Tuesday, October 20, 2009

For Ari From Aunt Mellaly


I am making a special little something to put inside of it, too. I hope you like it!

Ahh, fall decorations

PLEASE click on the picture to see the entirety.



I did a couple more snowflakes, but I didn't make it to 19 yet. The small, close work was tiring and the blocking... oh, deliver me from glue stiffening and blocking.
The ones that are finished are pretty and I love them, but I have sore, sore fingers.
Here are a couple of pictures of my finished flakes and clear-coated pine cones hanging in my window. And yes, snowflakes are a fall thing here. Haha.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Snowflake Challenge update

I have 9 snowflakes made up so far. They are as easy as I thought they would be, the average being 8 rows and the most exotic stitch was a double treble. The tiny hook and attention to keeping the white thread clean is difficult and doing all of this with two cats and three kids vying for my attention as well... see, that's why only 9 are done.
There were a couple of flakes that I passed up even though they were on my To-Do list because once I got them started I realized the pattern was written poorly enough that I had to scrutinize the wording or phrasing and each row felt like a trial... OR it was simply and easily understood, but incorrect and the finished flake look odd, as thought the author forgot to tell me about a row. I made up for that with a few extra snowflakes. So many people have a collection of patterns available instead of just one, makes it SO easy on me to find different patterns.

The ones I have are still a little floppy looking til I get them blocked and stiffened, but I am excited none-the-less. I am going to be using the glue method since I plan on these being gifts to hang as a decoration or an ornament or even to use as a topper to gift wrapping. They'll need to hold up and from what I've read, glue method is the best for that.


I have another seasonal project going on today: pinecones. We recently moved to a new home, our first venture as home owners and since I am sentimental, I collected a basket of cones from the tree by our from window. I am cleaning them up, spray painting them with a clear gloss and then attaching a ribbon to the end, sort of a marker of our first year in the new home. Pictures to come of that!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

October = Snowflake Challenge

I am part of a few ongoing swaps and I love them... heck, if it weren't for the cost of materials and shipping, I would be involved in 100.
My Fall Swap at Sweetpeace is themed Christmas. It was going to be ornaments, but that was a little too restrictive and since I don't celebrate Christmas myself, the theme is enough of a challenge. Don't you agree? Now is where you simply nod and agree with me because to otherwise would just be silly, and you are not a silly person, are you?
I've decided on snowflakes. I have 19 snowflake patterns in my favorites list on Ravelry and I plan on making each and every one of those bad boys. There will be a loop attached so they can be hung on a tree, hooked to a suction cup to decorate a window, or even given as a gift or used as a gift tag on a present.
Most of the patterns look fast, I think blocking will take the most concentration. As I make them, I will post pictures for you, my dear reader. It's not a surprise kind of swap, but there has been an unspoken choice by everyone involved so far, not to reveal their gifts to the others yet, so I hope that no one mind my posting this. If you ARE a SPer and in the swap and just happen to see this... shhhhhh! I'll let you pick which you want in return for your silence.