Friday, January 6, 2017

25 Motif Challenge Complete!!!

I guess its safe to say I have officially made it physically through the holidays but I still have not accomplished all the holiday tasks I set out to do.  I cant even remember when it was the last time I actually enjoyed the season.  For the most part it is just stressful and full of anxiety.  This year seemed to be even worse.  We knew that we wouldn't be spending it with family and we knew there wouldn't be any money to be able to do any gifts.  I actually worked really hard to at least do a little tatting project to send to family and friends.  I had them all done by Christmas but low and behold I still haven't gotten them all put in the mail.  I got so frustrated that I didn't get them out in time that I just put them all aside and didn't finish sending any of them out.  So I have spent the last couple weeks kicking the crap out of myself to the extent that it has pretty much paralyzed me into not wanting to do anything.
Well before Christmas I went to try to finish my blue doily I was working on to give as  gift but I ended up finding that I missed joining a ring in the previous row. I found it after I had went past it by 3 big motifs.  I set it aside and let it just about drive me crazy trying to decide what to do with the mistake. I had seriously thought about just leaving the mistake alone and just finishing the doily so I could use it as  Christmas gift. I let it frustrate me so badly that I ended up not getting it done.

I don't want to post a picture of the little tree motifs I did for Christmas cards until I get them all sent out ( I know... I am super lame being so late with them!)  I will try to get them sent out tonight and post a picture later.  I had actually gotten all the Christmas ones done well before Christmas so I moved onto making snowflakes.  I needed something simple and repetitive to help keep my mind occupied and that would cause the least amount of stress.  Had I thought of snowflakes before I got halfway through making the trees I would have done snowflakes for the cards (another something to stress about and kick myself about).
I am only one motif away from completing the 25 motif challenge.  I was thinking that my blue doily could complete it but I am still working on the silly thing.  So I guess I will finish off the challenge with this  snowflake. I saw something like it on pintrest but the link was a dead one so I decided to just try one like it and make up my own counts.  The second one I tried I changed the counts a bit and wasn't paying too close attention and got way off on the counts while doing one of the arms so i decided instead of tearing it out I just kept going and made the next arms match the mistake. It is quite weird looking but after all...no two snowflakes look the same right?





Challenge completed.....and with weeks to spare!!

I had so much fun doing the challenge that I believe that I am going to go for another round. It has given me something to focus on when I cant seem to slow my head down from spinning. It has given me something to strive for when it has been difficult to look toward the future.  I have already got a good start on it. Below are motifs 1,2 and 3
I saw a picture of these little snowflakes on pintrest and it wasn't hard to figure out the pattern. I was using cheap Aunt Lydias crochet thread in size 10 so the ring with the bead on it was very difficult to close and very hard to keep tension on so I don't love how they turned out but they are kind of cute none the less. They work up super fast so I may have to try to find some Lizbeth thread and so some more of them.

 Here is another snowflake whose pattern that I referenced from a picture that I found on pintrest.The pin said it was found on the DMC site but I couldn't find it so I guessed at the counts. This one is fairly large measuring just over 5" and they are pretty floppy so they are going to have to be more heavily starched.



I only made one of these little snowflakes whose pattern can be found here at Tats all called Betsy snowflake.  I don't like how the middle bunched up so so I didn't try another one. 



I want to thank all those who help out to keep the 25 motif challenge going! I would imagine it is a pretty huge task but believe me when I say that I appreciate it more than words can say!