Not So Intelligent

Anyone who has followed me for the last couple of years or so knows I often use AI now to illustrate some of my blog posts because, as a full-time caregiver, I just don't get to go out and photograph the world anymore. I miss the photograpahy and exploration like crazy. I still get out when I can. But, unfortunately, sometimes I can't find a real photo in my extensive collection to properly illustrate something I'm writing about. (And I still do NOT use AI to generate my prose. I write every single post that has ever been published here on Snowcatcher, and I don't plan to ever incorporate AI-generated text.)

I also follow a few social media sites that post nothing but AI crochet. It annoys me because so many people who follow such sites have no clue the content is not real, and many are scammed on a daily basis. I enjoy the AI crochet inspiration; I often can create something similar to any AI crochet I see. But I would never, ever, try to pass off an AI image as real. It really irks me that other content producers have no such scruples.

The above video is one of the best I've seen to date (and I've viewed MANY), and I am anxious to share it with you here to help you begin to see the difference between AI and real and to let you know you are not alone if you've been duped. To help you build confidence if you've been duped and feel like you've failed because the AI-generated instructions make no sense and/or you cannot make your work look like what the picture shows.

Crochet is supposed to be fun, relaxing, inspiring, healing and validating. It can be that if content creators quit investing in get-rich-quick schemes. We know that's not going to happen. So let's do what we can on our part and not fall for the hogwash. Enjoy viewing it. Be inspired. But please don't buy into fake crochet.

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Snowframe Monday

My brother served his two-year mission in Milano. :) I wrote to him regularly on onion skin paper because it was less expensive to mail than regular paper. There was no such thing as email, texting or international phone calls back then (because long distance phone calls back then were charged by the minute, and no one could afford calling another country). The mail we did send to each other took three months. He thought we had forgotten about him for the first three months! And when he got home, the first thing he wanted was Taco Bell, then peanut butter!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowframes 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, optional 6 beads, optional 6 heart (or desired) motifs, 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

Armonia Snowframe Instructions

Chain 84. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: [1 sc in next ch and in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, in next ch work (2 dc, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 12, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 3 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, ch 6, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 4, * sl st in 2nd ch from hook, working back down spoke, sk next 2 ch and next picot, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in same ch as previous dc, sl st in each of next 2 ch, ch 9, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, [yo and draw up loop through next ch, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook (hdc dec made), 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, sl st in next 4 spoke ch, ch 1, sk next ch] 6 times; sl st in starting sc. Bind off. 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.

NOTE: If desired, string 6 beads onto thread before beginning snowframe and pull one bead onto work at top picot (*) on each spoke.

NOTE: Or, if desired, attach heart motif or desired motif at top of each spoke (*) via sl st.

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 Fascination

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Slitherin'

I'm still tempted to put a tail on this gal because she's just getting too long to work with comfortably. Plus, I have those awesome name ideas for five sibblings... or five offspring...

I'll decide in a couple of weeks whether to bring her to an end on the 28th. It will depend how much she curls around me while I work. I can only take so much snake love... :)

In the meantime, I was playing with crocheted temperature snake prompts in AI, and some of the images of the freebie programs are HILARIOUS.

My paid subscription generated much better quality images, including this little video that I think is just adorable! Makes me want to create my own stop motion movie with my own crocheted critters!!!

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Snowframe Monday

I wanted to make a groundhog snowflake for today, but there just wasn't time. AI will have to do. Maybe next year...

Today's snowframe is another version of last week's Cold Heart II Snowframe, which was inspired by my Cold Heart Snowflake.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowframes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: 7.25 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

Cold Heart III Snowframe Instructions

Ch 72. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch to form circle.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, [5 dc in next ch, 1 dc dec across next 5 ch, 1 dc in each of next 3 ch] 6 times, omitting last 3 sc of final repeat; sl st in starting ch.
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 2: [1 sc in next dc, ch 5, sk next 3 dc, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 5, 1 dc), ch 5, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 1, sk next 3 st] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.
NOTE: Ooops, I did it again! Binding off here makes another not so feminine mini snowframe!

Round 3: [in next ch 5 sp work (2 sc, 2 hdc, 2 dc), in next ch 5 tip work (5 dc, ch 15, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in next ch, sl st in 1st ch of ch 15, 5 dc), in next ch 5 sp work (2 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc, ch 1, sk next ch 1 sp] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.
NOTE: And yes, binding off here makes, at this point, perhaps an expected little snowframe! Another absolute bear to pin, but, oh, my heavens!!!

Round 4: [1 sc in next sc, ch 7, sk next 8 st, 1 scd in next dc, in next heart tip work (5 sc, 5 hdc, 5 dc, 3 hdc, 2 sc, 1 hdc, sk over next heart top center picot, 1 hdc, 2 sc, 3 hdc, 5 dc, 5 hdc, 5 sc), 1 sc in next dc, ch 7, sk next 8 st, 1 sc in next st, ch 7, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, ch 4, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook and in next ch, 1 dc in top of next dc, 1 sc in next ch, ch 1, sk next ch 1 sp and sc] 6 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
NOTE: If you are having trouble with the heart tips, here is a photo tutorial I hope will help.

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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In the Pink

It's finally done!!! And the baby isn't six months old yet! I'm getting (slowly) back on track!

This quilt was so fun, start to finish. I loved shooting flowers in my garden, sometimes on the ground on my belly. (Not knowing at the time I had rattlesnakes sharing my living quarters!!!) I loved composing the Spoonflower cheater panel. I loved piecing the back with the only pink charm square pack I had in my stash. I loved piecing the borders with leftovers in my stash. And oh, how I loved quilting this one!

I think I've already reported that I had to take the longarm into the shop last fall because I hadn't used it in more than four years, possibly longer than that. I wanted to make sure everything worked right. I'd had trouble with tension and timing the last time I used it. I picked it up from the shop in October, and I almost felt as if it needed another tune-up before I used it this month because it sat so long again.

But everything works fine. My first free-motion quilt in years just a week or so ago got me back into the groove, and my goal for this quilt was fewer mistakes (which I proudly achieved!!!) and more fluidity. I feel like I'm getting the hang of driving Ringo again! This quilt made me LOVE quilting again!

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