Snowflake Monday

While shooting pictures of my Silverheels Snowflake, we witnessed a gorgeous sunrise on nearby Horseshoe Mountain, named for the horseshoe-shaped cirque on the east face. A snowflake idea immediately popped into my head.

I began crocheting with Jelly Yarn before even we left the four-wheel-drive road and, still being somewhat new to the unusual yarn, realized patterns such as the one I was thinking will not work without being stiffened. So I frogged and pulled out my size 10 white crochet thread and my size 11 hook, which is smaller than what I use while I'm working on flakes at home, but all I had with me in the car. The bumpy road took its toll, and I had to frog again because I miscounted or miss-stitched.

Back on flat paved road, I started again and finished the prototype horseshoe flake. It didn't look like six horseshoes at all. Strike Three, and I was out.

I obstinately started yet another flake, and this time, eureka! Just like the miners of the 1800s must have felt when they struck silver on the very slopes of the mountain that inspired this pattern, I designed a flake that looks like six horseshoes!

Horseshoe Mountain is three miles from 14er Mount Sherman, the only 14er to date I've climbed in winter and the easiest of all Colorado's 14ers (explaining why I was able to make it to the top in winter). Horseshoe Mountain, a Centennial 13er, was never on my list of peaks to climb until I began researching it for this post. An old structure atop the peak supposedly demonstrates how hard life in the 1800s was at 13,898 feet, and I expect I will get some phenomenal pictures there. Plus, Horseshoe is just a hop, skip and a jump from the 13,348-foot summit of Peerless Mountain, which I have been eyeing for a while because I love the name.

With St. Patrick’s Day next week, Horseshoe Luck o’ the Irish be with you!

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: 4 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 11 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, 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

Horseshoe Mountain Snowflake Instructions

Ch 48. Taking care not to twist, sl st into starting ch.

Round 1: *Ch 13, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2, sk 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 3 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 3 ch, ch 10, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 dc in each of next 3 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 3 ch, 1 sc in each of next 3 ch of ch 13, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch of ring, bring up loop through each of next 2 ch, yo and bring through all 3 loops on hook (dec made), bring up loop through each of next 2 ch, yo and bring through all loops on hook, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch; repeat from * around 5 more times for total of 6 horseshoes or 12 points; sl st in 1st ch of starting ch 13; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

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

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 plastic wrap. 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.

Horseshoe Mountain photo by The Lizard

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