Week 54 Challenge

#29 Alternate Spike Single Crochet

63 Easy to Crochet Pattern Stitches Combine to Make an Heirloom Afghan

Leisure Arts

The spike stitch is probably the most versatile stitch I can think of. Use a cotton yarn and you have a dishcloth; use a double thickness and you have a hot pad or potholder; use something lightweight and soft and you have an elegant, yet warm, scarf.

Next week starts the last nine-block column, then the edging. What shall I do next? I have a couple of ideas. One is to go back to something I did in earlier blogs and create something that ties in with a book I am reading. Another is to pick a book or magazine and work through every pattern. I've been scouring the used book stores and antique book stores, but nothing has jumped out at me yet. I've still got a few more weeks before I decide. In the meantime, suggestions are always welcomed.

Projects in Progress

99 Snowflakes

Leisure Arts

I am getting a little tired of snowflakes. But I must push on. Knowing me as well as I do, I'm afraid that if I start another project--just to break up the monotony of snowflakes--I won't get back to the snowflakes until the week before gift giving time. So I'll continue (sigh!).

A little hint for snowflake starching: Fabric stiffener works fine, but for the larger snowflakes, I've used my doily starching methods--soak the fabric in a heavy starch and water mixture, then stretch out, pin, and let dry. It may take a little longer, but the process is worth it--you won't have limpy snowflakes.

For grins, I dumped all the completed chemo caps out on the dining room table. How many are there? I don't know. What's the goal? I don't know.

Working on chemo caps is a great stress reliever. There is no difficult stitch pattern to memorize, only the increases. I'll work on chemo caps when I get a lunch break and then I'm ready to tackle the afternoon's work head on. When I get home, I'll work on a chemo cap until I can relax. Once I relax and get in a rhythm, I can go to work on something a little more difficult--like snowflakes.

What I am Reading

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is finished. I think I am one of the very few people who cried over Dumbledore's funeral.

Next up is Lord of The Flies, by William Golding. I read this before in high school, so reading it as an adult should be interesting. As as adult, I am sure I'll have a very different perspective than I did as a teenager.

Other Stuff

I've given in to the allergy season and have decided to just put up with the itchy eyes and stuffy head. This is a picture of the start of my outdoor oasis. The glider sets in the shade of our Bradley Pear tree. I still need to do a little bit of leveling, but I'm liking it. We'll see how far I get this summer with adding more of the things I like.

That's all for now. Have a good week!