Pour Some Sugar On Me

I had read that instead of starch, you can use sugar and water to stiffen things like crocheted snowflakes. The sugar water is better becuase it doesn't yellow over time. so, I tried it in two different applications and it worked! The process was super sticky but it was easy. I just melted the sugar in a pot of water on the stove and then dunked the snowflakes in. I squeezed them out and then blocked them on a piece of cardboard with pins, and waited for them to dry. It took about three days for the small one to really dry which was longer than I thought. The big one took four or five days. The big one was the experiment- instead of cotton I used wool and the snowflake was much bigger. In general, I think cotton will always work better but it's nice to know that wool works too. Now that I write that I realize the nerdieness factor here is at about an nine, but no one can deny the cuteness of crocheted snowflakes.

Craft and Talk at the Same Time

I had three ladies over this weekend for a crafty day. We had lovely, pumpkiny food and good conversation. Crafting with others is somehow validating. It's like the difference between drinking alone and drinking with others. When people are around, it seems less strange and obsessive. So, I took the opportunity to finish some crocheting from my "unfinished projects box," while the ladies knitted and beaded. It was so civilized. It makes me think back to the days when rich ladies just sat around and did needlework in the huge parlor. I am grateful that I don't have to craft in a corset.

Crafty John

The Halloween crafting award goes to my friend John, not because he is so handy with safety pins, but because he was "Holy S**t" for Halloween and he made the most creative hat. Way to implement an idea John! It was an honor to help put the final touches on such a costume dude.
The hat was made of brown felt and the halo was fashioned of patiently collected toilet paper rolls and wire. You can't see it but he had angel wings on his back.

Here's a Halloween tip: always bring safety pins, bobby pins, a glue gun, or something of the sort to your party. You never know when you are going to have a costume emergency!