Wordless Wednesday

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A Side of Guac

I have always loved homemade guacamole. Especially when I can throw in my own kitchen-grown cilantro, basil and spicy oregano, my own porch- or indoors-grown, altitude-stunted Serrano peppers and my own garden-grown green onions or red onions. And tomatoes when I am able to grow them...

For the last couple of years, I had been buying grocery store guacamole or buying extra on the rare occasions when we ate at Q-doba or Baja Fresh. My work schedule just didn't leave me enough time to make as many homemade menu items as I'd like. Avocado contains nutrients that enhance and encourage nerve regeneration following injury. So I couldn't very well go guac-less, now could I?

Last summer, I learned yarn may be dyed with avocado skins and pits. It was time to start making time to make my own guac again.

I'd read some natural dyers save their avocado skins and pits for up to a year before they have enough to dye one hank of yarn. I didn't expect it to take me that long. If I have fresh avocado in the house, I will add it to salads and pasta and anything else that sounds fun every day of the week. I don't mind experimenting.

Guacamole is a staple in our diet, so I planned to make fresh every week. We like hot, spicy stuff. The Lizard enjoys a few chips with guac when he first gets home from work. Sometimes he even likes to munch on chips and guac while he watches a movie.

Call me crazy, but I'll have a special guac-inspired snowflake next week...

During a recent avocado-smashing exercise, I commented how much better my homemade guacamole is than any guac we buy.

The Lizard swallowed his food before responding.

"Yes, your guacamole is much better than anything you've ever bought."

Boy, did I marry the right guy or what?!?

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Snowflake Monday

This snowflake was inspired by an ornament I saw two or three years ago in a store way before Christmas, too early to think about buying ornaments. Yet I made this snowflake that very night.

I've been holding the pattern because I wanted to get a picture of the ornament to show the inspiration behind this pattern, but I've never seen the ornament again.

I suppose it's time to finally share this fun design and just let you use your imagination as to what the original ornament looked like.

The most important thing in spiral crochet is to make sure you don’t catch threads or yarn not being used in current stitches. The spiral method works best when you are able to do the piece in one sitting so you don’t have to untangle balls of yarn or spools of thread after moving around. Rotate your work one time counter-clockwise each round to keep the strands of yarn or thread separate and not tangled.

Some people like to use stitch markers to hold loops of strands not currently in use. For thread, in my opinion, stitch markers prove cumbersome. I left large, over-sized loops each time I changed color and re-tightened them when they came into use again.

To make this project easier, you could wind small balls of yarn or thread and work with those instead of full skeins, hanks or spools. When I published the Lollipop Snowflake pattern, some crocheters suggested using a bowl to keep the small balls safe and in place while being used.

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 in two colors (I used Omega Rustica in mint and lavender for the first snowflake), size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, school glue (make sure it is water soluble), water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Crazy Spiral Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: With lavender, 3 sc in ring. With mint, 3 sc in ring. Do not join. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: Continuing with mint, 2 sc in each of next 3 sc. With lavender, 2 sc in each of next 3 sc.

Round 3: Continuing with lavender, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc] 3 times. With mint, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc] 3 times.

Round 4: Continuing with mint, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 2 sc] 3 times. With lavender, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 2 sc] 3 times.
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 5: Continuing with lavender, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 3 sc] 3 times. With mint, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 3 sc] 3 times.

Round 6: Continuing with mint, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 4 sc] 3 times; bind off mint. With lavender, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 4 sc] 3 times.

Round 7: Continuing with lavender throughout remaining rounds and crocheting over mint end, [2 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 5 sc] 7 times (yes, 7 times, not a typo).

Round 8: 1 sc in next sc, 1 hdc in same sc, 1 dc in same sc, 1 dc in each of next 5 sc, [3 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc] 6 times, 1 dc in each of next 4 sc, 1 hdc in next hdc, 1 sc in next dc (this should take you across starting sc/hdc/dc, and you should have a total of 60 st).

Round 9: * Ch 6, sk next 2 st, 1 sc in next st, ch 10, sk 3 st, 1 sc in next st, ch 6, sk 2 st, 1 sc in next st, repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in last sc of Round 8.

Round 10: *2 sc in next ch 6 sp, ch 5, 2 sc in same sp, 3 sc in next ch 10 sp, ch 5, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 2, 3 sc in same sp, 2 sc in next ch 6 sp, ch 5, 2 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times; bind off. Weave in ends.


For Valentine variation:

Round 10: *3 sc in next ch 6 sp, ch 7, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 5, 3 sc in same sp, 5 sc in next ch 10 sp, ch 10, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 8, 5 sc in same sp, 3 sc in next ch 6 sp, ch 7, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 5, 5 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. 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 the 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

More links to make you smile.

