the only snowflake I want to see

While I adore the efforts of those who deck the halls, I am not one to decorate for the seasons. But a little something got into me this year. Starting in December I felt compelled to crochet snowflakes. I started with three from Better Homes and Gardens, then made a few from this website. Not satisfied, I purchased the Leisure Arts booklet 99 Snowflakes to quench my thirst. For almost two weeks I did not knit a stitch, I only wanted to make snowflakes.

Then came the blocking... I usually do not mind blocking projects, especially lace (my favorite!) but this was oh.so.tedious. I think the fact that the 'flakes has to be soaked in glue so they would be nice and stiff contributed the ass pain of it all. I was constantly finding little pieces of fiber stuck to the flakes. Some I recognized from other objects in my knitting basket, some from the red snugly blanket of choice that lives on the sofa. Do you know how hard it is to pick out little colorful fibers from pristine white soaked-in-glue-snowflakes when one also has fingertips that are soaked in glue? Thinking back, I bet tweezers would have made the entire process a bunch easier... I still have half a dozen that need to be blocked and I will be sure to have my tweezers handy.

My desire to make nothing but snowflakes cooled a bit after the time-consuming blocking experience. But what to do with them all? I did not want to put them on my Christmas tree because I knew the tree would only be in the house for a few short weeks. Mother Nature came to my rescue when she blew the perfect snowflake hanging branch out of a tree and into my line of sight in the backyard. I strung the 'flakes onto fishing line and hung them from the branches. The kids gingerbread duplex (they shared a house and decorated each side as a separate house) fits in quite nicely and brightens a very dark corner of our living room. I think it just might stay there until spring...