Contingency Plan

We have the delightful L back with us again for a week, so regular blogging has gone out the window.

For this reason I am posting my Snowflake Monday contribution today. Don't know when I'll get another chance!


I managed to make a flake yesterday but I haven't blocked it yet. This is a picture of one I made in the same pattern (not online folks, sorry) last year.

Regular programming will resume next week (I hope).

It's that day again

And I do have a snowflake!

It's "Emily's Snowflake" and the pattern can be found here. Word of warning, though - the reason I made this one is because someone else posted that they'd tried it but there was no picture to go by and the pattern didn't make sense. I'm sorry to say I agree with them. I think it was meant to be an 8-point flake but after a great deal of trial and error I decided to just make my own 6-point version (repeat after me, snowflakes have six points - anything else is a motif).

Here are my adjustments:
Ch 5 and slst to form a loop
Rnd 1) 6 sc
Rnd 2) stet
Rnd 3) as written but work a dc into each ch1 sp and each sc
Rnd 4) first brackets should read (3 dc, 2 ch, 3 dc), repeat all 5 times.
Rnd 5) stet
Rnd 6) as written but repeat from * to * 4 times more

Late Flakes, Holiday Snaps and a Big Brag

Sorry I'm late. Our little guest has (finally) gone home and I'm frantically trying to catch up with everything.

This is simplysnowflakes' SF Sign-up #11. I added an extra "arm" 'coz y'all know I don't do 5-point flakes (or 8 or God forbid 12). I should have reduced the number of chains between each point, though - as it is it came out too "round".





I think last week I promised some pics of L's visit so here goes:


L with the bear she won in the arcade at Seawick Holiday Park (St Osyth, Essex) on one of those crane grabber machines. How did she do that? I have never managed to get one of those machines to grab anything! (She doesn't like having her picture taken - can you tell?)

So then she goes and wins another one. Which she gave to me! Dear, dear child :-) I've named him Reggie - thought you might want to know that.






After Seawick we went to Mistley Place Park where L was "adopted" by a goat - it followed her all along the fence wanting more scratches.






Sometimes the pigs are out wandering around the park but this day they were all asleep, like this snoring porker. Really, he was snoring - it was so cute.


Of course, no holiday would be complete without the classic "joke" shot (DH enjoying an ice cream whilst perusing an information board by the River Stour at Mistley - "bunny ears" provided by L).











And now for the Big Brag. While she was here I taught L how to crochet. The brag is not that I taught her but that she picked it up so quickly! She bought her own yarn and hook at our local needlecraft shop and this is what she made the first day:

She decided it was a coaster. After that she made a little blue scarf for her soon-to-be-born nephew, then a round coaster and then she made this heart for her mum (pattern here):

I know grown women who won't attempt picots but she wasn't fazed in the least. Gosh, I'm proud of her.

Day of the Flake II

In other words, I haven't had a chance to post anything since last Snowflake Monday. Largely to do with the house guest I mentioned last week. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pics of her visit. I say "hopefully" 'coz she's still here but as they're about her I may be allowed some computer time to do it. :-)

So, without further ado, here is simplysnowflakes' Snowflake Sign-up #10.

I like this one, too. Simple - only 2 rounds - but nicely spiky. So I was well annoyed when I discovered that I'd made one of the central spokes too short (see bottom spoke). Must have made two treble crochets instead of double-trebles. Duh! Naturally you don't notice this sort of thing until the flake is glued and pinned.



Update: I just noticed that this is my 100th post! Woohoo!

Day of the Flake

(aka Snowflake Monday, but that gets boring every Monday)


Here is simplysnowflakes' Snowflake Sign-up #9.

I like this one, it's really sweet. But it's quite small - only 2 1/3" in #20 cotton. I think it would benefit from being made with a thicker thread or even yarn.




I may not get much blogging action this week as we have another teenage visitor and I don't really feel like arm-wrestling for the keyboard.

Saturday Sky with Port

Harwich International Port - Parkeston, Harwich, Essex.

for the Saturday Sky webring

Two for two!

I did it again. I won the simplysnowflakes Homepage Contest (aka Natural Snowflake Contest). Go me!! I'll have to sit the next one out to give the others a chance, LOL!

Here's the flake we had to recreate in cotton:










And here's my version:

Simple Snowflake
(American notation)

Ch4, slst in 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1) Ch6, (dc in ring, ch3) x 5, join w slst in 3rd ch at beg of rnd.

Rnd 2) Ch1, sc in same st, ch4, (sc in nxt dc, ch4) around, join w slst in beg sc.

