darkcedars

Continued adventures fostering for Helping Hands Humane Society.

small white dog with brindle spots in grass

Name- Maggie
Breed- chihuahua/terrier mix
Age - 7
Weight -10
Arrived at shelter- her person passed away
Time fostered - 17 Feb 2026 thru 23 May 2026, with a nearly 2 week gap due to a failed adoption.
Adopted - 23 May 2026 by a lady who works from home and has a large fenced yard.

Full album - https://imgur.com/gallery/foster-dog-maggie-meerkat-YgtfoEj

Maggie is a sweet but very timid girl. She unfortunately lost a leg at the shelter when she escaped the small dog area and put her paw through the fence to the big dogs area. A big dog grabbed her leg and the damage was bad enough to need amputation. She healed quickly and began regaining her confidence. Maggie went from being terrified of everything to rushing the fence to bark at a German Shepard. She was chasing squirrels and yipping at me to hurry up (I'm too slow).

Cute things about Maggie include: sits like a meerkat, stands on her hind legs, and pretends to "throw dirt" with her nose on anything she doesn't like. I had a hard time finding chews or toys she likes, and it turned out she likes plain, old fashioned sticks and toilet paper rolls.

small white dog sitting up on her haunches on a bed

small white dog sitting up on her haunches on a bed

I've started fostering for Helping Hands Humane Society in my town. These were my first guests!

two small dogs sitting on the couch

Time fostering: 18 December 2025 - 9 February 2026
Where did they go: Shep's Place Senior Dog Sanctuary - they were adopted March 1 by a volunteer at that sanctuary and her wife.
See more photos: Muffin & Ed album

I made them small cuddling blankets using one XL skein of Lion Brand Mandala in colorway Giant. Pattern the "Tumbling Blocks" that I've used before.

small black dog with tan markings

Muffin
Breed: mini pinscher mix
Age: 10
Weight: 18 pounds
Arrived at shelter: her person passed away. He had adopted her from the shelter when she was little, so they know her age.

Muffin is a great little companion animal. She's super smart and is laser-focused on her people, even noticing when I'm having a bad health day and wanting to comfort me. She has a deep barking voice and "talks" in a rumbling way to tell you to hurry up (it's time for dinner, or outside, or whatever) because Muffin knows the household schedule and will keep you on task. She's very loving, cuddly little dog. Still very active. Loves playing with toys, going for a ride in the truck, really anything you want to do. Except cut her nails. She's not interested in that. Muffin prefers to sleep in a crate and knows "time for bed" among the many words she understands.

small tan dog wearing a blue sweater

Ed / Eddie
Breed: unknown, they marked him as a terrier mix. I would also guess some pomeranian.
Age: unknown. Shelter originally guessed 9 but I think it's more like 16.
Weight: 12 pounds
Arrived at shelter: stray

Ed was found to have congestive heart failure. He's also lost a lot of his hair, just what remains is fluffy so it's not obvious. I kept him in a sweater a lot. Ed is an interesting case - he's clearly been a pet but not house trained. No one has ever kicked this dog, but no one has ever talked to him either. He just started realizing in the last week of the foster that the noises I make might mean something. Once that lightbulb turned on he even started reacting to his name. He's an incredibly sweet dog who loves every person he meets immediately.

Overall:

I'm glad I tried taking two, but cleaning up after Ed's lack of potty training was harder than I expected. If Muffin had not been potty trained I would have been overwhelmed. They were very upset when I handed them off to the Shep's people as they both thought they were home with me. I managed not to cry until I got in the car and miss them a lot this morning. I will be watching Shep's facebook and website for updates.

crochet thread snowman with black hat and red scarf

Pattern: Crochet Snowman at Repeat Crafter Me

Started: 1 Dec 2025

Completed: 23 Dec 2025

For: holiday cards, made 12

Hook: 1.5 mm

Yarn: DMC cebelia 8

Size: about 2 inches

Notes: only made 2 with earmuffs, it was even fiddlier than the hat. I also should have wetted down the second set I made before sewing on the hats, they did not turn out as neatly as the first batch.

Pattern: C2C box stitch, 2dc version

Completed: 13 June 2024

For: Scott

Hook: G/4.25mm

Yarn: Lion Brand Mandala, color way spirit (blues and grays), a little more than a single skein.

