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Ornaments Needed

This will be my fourth year sending my snowflakes to Operation Ornaments. I didn't get as many made this year because... well, it was just harder to crochet back in the spring and early summer this year. I did the best I could.

One of the snowflakes I'm donating is my Snowflake for Lizard. It was difficult to let it go, but I'm hoping it will bring a smile to a family who has lost more than I have. And, I can always make another one.

Last year, I got to meet Carol and Carolyn, two of the main volunteers who have kept this wonderful organization going. Operation Ornaments has been providing handmade ornaments to families and individuals who have lost everything to wildfires, hurricanes, tornados and floods for five or six years. This year, they also are serving Jewish individuals and families.

This year, Operation Ornaments for the first time does not have enough ornaments to serve every family in the areas that have been hit by horrific disasters. They are asking for help from anyone who is able to send even just a few handmade ornaments. You can be sure these ornaments are treasured by recipients; each year, Operation Ornaments receives many thank yous from families they have served. It's such a great way to spread love at a time when so many need it.

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Frankenflake

This is the image that sort of brought life to the mad scientist in me. I can't remember if it was the first snowflake image I tried to digitally alter, but it definitely sent me down the most frozen rabbit hole to date.

The first image (at the top of this blog post) is a stacked image, compiled via 11 nearly identical shots I merged in Photoshop to bring out the most accurate focus in each image. (The second image is one of the original 11 images.) Astrophotographers have been stacking images for years, perhaps even decades, to create the stunning stellar photos we've all enjoyed and probably drooled over.

The image directly above this paragraph is the Photoshop-sharpened and cleaned-up version of my stacked image. I began using the image stacking capabilities of Photoshop about last year because I never really mastered my standalone image-stacking software in about 2015. The image-stacking technology probably has elements in common with what we now know as AI. Although I initially (pre-2005) was extremely anti-Photoshop because I came from the pre-digital news environment and didn't want any of my images ever to be considered "manipulated", Photoshop has been my favorite computer tool for at least a decade. My first version of Photoshop was gifted to me by my dad; he thought I might enjoy playing with it when his job required him to update his software. I quickly learned how much faster it is to remove dust spots and to brighten shadowed faces, plus, I no longer had easy access to a darkroom. My favorite plug-in was a kaleidoscope generator rendered unusable when I bought the laptop before this one, and I've never been able to find a replacement, darn it. I could create amazing "snowflakes" with my real images using that old plug-in!!!

It still is incredibly important to me that my actual photographs are never confused with AI, but Photoshop now is my friend. I enjoy working with Photoshop, learning how to make best of most of its tools, and cherish its manual ability to fix old photos. I still have not experimented with Photoshop's AI tools more than a handful of times, but I have used other AI programs. I always label the images I produce via AI as AI. I will never try to pull the superwash sock wool over anyone's eyes. I prompted one of my AI programs to sharpen and clarify my original stacked snowflake image to create the image directly above this paragraph.

One of my AI programs gives me the ability to add motion. So, of course, I had to make my altered snowflake image dance. Or, at least, twirl...

After hiking with a couple of friends over the weekend, I was treated to the equivalent of an old-fashioned slide show of their recent overseas trip. (We swiped left on their tablet.) One has recently become fascinated by what AI can do to his photos, and boy, did he play! He showed me watercolor- and oil-type renditions of some of his most prized photos. They were truly really awesome. I was drawn to what he called his "psychedelic 60s poster" effect on photos. I never would have thought to manipulate my photos in such a way. (Although I have had fun with Photoshop color and overlay filters!) So, of course, I had to try it as soon as I got home. And what better subject than snowflakes??? I fed my AI-enhanced real snowflake photo into MidJourney, which I have used to illustrate my blog when I was unable to take photos. That image is shown above.

My first attempt wasn't bad. But I became curious what other AI programs could do with my snowflake. My second attempt, shown above, is rendered via Nano Banana.

Next, I tried ChatGPT, shown above.

My friend uses a program I didn't even know existed, Meta AI, shown above. Wow. I see why he likes this program. I decided to test it with the crocheted version of my real snowflake photo, shown below.

