excellent weather for the cement to cure.

With my luck, that day will end our drought and our winterless 2026. Just like washing my car causes it to rain. Hey, I guess I should have been doing that all winter (and fall)!!!

Tweet

No Flake Monday

Good news and bad news... We got eight inches of snow on Friday!!! How ten hours of microscopic flakefall added up to better than 12-inch drifts is beyond me. We SO needed the moisture. However, editing the 98 photos I was able to snap throughout the day contributed to my lack of a new snowflake pattern today.

I pretty dramatically crop most of my snowflake photos because I don't have the high-power equipment some of my favorite photographers use. No complaints. I love shooting snowflakes with my setup, and I love the challenge of trying to make my photographs look presentable.

Well, I guess until Friday... When the flakes are as small as they were and the photographer is as desperate as I was, there is quite a bit of image degradation when cropping so severely. I ended up having to use AI to sharpen the photos just a tad.

That's not an easy process because most AI programs are not built to render exact duplicates of existing photos/artwork. That would be plagiarism. Most of the programs I tried could not simply sharpen the images. However, I did find one that would sharpen one of the images in a collage, and for now, that is good enough to me.

It also gives me something to plug into today's blog post because I haven't finished writing the pattern for the St. Patrick's Day-themed flake I'd planned to share today. I may have to create a diagrame because I don't know that a written pattern will be helpful.

So there's actual doubt this particular pattern it going to see the light of day this year. Doin' the best I can, my fellow and lady crocheters. Full-time caregiving and garden duties (and snowflake photo editing) sometimes take a toll on my ability to produce weekly snowflake patterns right now. I'm very thankful I have plenty of existing patterns to occupy bored hooks.

Tweet

Friday Funny

Tweet

End of the Line

She's done. 34 inches. And no more. For now.

I remember how excited I was when I first started Mercurina. I remember planning a whole family of temperature snakes. I truly loved this little lady until about halfway through February.

Our weather has changed. I did not like using the same colors over and over. I wanted a variety, I didn't do a crochet temperature project (or even a digital one, for that matter) last year because I wasn't sure life would allow me the luxury of daily upkeep. I thought things would be easier this year.

On the bright side, she's done. And even though she doesn't have as much color variety as a typical Colorado January and February would have provided, she is beautiful. It's possible I might start working on another snake if things quiet down a bit. But for now, she's an only lonely child, and I'm so thankful to be done with her.

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet

Snowflake Monday

Today almost was another No Flake Monday! I'm still writing this pattern at 10 p.m. Sunday night! Life has really taken a few unexpected turns the last couple of weeks, and it's sometimes very challenging to try to get a pattern written each week. But I'm doing the best I can. Please be patient with me if I can't always adhere to the blah blah blahg schedule. :)

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: 7.5 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

Part III Snowflake Instructions

Ch 60. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, ch 1, [sk next 3 ch, [yo and draw up loop in next ch, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and draw through all 4 loops in hook (dc dec made), ch 1, sk next 3 ch, in next ch work [1 dc, ch 1] 4 times] 6 times, omitting last 2 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 hdc into 2nd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 1 tip of Round.

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), 1 dc in same sp, [ch 3, 1 fpsc around next dc dec, ch 3, in next ch 1 tip (middle V-st of next 1/dc, ch 1 group) work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc, ch 6, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 1, * 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc)] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 3 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 3: Ch 2, yo 2 times, draw up loop through next dc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times, yo 3 times and draw up loop through next ch 1 sp, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook (half point cluster made), [ch 16, sk next 2 ch 3 sp, yo 3 times and draw up loop through next ch 1 sp, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo 2 times and draw up loop through next dc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook 2] times, yo and draw up loop through next ch 3 tip, yo 2 times and draw up loop through next dc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times, yo 3 times and draw up loop through next ch 2 sp, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times; yo and draw through all 6 loops on hook (whole point cluster made, and yes, it's a name I made up for a stitch I've never seen anywhere)] 5 times; ch 16, sk next 2 ch 3 sp, yo 3 times and draw up loop through next ch 1 sp, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo 2 times and draw up loop through next dc, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook 2] times, draw up loop through top of starting half point cluster and draw through all 3 loops on hook.

Round 4: Ch 17 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 16, in top of next point cluster work (1 sc, ch 3, 1 sc)] 6 times, omitting last 2 ch and last sc of final repeat; 1 dc in 1st ch of starting ch 17 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch 3 tip, [ch 8, 1 sc over next Round 3 and Round 14 ch sp into top of Round 1 dc dec, ch 8, in next ch 3 tip work (2 dc, ch 5, 2 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 3 ch and last 2 dc of final repeat; 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 5 tip of Round.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 5 point, [ch 11, 1 sc in 4th ch from hook, 1 dc in next ch, ch 6, in next ch 5 tip work (5 dc, ch 8, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, ch 5, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook and in next ch, 1 dc in top of next dc, 1 hdc in bottom of same dc, sl st in next ch, ch 1, 5 dc)]6 times; omitting last 5 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.

Tweet

#SaveMoonCamp

I've been a supporter of FOBBV for years. I LOVE Jackie and Shadow.

Save Moon Camp!

Tweet