Size: 8" x 71"

Notes: just a mantle runner for my brother's apartment, the wood top is very stained and scarred. Mindless sort of project.

I have two cousins getting married this summer, so I made their doilies one after another.

Pattern Source: Magic Crochet Gifts magazine
Hook: 1.50mm
Yarn: DMC Cebelia size 20

light purple hexagonal doily

Pattern: page 29, #5
Yarn color: 210 lavender medium
Size: 6 inches

Completed: 4 April 2025

For: Lacie

medium blue round doily

Pattern: page 11, #11
Yarn color: 799 delft blue medium
Size: 5.5 inches

Completed: 27 April 2025

For: Bailey

two crochet trivets in the shape of white flowers

I have made this a huge number of these over the years. The yarn I've been using has slowly discontinued some colors that are necessary for the pattern (both brown and green are now discontinued). Everyone in my family enjoys them as much as I like making them, but it is coming to the point that almost everyone has one. I'm making a last batch carefully with the last of my stash.

Pattern: Felted Crocodile Flower Potholder by Joyce Lewis

Completed:

Hook: N / 10mm

Yarn: Paton's Classic Wool Roving

Size: pre-felting 14"; after felting 10"

Notes:

Felting - older top loader washer, hot water & a little soap. Small or medium load.
I've previously used towels for felting - someone recently said to try with jeans to avoid needing to trim off so much lint.
My newer HE washer simply ruins them, this is another reason I may no longer do this type of pattern. My old washer in the basement won't last forever.
Variation - background color of green (instead of brown) and letting the leaf row be a 3rd row of petals.

five flower crochet trivets with green backgrounds

Yarn estimate by weight - I tried to weigh each skein as I made the first one below, so I could better determine using up stash. These totals should be considered slightly under for safety.
Rnds 1-4 - center - 1.4 oz
Rnds 5-6 - base row petals - 0.6 oz
Rnd 7 - base row leaves - 0.4 oz
Rnd 8-11 - background - 1.8 oz
Rnd 12 - surface crochet leaves - 0.9 oz
Rnd 13-14 - surface crochet petals - 1.5 oz

Final trivets made:
2024 summer - white with yellow center, brown background
2024 December - cherry red with brown center, brown background - sent to Caroline
2025 Feb 27 - pale purple, yellow center, brown background. Used plum for petal foundations.
2025 July - red with brown background (to Bailey) and blue with green background.

During a December sale at Holland Bulb Farm I purchased amaryllis Tinkerbell. It caught my eye because it was listed as a "miniature." When the bulb arrived, it was even larger than the standard red amaryllis I've grown for the last few years. Healthy, heavy, firm bulb, really well grown.

Today it has opened the first bloom, and I'm enchanted. Bloom is about 4 inches across, which is substantially smaller than the standard type.

pink and white amaryllis bloom with pointed petals

pink and white amaryllis bloom with pointed petals

The plant has put up two bloom stalks with a spray of leaves in between. Tinkerbell is on the right, you can see the bloom stalk is slightly shorter than the standard amaryllis on left but not by much.

two amaryllis only one blooming in front of a purple background

two amaryllis only one blooming in front of a purple background

Pattern: Lily Sugar & Cream Snowflakes - pattern C (there are multiple)
Completed: 28 Jan 2025

For: 2024 holiday cards, made 7

Hook: Boye steel 2 / 2.25mm
Yarn: DMC peal cotton, shaded oranges
Size: about 2 inches

Notes:

five pointed, so I removed the non-pointed picots
project delayed due to illness and visitors
was out of blank cards but had some old small envelopes & black construction paper.
used a silver sharpie to write "happy belated holidays" or "happy groundhog day" on most.

crochet barrel shaped basket in teal, lavender, darker teal.

Completed: 18 Jan 2025

For: Ellie's Baby #2

Hook: K/6.5mm

Yarn:

base = Red Heart in black + Herrschners Worsted in gray
sides = Red Heart in white + Herrschners Worsted in smoke blue, lavender, and jade

Size: ~12 inches tall and 12 inches base diameter.

