It's Delightful! It's Delicious! It's Delovely!

Won't be posting for a while, folks! My brother is getting married in two days, so I'll be performing my bridesmaid duties in lieu of blogging :-P

Until next time <3

Haiku Friday

What I wouldn't give
For a moment of silence
Among the chaos

Sam's Garden flake

Readers, I bring you my first snowflake pattern, inspired by my future sister in law.

My fiance's sister, Sam, is the epitome of the word "giving". She is a full-time Master's student, and when she's not hitting the books, she works as a social worker for a homeless shelter that serves the needy of Boston.

Sam is also an avid gardener. When she's not busy sowing the seeds of peace and charity, she's growing flowers and vegetables of every kind :-)

This is my first flake! Please let me know, Readers, if there are any problems with the pattern as I've only tested it out myself.

The little "Hearts" are shamelessly copied from the very fabulous Snowcatcher (I worship the ground she bikes on). She lists a great tutorial on the hearts here: http://www.snowcatcherphotos.com/blahg/patterns/heart.html

"Sam's Garden".
Materials:
Steel crochet hook, size 8 (.9mm)
DMC size 30 thread
stiffening agent (white glue, cornstarch, white sugar, "stiffen quik" or whatever floats your boat)
Sewing pins that you don't mind ruining
cardboard (a bit of an old shoebox works best for me)
wax paper or parchment paper
Ch 6, form ring.

Rd 1: Ch 3, dc in ring. (ch 3, 2 dc) 5 times, ch3, join with sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch 3. 6 ch-3 spaces.

Rd. 2: Ch 1, sc in same sp and in next dc. dc, ch 2, dc in next chain 3 sp. [sc in next 2 dc, (dc, ch2, dc) in next ch 3 sp] around. Join with sl st to first sc. 6 ch-2 spaces.

Rd. 3:  sl st to next ch-2 sp. *In ch-2 space work sc, hdc, (ch 9, sl st 7th ch from hook) twice, ch 6, dc 3rd ch from hook and in next 2 ch, ch 5, dc in 3rd ch from hook and in next ch, 1 dc in top half of next dc, 1 sc into same ch as dc just worked into. (Ch 7, sl st 7th ch from hook. sl st in next 2 ch) twice. hdc, sc. Ch 20, sl st in 10th ch from hook, ch 10.  Repeat from * 5 times, sl st into first sc. 6 "heart flowers".

Rd. 4: Ch 1, sc in same st. Working around "heart flower," sc in each of next 3 sts. *~sl st in each of the next 10 ch. In ch-10 loop, work (3 sc, 2 hdc, 3 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of last dc made, 2 dc, 2 hdc, 3sc). Sl st in each of the next 10 ch. ~ Working behind "Heart flower", sc in each of next 4 sts. Repeat from *5 times, Repeat from ~ to ~ one time MORE. Sl st in first sc, bind of and weave in ends.

Cover cardboard with wax (or parchment) paper, tape in place.

Block flake on the cardboard using 12-pt pattern, (google it), pin points and stiffen with whichever method you like :-)

Folks, you can do whatever you like with the flakes you make from this pattern, but please do not republish or sell this pattern. Thanks!

Haiku Friday

*Note: This week's haiku was inspired by the unfortunate incident in West Virginia involving a preacher and a rattlesnake.

Leave that snake alone.
He ain't done nothing to you.
Of course you got bit!

Oops.

Well, Readers, color me stupid.

I went and misspelled my embroidered spider's scientific name. The Black-and-Yellow garden spider is known as "Argiope aurantia", not "Arigope aurantia".

I'll have to re-do her. May as well anyway. I've been trying some new techniques out on the St. Andrew's Cross spider that are looking gorgeous, and I know would look really nice on the Black-and-Yellow.

Derp.

Part of life's eternal rhyme

Black and Yellow garden spider, Arigope aurantia. Finished this one just this afternoon. 

I'll be the first to admit, Readers, that I tend to find beauty in the strangest things. 

I'm working on a new project for my Etsy shop: a set of three embroidered spiders, all among the genus Argiope. These spiders are all known for the beautiful colors on their abdomens, and the striking designs on their webs. 

I hesitate to say that I like spiders. I don't mind when I see a little 8-legged thing scurry along my windowsill, and love seeing a perfectly spun web. I think a more appropriate word is that I appreciate spiders, as my blog name implies. 

Plus, Charlotte's Web has had its impact on me. 

As a kid, I always imagined a spider's voice sounding like Debbie Reynolds. 

My sweet fiance has been helping me work on my drawing skills. The black and yellow garden spider, pictured above, was totally free-handed. 

The process goes down like this: I'll pick a spider, find a good image, and simply sketch what I see until the resulting picture is passable. 

Well, my drawings are still a bit Napoleon-Dynamite-ish...but the above rendition of the St. Andrew's Cross Spider will do. 

Then, I make use of one of my favorite embroidery tools: my iron on transfer pen. I trace my sketch: 

And iron the image onto a swatch of fabric: 

Voila. The Arigope keyserlingi is ready to be stitched.

I'm not sure how I'm going to finish and present these 'lil beasties. I saw that I could get some simple wooden embroidery hoops wholesale, but I'm thinking a small wooden frame might be the best way to go.

I'll keep posting as these guys progress, Readers!

Until next time!

<3

Etsy shop is up!

My Etsy shop is now up, Readers! I only have one item so far, but check it out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/orbweaver26