Rnd 3) Ch11, (dc in nxt sc, ch8) around, join w slst in 3rd ch at beg of rnd.

Rnd 4) Ch1, sc in same st, **ch9, sc in nxt dc (= base sc), †(*ch5, hdc in 2nd ch from hk, hdc, sc, slst*, ch7, hdc in 2nd ch from hk, hdc x2, sc x2, slst, repeat btw *'s, slst in base sc)†, repeat from ** x4, ch9, slst in 1st sc of rnd, repeat btw †'s. Finish off.

Copyright © 2007, Judy M Kerr. All Rights Reserved.

As ever, please let me know if you find any mistakes or it just plain doesn't make sense, thanx.

Reach out and touch*

Click: {{{cyber hugz}}}

Addendum:

I composed this post Tuesday morning but I wasn't able to post it at the time because we received a call to say a friend was in hospital...
Curiouser and curiouser.

*"Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" - Diana Ross

Good news and bad news

The good news is I've managed to crochet a snowflake this week. Two, in fact.

The bad news is I can't show them to you.

Yep, simplysnowflakes is having another Natural Snowflake contest, and this is our inspiration:

So, next week guys. If it's any compensation, there'll be another new pattern for y'all. :-)

We have games!

Well, one game so far, courtesy of LabPixies.

Reasonably intuitive - click on the first box and a green ball appears. Clicking again will change it to red, then blue, then pink. Repeat for all four boxes to choose your colour sequence, then click the "?". The black star score shows correct hits, the white star shows right colours in the wrong places.

Enjoy!

No-Flake Monday

I know - all last week you were wriggling with anticipation at seeing my latest SM flake today and I've let you down. I am so sorry.

I tend to work on my flakes at the weekend but on Thursday I came across the news that the Knitting Heretic's husband is ill...

so I had to make some angels for them pronto. (It's my way.)















They could really use some words of encouragement and maybe a little financial help right now so please pay a visit to .

Thank you.

Boring Post

This is SSSS #7.

It's nice.

Haven't really got a lot more to say than that.

Gosh, this is a boring post.

Wanna see a picture of our new cat pen? No, not really, thank you?... Tough.



















Here it is before DH installed a few perching shelves. Access is through an open window in the utility room.

The girls have always been indoor cats. This was one of the requirements of the rescue centre we got them from and also the only practical option as we used to live upstairs in a block of maisonettes. When we moved here we promised them a pen so they could enjoy some fresh air and a spot of bird watching.

If you look closely you can see Beastie sitting on the (temporary) table and Tinkle mooching around on the ground at the back. The next morning I opened the window for them before I did anything else - now if I don't do it first thing, or dare to close it during the day, they kick up a fuss. On the other hand, it took Sasha 6 days to work up the nerve to go out in it, bless her little timid heart.

FGX Update

Time again to show off the latest lovely squares I've received as part of the Crochet Partners Friendship Granny Exchange (FGX). Where I've been able to locate the pattern online I've added the link.

Clockwise from top left:

Amber Waves from Texas, USA;

hot pink and peacock variegated from Nebraska, USA;

Friendship Jewel 7" from Pennsylvania, USA;

cream/pink/cream from Arizona, USA;

4-Patch Granny from Texas, USA (similar pattern here);

eight-petal flower square from Wisconsin, USA.




And I've sent out:

Off-Kilter Granny to New York, USA;

Amber Waves to Pennsylvania, USA;

Frilly Flower to Ontario, Canada;

Circle of Friends to Illinois, USA;

Heart Square to Ohio, USA;

Chain Link Granny (my design based on an afghan I saw, pattern to follow) to Arizona, USA.




If you've sent me a square and you don't see it here, don't worry - when I get another half-dozen or so I'll post more pics.

Fresh Snow

In an earlier Snowflake Monday post I showed off my competition winning snowflake design (yes, in a field of two - ok, ok, moving on). As promised, here is the pattern. Since first working this flake I've redesigned the centre slightly.

Crystal Snowflake
(American notation)

Picot = work stated number of chains, slst in furthest chain from hook.

Rnd 1) Ch2, 6sc in 2nd ch from hk, join w slst to top of beg sc.

Rnd 2) Working in bl only: ch1, sc in same st, ch2, sc in same st, (sc, ch2, sc) in ea sc around, join w slst to top of beg sc.

Rnd 3) Slst into ch2-sp, ch3, dc in same sp, ch7, (2dc in nxt ch2-sp, ch7) around, join w slst to top of beg ch3.

