Snowflake Monday

Eureka!!!

It worked! I'm in My.Own.Space! My old Blogger address redirects to this space until I tell it not to. Bookmarks will still work. If you're following, you may have to change that link, but everything else works, as far as I can tell.

I had to redo background stuff only once. The migration was surprisingly fast, given I'd been warned it could take up to 72 hours. Tech support via my hosting company was superb, and the change has been made. All existing pattern links automatically forward to my new space. This is AWESOME!

In honor and celebration of this miraculous event, I've named this week's snowflake Eureka. We have two mountains by that name in Colorado. Both are sentimental favorites of mine, one a 12,929-feet-tall mountain near 14er Handies Peak, the other a 13,489-footer in the Sangre de Cristos.

Eureka also is the name of a tiny abandoned mining town nine miles from Silverton and just a couple thousand feet below the 12er bearing the same name. Read a hair-raising tale about an overnight stay in the pre-restored mining boardinghouse in the sidebar here. The story about the restoration of the two mines is worth reading also.

The Eureka Mountain near Silverton and Handies Peak bears special memories for me because of all the time I've spent in these areas with my Lizard. Handies Peak is the second peak he climbed with me, and he'd already climbed it before he met me. He was willing to do it again, for me, because I hadn't been up it. Back then, his willingness to repeat a climb of an "easy" mountain when he had many difficult peaks on his To Do List was one of a plethora of signs I'd literally struck pure gold. Eureka!

The Eureka Mountain in the Sangre de Cristos is special simply because of where it is located. It's another area The Lizard and I have spent a great deal of time, and the north-south running Sangre de Cristos form a beautiful, rugged backdrop from either the west or the east. When the sun rises and sets, the peaks turn crimson red, hence the name, Spanish for Blood of Christ. With a name like that, how can the mountain range not be exquisite?

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: 4.25 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 7 crochet thread in two colors, size 7 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

Eureka Mountain Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: With main color, 1 sc in ring, *ch 6, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch , 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, 2 sc in ring; repeat from * around 5 times for a total of 6 points, ending with 1 sc instead of 2 on final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: With contrast color, *1 hdc in dc on right side of any point (1 hdc in next st on succeeding repeats), 5 dc in ch 2 tip, 1 hdc in next dc, 1 sc in each of next 3 st, sk next st, draw up loop in each of next 2 st, yo and bring through all 3 loops on hook (dec made), sk 1 st, 1 sc in each of next 3 st; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting hdc; bind off.
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: With main color, 1 sc in 1st dc of 5/dc group on right side of any point, *1 sc in each of next 2 st, 1 hdc in same st, 3 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in same st, 1 sc in each of next 3 st, sk next st, draw up loop in each of next 3 st, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook, sk next st, 1 sc in each of next 4 st; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with 1 sc in each of next 2 st instead of 4 on final repeat; sl st in starting sc.

Round 4: *1 sc in same st as sl st (1 sc in next st on succeeding repeats); 1 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st, 1 hdc in same st, 2 dc in next st, [1 dc in next st], ch 4; sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 dc in same st as [dc], 2 dc in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in same st, 1 sc in each of next 2 st, sk 5 st; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

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.

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