Notes:

made this basket before, and it's basically identical in form.
since this is 3 strands held together, I used the 3oz Herrschners Worsted skeins, and pulled from both ends, paired with the white, to make the sides.
For the first 2 colors, I just stopped when I ran out. Had a little jade left after the top.
I was going to use the same striped yarn in a different color for this one, BUT a porch pirate stole my yarn delivery in the 2 minutes between delivery and me walking to the door.

Additional Makes

3 August 2025 -- Kurtis baby - colors lingonberry, China blue, dark moss.

large crochet basket in red, blue, green

sage green square doily with strong pointed corners on a white background

Pattern: Motif 1 page 25 in

Started: 14 Nov 2024

Completed: 27 Nov 2024, blocked Dec 5

For: Caroline's wedding

Hook: 1.75mm

Yarn: DMC Cebelia 20, colorway 524 fern green vylt

Size: about 9 inches diagonally

Notes: I wasn't happy with the last couple of rounds. They were very awkward. Any concerns blocked out though.

sage green square doily on an angle on table

sage green square doily on an angle on table

yellow and brown crochet sunflower stretched on a hoop

Pattern: BlueRainDrops Easy Crochet Sunflower

Started: 6 July 2024

Completed: 7 July 2024

Hook: Q / 19mm

Yarn: worsted weight acrylic held double, taupe (center) and 2 different yellows

Size: 20" across

Notes:

Trying to get the butterflies from last summer hanging up with it.
Doesn't stand out great from a distance, but it will next year when the house is painted.

sesame street yip yip as a hanging basket in red fluffy yarn

Pattern: Yip Yips by Clarissa Browning (pattern shown for both crochet & knit together)

Started: 6 April 2024

Completed: 12 May 2024

For: me!

Hook: I / 5.5mm

Yarns: held together
- Lion Brand Faux Feathers, red, 2 skeins
- Lion Brand Vanna's Choice, crimson, approx same (I used up leftovers on this)

Size: about 7 inches across base & 16 inches tall (excluding tentacles)

Notes:

I had intended to make it entirely of the faux fur yarn, but it was far too flimsy alone.
Gauge was different than in the pattern, so I just kept working until it was about the same size and adjusted along from there.
Added a circle of cardboard in the bottom to provide a little more shaping.
I had an extra skein of the faux feathers yarn, so decided to make the mini version. It is about 3.5" across the bottom.

small red sesame street yip yip hanging basket next to the previous basket

pale gray doily on a dark purple background

Pattern: Starlight by Julia Hart
Started: 22 Jan 2024
Completed: 17 Mar 2024

For: Kurtis & Kayse Wedding

Hook: 1.75mm (clover steel green)
Yarn: DMC Cebelia size 10, pearl gray 762
Size: 9.25"

Notes:

22 Jan - rounds 1-7
23 Jan - rounds 8-10
25 Jan - rounds 11-13
28 Jan - rounds 14-15
11 Feb - rounds 16-17
17 Mar - rounds 18-19, *and* blocked.
Decided to leave the picots off the last round. Picots and I do not always get along.

crochet swiffer duster replacement in a pastel fluffy yarn

Pattern: ultimately the best ideas from Weekly Wash Scrubby Duster

Started: 19 Jan 2024

Completed: 21Jan 2024

Hook: K - 6.50mm

Yarn: base - scraps of worsted weight acrylic
dust catcher - Mainstays Chenille Heathered Yarn (bulky size 6)

Size: fits Swiffer handle

Notes:

chain 35
six rows of SC and test if when folded lengthwise, will fit over the 2 prongs of the handle. If it does, slip stitch down the length to create a tube. Fasten off, leaving a tail for sewing later. Should fit as follows:

pink crochet tube folded next to swiffer duster for size

crochet tube covering prongs on swiffer duster

3. Mark the row that is on the outside edge of the tube. Remove the tube from the duster. Attach bulky chenille yarn at one end, doing a slip stitch with pulled up loops down the length (surface crochet, did every other stitch most of the time). At the end, turn and do another line of slip stitch loops. Turn again, this time working slip stitch loops through the two previous slip stitch rows.

a loop of yarn being held aside while making a stitch

a loop of yarn being held aside while making a stitch

two rows of loops and slip stitch crochet with fluffy yarn

4. Put the duster back on the handle as before. Tug and tweak so the loops are fluffed out around the handle. Use the yarn tail on the worsted weight yarn to sew up the back foundation rows to stabilize.