Rnd 4) *Ch3, 5ch-picot, 6ch-picot, 8ch-picot, 6ch-picot, slst in base of prev 6ch-picot, 5ch-picot, slst in base of prev 5ch-picot, ch3, slst in nxt dc, ch4, tr in same dc, hdc in ch7 loop, tr in nxt dc, ch4, slst in same dc, rep from * around, working last tr and ch4 in same dc as beg ch3.

Copyright © 2007, Judy M Kerr. All Rights Reserved.

Please let me know if I've messed this up anywhere.



ETA: There's another pattern here if you're interested.

Snowflake...

...Monday


This is pattern #6 from the simplysnowflakes Snowflake Signup.

The first round called for 24sc in a 6ch ring, then in the next round you had to work a stitch in each of these stitches. Tight! Too tight, in fact, so I worked 12sc instead and then 2sc in sc between each cluster instead of 3sc in all.

I don't think it made any appreciable difference. Except to my eyesight.

Saturday Sky with Lighthouse - Part 2

The Low Lighthouse in Harwich, with the High Lighthouse in the background.

Ships approaching the harbour in the 1800's would align the lights of these two lighthouses to steer a safe course up the channel. Over time the channel shifted and these lights became redundant in 1863, replaced by the Leading Lights further west along the shore in Dovercourt.



The Low Lighthouse is now the home of the Harwich Maritime Museum.

Want some lime with that?

What Your Favorite Color Green Says About You:

Balanced --- Relaxed --- Flexible
Compassionate --- Philosophical --- Humble
Loyal --- Inventive --- Unique

What Does Your Favorite Color Say About You?

Melting Snow

SSSS #5

This snowflake picture was not taken on my customary blue background because a) it didn't fit - even made with #20 cotton this sucker is 8½" across and b) I don't like it and I'm not keeping it. It's blocked but not stiffened and I haven't even cut the thread - I just airbrushed it out of the photo.

That is the one slight drawback with these sorts of sign-ups - you sometimes have to make things you don't like in order to get the next pattern. Still, this is the first one I've really disliked so I can't complain.

But I can recycle my thread.

Too wet for snow

It is chucking it down outside. Typical Bank Holiday weather. Don't let the little sun in the corner fool you - no sun to be seen here!

But fear not - despite the title, I have got a snowflake. In fact, it's the ~winning~ snowflake in the first simplysnowflakes Homepage Contest. Woohoo!

Ok, in the interest of full disclosure I feel I have to mention that, although several people expressed an interest in taking up the challenge, in the end there was only one other entry.

But I won.

Here's the real snowflake we had to "copy". How did I do?








I will be posting the pattern for this flake soon as. Mind you, it took me a month to post my granny square pattern, so I wouldn't hold my breath.


Last but not least, here's my simplysnowflakes Snowflake Signup (SSSS) #4. I know where this one came from but in order to get a pattern you have to complete the previous one and there are some in the group who haven't gotten this far yet, so I'm not tellin'.

I'm It!

Good Lord, I've been tagged.

And while my tagger was "totally excited" about having been tagged, my immediate reaction was panic. What if I have to answer some really embarrassing question/s? What if I can't think of anything? How long is this going to take? Oh, the pressure! I was relieved when I saw that it was the "7 Random Facts" meme but then Wave of Panic #2 - I don't think I know 7 bloggers to tag... All of which probably says something really sad about my personality {sigh}.

Anyway, I've had some chocolate to settle my nerves - deep breath, here goes:

The Meme

Those tagged must list 7 random facts about themselves. They also need to write in their blogs the rules of the game, which are pretty simple--you list your 7 facts, then list 7 people you are tagging. Then you leave them comments letting them know they've been tagged.

Here are my 7 random facts:

1) I can wiggle my eyes. Jiggle them back and forth really fast. Looks like I'm having a seizure. I've only met one other person who can do this (or, at least, only one other person who's admitted to it).

2) I've had one broken bone and two cuts that required stitches.

3) I don't like being with more than one person at a time.

4) I can count to 10 in 13 different languages.

5) I've been married 3 times. Third time's the charm - I've been with DH longer than all my other relationships put together.

6) I inherited the ability to tell fortunes from my maternal grandmother. I use tarot cards but she used ordinary playing cards (and read coffee grounds).

7) *** Censored ***

7) I have a tendency to be too forthcoming with personal information.

The seven people I am tagging are:

Ah.

Sus? She tagged me!
Tina? She's currently "between blogs".
Scott? He's in the middle of a major move.
Umm...
{sigh}