Craft hack away!

Missed Opportunity

Part I

Part II

Oh, how my son would have loved this when he was a wee tyke!

Oh, please, say it isn't so!!!

Thirsty?

Dinovember

all kinds of wonderful

Ninja Knitting. Yeah.

Eye-popping gorgeous and inspirational, too.

Still laughing.

The reviews are so funny!

They need to combine these reviews with the ones above, because, well, some people are going to miss these!

Oh, my gosh! MORE!

WARNING! NOT a MicroSoft product!

My sister, the unicorn fan, would have loved this. Or maybe she would have detested it.

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Scented

Before our first overnight freeze back in September, I harvested as much of my lavender and rosemary as possible and every sprig of mint I could reach. I put some rosemary in bottles of vinegar with fresh peppercorns and placed the bottles in the window for sunlight to make rosemary-infused vinegar. The rest of the herbs were left to dry, heavenly scenting my kitchen with such a pleasant aroma.

The Sunday before the annual craft fair at the office where I work, I mixed the dried lavender, rosemary and mint in bottles with a touch of orris powder to make potpourri. I did not use gloves. My hands smelled of the refreshing herbs for the next two days. Oh, darn! :)

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Wordless Wednesday

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A Digital Christmas

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Snowflake Monday

This snowflake was inspired by a window cling I noticed during our recent road trip to California. After I finished the prototype snowflake, I had ideas of how to make it better. I like all three versions, so I'm sharing all three patterns.

This snowflake is worked from the outside in, which means mega-chaining at the beginning of the project. I know it's a pain to crochet so many chains for just a little snowflake, but I pretend I'm making a scarf while I'm chaining, and it doesn't bother me so much. When you think about it, a lot of the best snowflakes have a heck of a lot more than 90 stitches on the outside round...

Also, because the joints on this snowflake are supporting a lot of weight, I stiffened my samples using Epsom salt. This method takes away from the delicacy of lacy flakes, in my opinion, and makes the flakes very stiff and thick. I rather like that effect with this particular pattern. Plus, you may scent the Epsom salt with essential oils, and the aroma is very pleasant for a few days!

To stiffen, I put about a quarter cup of Epsom salt into a tea cup I do not use for anything else, then add about a quarter cup of water and stir. I microwave for 30 seconds, then dip the snowflake in and quickly pin on my plastic wrap-covered pizza box with blocking template. The flakes dry extremely quickly, and if the Epsom salt solution is very hot (which it sometimes is), I must be very careful not to burn my fingers. I use a plastic fork to remove the snowflake from the solution, and I try to use the pins to shape the snowflake, not touching it too much with my fingers.

I found out the hard way not to reheat the solution WITH the plastic fork. Epsom salts get very hot very quickly, and the solution will melt the plastic! That's why salt is used to melt ice on sidewalks.

If I'm able to pin the snowflake quick enough before it thoroughly stiffens, I like to sprinkle a little bit of dry Epsom salt (or glitter) onto the flake. The sprinkles will fall off with time or with heavy handling. But for me, the sprinkles have sometimes lasted for two Christmases. Epsom salt-stiffened snowflakes may be reshaped just by dipping them again in hot Epsom salts dissolved in water at any point, which means you may scent them again and sprinkle them again, too!

Here's wishing you a blessed Christmas and a snowflakey new year!

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


Finished Size: 3.5 to 4 inches from point to point, depending upon options used
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 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

Outside In Snowflake Instructions

Ch 90; taking care not to twist ch, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: * 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 1 dtr in next ch, 1 trtr in next ch, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 trtr in next ch of outer edge of snowflake, 1 dtr in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in each of next 3 ch; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sl st of final repeat; 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.


Variation I

Ch 90; taking care not to twist ch, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: * 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 1 dtr in next ch, 1 trtr in next ch, ch 5, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, 1 trtr in next ch of outer edge of snowflake, 1 dtr in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in each of next 3 ch; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sl st of final repeat; 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.


Variation II

* Ch 24, 1 sc in 10th ch from hook; repeat from * 5 times; taking care not to twist ch, sl st in starting ch. TIP: Ch 14, pinch the 14th ch and ch 10 more; 1 sc in the ch above the pinched ch.

Round 1: * 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 1 dtr in next ch, 1 trtr in next ch, ch 9, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch,1 dc in each of next 2 ch, 1 hdc in next ch,1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, 1 trtr in next ch of outer edge of snowflake, 1 dtr in next ch, 1 tr in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, 1 sc in next sc (at base of ch 10 loop), sl st in next ch; repeat from * around 5 times; 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.

Finish: 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 the 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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