Snowflake Monday

Now that the holidays have passed, we have to go back to plain old, naked, hungry snowflakes until Valentine's Day...

Well, not exactly.

This was another of my Pikes Peak inspirations. Naming snowflakes can become rather tedious. You can call only so many creations Crystal Ice or Snowy Beauty before the names get pretty darned boring. While trying to climb Pikes Peak on my bicycle last August, I realized Colorado has 59 names boldly and triumphantly waiting to be used on snowflakes. We have 59 mountains higher than 14,000 feet (Pikes Peak is just one of them). Because I was half a mile short of reaching the summit of Pikes Peak in the allotted time in 2010, getting to the top in 2011 is one of my most important priorities for 2011. Therefore, this coming year will be the Year of 14er Snowflakes on Snowcatcher. Each new snowflake will be named after a mountain.

Some mountains won't get a snowflake. We have two Wilsons: Mount Wilson and Wilson Peak. I'm not doing two Wilson snowflakes! I don't know that I want to do even one. Not sure I'm inspired by the name Sherman either, but it was my first successful winter climb, and right next to it are Centennial 13ers Gemini Peaks. Great name for a pair of flakes! (Our Centennial Peaks are the highest 100 peaks in the state.)

I'm also contemplating not using at least one peak name that probably would be considered controversial or taking sides unless I named another flake with the opposite name, even though we don't have a high peak by that name. (Legend has it the mountain namers DID have the very prejudice I choose to avoid, and that's allegedly why inequity exists in the peak names.) I'm not even going to share the names here, although I have climbed the specific peak to which I'm referring. Don't you just love intrigue?!?

We have two Crestones, but I might do two Crestone flakes for a variety of reasons, which I'll share when we get to those. We also have two Maroons, and those snowflakes are already in the works.

Colorado also has some gorgeous and powerfully named 13ers, too, so I plan to name at least a few flakes after them. Just the names of some of these peaks ignite ideas in my head. Jagged, Emerald, Thunder Pyramid, Jupiter, Treasurevault, Precarious, Twilight, Snowdon... and wouldn't you know it... We have a Crystal Peak and an Ice Mountain!

I may even have to design a flake to symbolize 13,113-foot Lizard Head. Guess why!


We'll get an early jump on this new mountain project of mine with this week's Pyramid Peak Snowflake, which was named Motif Snowflake until I came up with this 14er idea. Pyramid is a more creative name, in my opinion! This snowflake features six little pyramid-shaped motifs.

Pyramid Peak is one of our lower 14ers at 14,018 feet but one of the more difficult to climb due to steepness, exposure and an overabundance of loose rock. Lance Armstrong likely has a great view of this picturesque mountain from his living room window outside of Aspen. This is one of the 14ers I may never be able to climb because of the degree of difficulty, yet I can't help but admire its beauty every time it comes into view.

Best wishes for a prosperous year in 2011!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or foil, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Pyramid Peak Snowflake Instructions

Triangle Motif (Make 6.)

Make magic ring.

Round 1: 6 sc in ring, sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: Ch 9 (counts as 1 dc and 6 ch), sk 1 sc, dc in next sc, ch 6, sk 1 sc, dc in next sc, ch 6, sl st in 3rd ch of ch 9.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same st, ch 2, 2 dc in same st, ch 6, * in next dc work 2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc, ch 6; repeat from * 1 more time, sl st in 3rd ch of ch 3; bind off. Weave in ends.

Snowflake

Make magic ring.

Round 1: 12 sc in ring, sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: Ch 6 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), * sk 1 sc, dc in next sc, ch 3; repeat from * around 4 times, sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 6.

Round 3: Ch 6 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), * 1 dc in next ch 2 sp, ch 2, dc in same sp, ch 3; repeat from * around 4 times, dc in same sp as starting ch 6, ch 1, hdc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc around hdc post directly below, ch 3, * in next ch 2 sp work [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc]; ch 3; repeat from * around 4 times, 2 dc in same space as starting dc, ch 1, hdc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 2 sp of Round.

Round 5: To join motifs, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc around hdc post directly below, ch 5, * in next ch 2 sp work 2 dc, 2 dc in any ch 2 point of one motif, 2 dc in same ch 2 sp as previous 2 dc in main snowflake body, ch 5; repeat from * around 4 times; 2 dc in same space as starting dc, 2 dc in any ch 2 point of final motif, sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 3; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or foil to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or foil.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or foil. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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