Section by section . . . and in the end, there were only 999 pieces!

"City Market" has complexities requiring a different assembly strategy. Starting with the frame wasn't in the cards: the straight edge of many border pieces was very small, making it difficult initially to select out border pieces. Then, throughout the puzzle, many pieces were irregularly shaped and colors in some sections were very close to colors in other sections (tomatoes and chili peppers, for example; grape and cauliflower leaves, for another). This puzzle was full of mysteries! So, I concentrated on one section at a time. Your eyes become very accustomed to the unique patterns of colors and shapes of images when you work this way.

To my dismay, one piece was missing! (see above, the cauliflower section). I have read that puzzlers commonly think they've lost a piece, only to retrieve it after hunting around. Yet Jiggy Jr., DataDad, and I spent a lot of time on our hands and knees searching for the little border piece. Maybe Mr. Zippy consumed it . Yummm . . . cauliflower leaves! I may write to Springbok (the maker of "City Market") and say: "I assembled this puzzle but it is missing one piece. Would you please send me a spare?"

Jigsaw trivia: In the 1930s, Morris Einson developed the mass-production technology for manufacturing jigsaw puzzles by the millions. Mass-production techniques, along with the use of cardboard as a (cheaper) backing rather than wood, made jigsaw puzzles much more affordable; they were extremely popular during the Depression. Time magazine labeled him "The Puzzle King." For a fictionalized account of Einson, be sure to read The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter (Einson's niece).

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw maniac

Loose lips sink ships—keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

Extra! Extra! Jigsaw art abounds!

Is there any realm untouched by the spirit of the jigsaw puzzle?

Jigsaw puzzle with bathroom person: graphic by James C. Best, in "Social Networking Your Way to a New Job." New York Times Thursday, August 26, 2010; F2.

Jigsaw house: illustration by New York Times. "A Simple Wireless Network? Not Likely." New York Times Thursday, August 26, 2010; B6.

Yours in fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw maniac

Loose lips sink ships—keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

"Scoops" by Annie Lee: 1,000 pieces

I found this puzzle at Games of Berkeley. Note the candies and cookies in the display case: that part of the puzzle was very hard to assemble because of the glare in the glass—everything kind of blurred together.

Annie Lee is one of a handful of African-American jigsaw puzzle designers—finding Annie Lee puzzles was a treat! Will post a picture of the other one I bought when I finish it.

Jigsaw trivia: puzzles come in squares, rectangles, circles, animal and map shapes, not to mention 3-D, foil, and two-sided; there are floor puzzles, table puzzles, online jigsaw puzzles. Something for everyone!

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw maniac

Loose lips sink ships—keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

More evidence of jigsaw puzzle culture: fact of life or conspiracy?

Ongoing evidence of jigsaw culture. Culture is a puzzle, isn't it? The pieces aren't fully interlocking but human culture suggests an entirely different approach to the jigsaw puzzle: pieces that don't fit perfectly, pieces that change and move around—you get the picture. If you see evidence of jigsaw puzzle culture anywhere, anytime, please send me a picture, a link, a note!

Jigsaw trivia: the world's largest jigsaw puzzle (at least, in 2010) has 24,000 pieces.

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw Maniac

Loose lips sink ships—keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

Vacation time: Getting started on a puzzle

Family members puzzling . . . there's nothing like a good, challenging puzzle to preoccupy anyone and everyone. It seems that during family get-togethers, we choose puzzles that are really hard: they're too huge to be practical (1,500, 2,000 pieces); we have to spend hours on one square inch because the images are not crisp and clear or the bulk of the image is all one color; we continually believe we've lost pieces—in other words, the type of puzzle where we have to brainstorm, cooperate, and share triumphant moments when a precious piece is found or we assemble a difficult part of the picture.

Above are Jiggy Jr. and Jiggy Jr.'s grandmother, Queen of the Cabin in the Woods, who resides there with the King.

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw Maniac

Loose lips sink ships—keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

Jigsaw culture: fact or fiction?

When you start looking around you'll see jigsaw artifacts everywhere....but what does it mean? Jiggy Jr. thinks it's random; Mr. Zippy thinks it's a conspiracy; DataDad thinks looking for evidence of jigsaw culture is pointless. I think it expresses our search for order, harmony, and perfection.

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw maniac

Loose lips sink ships—keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

Hot air balloons: beautiful but a dime a dozen

This puzzle was not too difficult. Jiggy Jr. tackled some of the balloons while I did the tough stuff: sky, mountains, and lake.

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw Maniac
Loose lips sink ships — keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌

Jigsawing around the nation

To fellow jigsaw puzzlers, from Montana:

My favorite puzzles have nontraditional images and luscious colors. They're not easy to find and it's fun searching for them when traveling. "Knitter's Delight" (above) is one of my favorites. Even Mr. Zippy approves (see Mr. Zippy in chair next to "Knitter's Delight"—Mr. Zippy likes to chew fallen pieces—ignore the hairy legs to his left, which belong to DataDad).

"Knitter's Delight" was quite difficult! I couldn't even assemble the frame at first. I was so discouraged with that setback I packed up the whole thing. But a couple of days later I enlisted the help of Jiggy Jr. (my puzzle buddy) and together we tried a different strategy: focusing on one individual skein of yarn after another, working from there out to the borders, finally coming up with the image above. It was most gratifying!

Hot-air balloon puzzles are a dime-a-dozen. I've seen many variations of hot-air balloon images. However, I have to admit, assembling the different balloons was a lot of fun (see following post).

Jigsaw trivia: To enhance her children's spatial and visual skills, Maeve Leakey, wife of paleontologist Richard Leakey, encouraged them to assemble jigsaw puzzles upside down—in other words, with the image facing down. She believed this skill enabled them eventually to assist their parents in assembling skulls and skeletons.

In fully interlocking solidarity,
Jigsaw Maniac
Loose lips sink ships — keep busy with jigsaw puzzles ✌