There Is No Ignoring Them
The counting is done but shaping is needed
First off Happy New Year as we are now in 2014. I have saved the best of 2013 and left the rest.
We have had a lot of snow in December of 2013. More times than not there has been snow to remove off of the driveway and patio. Even on the days where it dribbled fine sleet, it eventually amounted to having to remove it or stand the chance of the snow hiding ice which equates to getting hurt.
Flakes have become the normal so I could hardly ignore working with some flakes indoors. From the days of my crochet tutor mother-in-law, Esther Schafer to my mom Lena Wendlant there have been snow flakes to crochet and then shape and starch. Of course the finer the thread the more delicate the flake. Number 20 is the ultimate and bed spread quality is the on the other end of the spectrum and quite coarse. I like the middle of the road.
Starch and stretching brings out the beauty.
Once all the counting has been achieved the little pile of crumpled thread hardly seems worthwhile. Esther used sugar water to starch and stiffen her crochet projects and Lena preferred corn starch. I have always gone with corn starch as sugar water starch may not stay stable over time and depending on the humidity where they are stored. No body likes finding something sticky.
I knew if I didn’t tackle the shaping and stretching while the project was still fresh, it would be found next Christmas season as a huge disappointment. The year of 2014 is starting off as a wonderful time to enjoy the warmth of the indoors and challenge the mind and the fingers to endure for what the year may bring.
It has been a while since the quilting department of my basement has been visited so I am off to check out some of my patterns. Whatever I do decide the challenge is always to use what I have in my stash.