Not by a long shot. In fact, it’s very early on Saturday. Just wanted to give a WIP report.

1. Snowflake Cardigan
2. Butterfly Doily
3. Travelghan & Pillow Duffle
4. Cathedral Window Afghan
5. Spider Web Skirt
6. Rainbow Boucle Ripple Shawl

I’ve probably missed one or two here and there, but I’m not going to go digging around at this hour looking for anything I might have missed!

Today starts the Snowflakes in July CAL at Crochetville. For one week, those of us participating have decided to crochet only snowflakes. I don’t use thread snowflakes for much of anything, so I’m working on a snowflake afghan~~maybe. As I was working the first hexagon, visions of a snowflake cardigan kept popping into my head. I may make a cardi instead of an afghan with the blocks I crochet from the pattern. A shawl would be another option. I really haven’t decided what I’m going to do with the blocks once they’re finished, so I’ll wait and let them tell me what shape they want to take on as a finished project.

~~Soapbox Section~~
In other news, the Spider Web Skirt CAL has been closed and subsequently cancelled. This is because, apparently, some people have been distributing illegal copies of the pattern around. I don’t want to be the cause of a dispute, so I bowed out and asked that the thread was closed. It’s a shame that people have such little respect for others’ work that they can copy and distribute a work with a clear conscience. The pattern’s not that expensive, people. Give the lady her dues and PAY her for her work instead of accepting an illegal copy! Copyright infringement is theft. Don’t do it!

This, unfortunately, is not an isolated incident. Help stop copyright infringement~~buy your patterns, books, art, etc. from an authorized source (which may be the author directly) and give the author the credit he/she deserves. If they wanted you to have the pattern for free, they wouldn’t be asking you to pay for it.

Stepping down from the soapbox now.

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I’ve completed my mystery sparklie project and sent the picture links to the coordinator. I still can’t wait to see what everyone else came up with for theirs!

I received a big blue flower with several leaves surrounding it as my chosen sparklie. I couldn’t think of anything to do with it as it was, so I started looking at patterns and thinking of other possibilities for the applique. I started and abandoned or frogged at least 2 or 3 patterns in pursuit of the perfect pattern. Holly’s Butterfly Wing Shawl turned out to be the perfect pattern, and the gray/black/white wool blend yarn (with purple, yellow and blue tufts) was the perfect yarn with a Boye N hook. I edged the shawl in Bernat Softee Chunky in black and added a collar to the front for a bit of subtlety for the sparklies. As for the applique, I ended up snipping it into the flower with two leaves attached, 3 individual leaves, and a pair of leaves.

Here’s the shawl, front and back views.

I sent out my bookmarks today. Hope the recipients enjoy them and are able to put them to good use! I ended not sewing a woven label on my own designs because I didn’t have room to do so on all the bookmarks. Instead, I included a (paper) tag with the pattern name and author on it. If it was one of mine, then I signed the tag.

Somehow I ended up with eleven bookmarks (not counting the one Delbert took), so I’m going to think of something to do with the extra bookmark. I think I kept counting just the ones that were drying and forgetting about the one I had already washed and blocked. Oh well, so I have an extra bookmark. I hear they make great stocking stuffers!

My doily for the swap is still sitting at round 8 where I last left it. I promise it will be done and mailed in time!

My Cathedral Window afghan and my Spider Web Skirt haven’t made much progress lately, either. I downloaded a pattern for the last week of July when I’m doing the Snowflakes in July Along (will post the button when it’s time). I’m going to do a snowflake afghan in white and light blue. I don’t really do much with thread snowflakes, so I figure an afghan will get more use.

Sign-ups are currently in progress for Blue Squares Too, the random square swap at Crochetville. I’m having serious form issues, so I’m having everyone who wants to participate e-mail me with their info. Thanks to Veronika for a lovely button for this swap!

Bookmarks

I have eight bookmarks lying on a kitchen towel on my dining room table as they finish drying. I realized that I still have two more to make before I can send them out as I was washing the finished ones. Before I was able to get the finished bookmarks to the kitchen, though, my 2-yr-old Delbert was eyeing them. I asked if he wanted a bookmark, and he said “Yes” and then took the yellow rose bookmark. At this point I had three more to do.

I’ve finished one of the three and am working on weaving ends on another. The last one will be a third freeform piece. I hope the swappers who get my work like them!

I’ll get a picture of all ten bookmarks once I finish the last ones and post the pic here, with labels and a short description. I plan on sewing one of my “crocheted by” labels on the back of each of the freeform pieces and the bookmarks I designed. The others were done by following and/or modifying a pattern, so those I’ll tag with the appropriate information.

Christmas in July

I’ve enjoyed the elf droppings I’ve received, and I’ve even done a bit of dropping myself. I have a couple more weeks to get some stuff together so I can get it out. I hope everyone gets at least something for Christmas in July!

Lanyards

Lanyards are still available and will continue to be for a while. I’ll be posting them to my Blujay store soon. A couple of new ones:

“Miracle” and Cloisonne Beads; Hematite Beads

Kids

We took Delbert and Sami to the park today and took some pictures. The kids were tired and/or distracted by the ducks, but otherwise, the pics turned out okay. Here’s one of me and Del with the kids. The dress Sami is wearing is one that I made her. William and Tracey aren’t pictured because they’re currently on vacation to Florida at their grandparents’ house.

This time, a little elf left me a ball of Bernat Boa in Ostrich. I have NO clue who this elf is, but I thank him/her whole-heartedly! Now I can make either a black/ostrich handbag or one in white/ostrich. Haven’t decided yet. Anyway, here’s what it looks like, and I thought the card was pretty snazzy too.