Smaller version of the set I made last year. That one is great for outdoor work but longer than needed for inside. Last years set

Started: 8 Jan 2024

Completed:

For: me

Hook: H/5mm

Yarn: Patons Classic Wool worsted

Recipe:

1. Foundation SC 30. Join to make a ring (works knuckles down)

2-6. HDC around, joining each round.

7-12. HDC in each stitch but do not join. Chain 2 (skipped in stitch count) and turn, working in rows. Makes the hole for thumb.

13. HDC around, this time joining. Ends the thumb gap.

14-17. HDC around, joining each round.

18. (DC in next 9 stitches, 2DC in next stitch) around. Makes a small width increase for arm.

19-20. DC around.

crochet snowflake on a pink striped card

Pattern: Winterland Snowflake
Completed: 22 Dec 2023

For: various family & friends, made 9 and will make more if needed.

Hook: 1.75mm
Yarn: size 20 white crochet thread plus silver metallic sewing thread

Notes:

did not care for the 3 picot clusters after I made the first one. Frogged, replaced the points with ch 5, 2 sl st and a sc on that length.
after the first few, decided to do DC instead of TC. I need to remember to always try this, it goes faster and frankly I liked the results better. The DC versions could have gone without starching even. You can see the original with trebles at right, the tighter DC at left.

crochet snowflakes on a magazine as background

Pattern: C2C box stitch
Started:
Completed: 21 Dec 2023 (when I washed and blocked

For: parents

Hook: H
Yarn: Village Craft Cotton in colorway Apple Orchard.
Size: 15 x 12 inches

Notes:

Yarn was lighter colored than I expected. If they don't care for it (more very bright red and teal) I will make another set soon.
I use a starting chain of 5 and 2dc to make box stitch on items like this.
width 20 rows, length 24 rows
Neglected to take a photo, but they are basically just larger dishcloths.

3 rounded crochet baskets that hang off of hooks

Pattern: Bernat Hanging Planters

Completed: 6 November 2023

Hook: L

Yarn: 2 strands worsted weight (pattern calls for bulky)

Size: pattern large, 8x11" excluding hanger

Notes: tidies up this area next to the kitchen where dog leashes, safety goggles, tape measures etc live.

dark crochet bat silhouette on a white porch wall

Pattern: Bat Attack

Designer: Garnier Studios, Drops Design

Started: 21 Sept 2023

Completed: 13 Oct 2023 (quick project but I was slow getting them up)

For: my fall porch decoration!

Hook: Q / 15mm

Yarn: 2 strands worsted weight held together

Size: 24" x 15" (after slight stretching to hang)

Notes: I do not quite have them hanging perfectly. My spouse says we should make better hoops (most of mine are old wire hangers I found in the basement) and put up more hanging hooks on the porch.

3 dark crochet bats on a white porch wall

Pattern: Twinkle Point Baby Blanket

Started: 22 July 2023

Completed: 25 July 2023

For: yarn test/ table decorations

Hook: G / 4.25mm

Yarn: Herrschners Baby Cotton Twist - 2 skeins - sunny colorway

Size: 17" point to point

Notes:

Yarn held double - I tested single a few timeswith different hooks. Didn't really want 2 thinner placemats though.
Overall - yarn soft, strong, color vivid. Would be great for baby clothes or a lightweight summer blanket/shawl.
Pattern - I should use one like this to make a half circle sometime.

Foster Dog: Maggie

Foster Dogs: Muffin & Ed

2025 Snowman Holiday Cards

Mantle Scarf

Spring 2025 Doilies

Felted Crocodile Flower Trivets

Amaryllis Tinkerbell

2024 (belated) holiday cards

Large Crochet Baby Basket

Sage Square Doily

Porch Sunflower

Yip Yip Hanging Basket

Starlight Doily

Washable Duster

Quick Arm Warmers, abbreviated

2023 Holiday Cards

Box Stitch Placemats

Hanging Baskets

Bat Porch Hanging

Sunny Placemat

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May 2026

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