I often wondered if I spent too much time generating kaleidoscopes more than a decade ago. I really don't think I needed to find something new to steal away time I should be spending elsewhere!!!

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Snowflake Monday

Today's snowflake is inspired by the floral motifs in the stained glass windows at the Fort Collins Temple. The motif is reportedly inspired by Colorado's mountain wildflowers.

The Fort Collins Temple is special to me because Lizard offered to take me there two years before he became a member of my church. We had volunteered for the MS-150 that year instead of riding, and we had asked to be at the start of the route on Sunday morning so I could attend church. We finished about an hour before church began, and Lizard asked if I would like to see the new temple.

It was still under construction at that point, and neither of us knew back then how to work the apps on our phone that might have been able to lead the way. The first temple it took us to was a Hindu temple. It was interesting, but it wasn't the goal. Ha ha.

We finally found our temple next to an existing church building, where we were able to attend church together.

The following year, Lizard took me to the open house, and we had our photo taken in front of a mural provided so everyone could get a photo, regardless of the weather or sun position. The temple was dedicated by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Lizard's favorite General Conference speaker (because Lizard loved the German accent and anything flight-oriented, and Dieter, a retired pilot, can't resist the temptation to include aspects of aviation in his messages whenever possible). Lizard even named one of his mini me cyclists after his favorite speaker.

All temples were closed during the first year or so of the pandemic. When the temples began reopening, a friend would take me to the Fort Collins Temple when our own temple, called the Denver Temple but located in Littleton, was closed for routine maintenance because her sister lives in Fort Collins and would often join us. By mid-2024, I wasn't often able to leave Lizard alone anymore, which put an end to temple trips unless I was able to find someone to sit with him while I went.

In April of this year, when our temple was closed again for routine maintenance, Lizard planned to go to the Fort Collins Temple with me, even if he could only wait for me in the waiting room. I made arrangements for volunteers to help him so he would be able to worship as I had planned to do. Lizard went into the hospital the Friday before our scheduled date. Eight days later, he was in a far better place than me.

I'm so thankful he was spared prolonged suffering, but I still miss him so much when I do things we had planned to do together. I went to the Fort Collins Temple last week while my local temple was closed again for two weeks. I was joined by a friend who also lost her husband four days after I lost mine. There were many tears, plenty of hugs, and so many fond memories.

We planned to have lunch at Schlotzky's afterward, as Lizard had really looked forward to that part of our trip. Alas, the Schlotzky's chain seemingly is disappearing from Colorado. The Fort Collins location no longer exists. My friend and I opted for Mexican food. Lizard would have enjoyed that immensely.

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

Floral Snowflake Instructions

Special Stitches

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 into ring, ch 3] 6 times, omitting last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc into starting pc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2:3 sc over post of dc directly below, [in next ch 3 sp work (3 sc, ch 3, 3 sc)] 5 time; 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in starting sc to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 3: Ch 6 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 5, in next ch 3 tip 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 6 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 4 (counts as 1 dtr), 1 dtr over post of dc directly below, [ch 4, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 4, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 6, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 4, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 1, sk next 5 ch, in next ch 3 tip work (2 dtr, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, 2 dtr)] 6 times, omitting last 2 dtr of final repeat; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4; 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 Fantastic

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Quiltless

The sunflower quilt was my goal again this week, but here it is, nearly bedtime Wednesday, and I still haven't touched the sewing machine. I've pulled out every sunflower fabric in my stash and Lizard's stash, but no sewing yet.

The layer cake, which I'd totally forgotten buying, is so pretty, I almost think it would make a better top than my Spoonflower panel, and my panel could be the quilt back... Decisions, decisions...

What to do when you can't decide??? Well, gift baskets work up pretty quickly, and I use stash yarn. I'm tickled pink with my Pinktober basket. It was fun to fill with things I'd mostly already made, plus a few curated items.

Now I'm drooling over the color combo of my trending Halloween palette. I really need to dye some crochet thread with these colors!

Linking up with Alycia Quilts.

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