Snowflake Monday

I recently finished a struggle of a bicycle climb up Deer Creek Canyon to Pleasant Park, the first time I've reached the top this year, and homemade chocolate chip cookies were waiting at the top. Deer Creek Canyon has been key in preparing me for this year's Ride the Rockies, and Pleasant Park has been my goal since February.

The Deer Creek Canyon and High Grade Road loop are among the most popular cycling training routes in Colorado. The route is home to the Deer Creek Challenge, which is billed as the most difficult century (100 miles) in the country, featuring 4,200 feet of elevation gain in the first 16 miles. The Deer Creek Challenge century route has more elevation gain than any single day in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, which means anyone who does the entire Deer Creek Challenge has done more one-day climbing than competitors in the pro race (10,000+ feet total elevation gain – The Lizard asked me to include that).

On March 26, The Lizard planned to ride Buffalo Creek, about six miles south of Pleasant Park, because he had the day off. But I'd broken my wrist in a bicycle wreck three days earlier and couldn't drive our stick shift vehicles, so he took me to my first appointment with the hand specialist instead. The Lizard could see a small plume of smoke on the western horizon when he left home to pick me up from work. By the time we got out of the doctor's office about two hours later, the sky was black with smoke from the wildfire.


Fueled by 70-mph winds, the Lower North Fork Fire closed Deer Creek Canyon, Pleasant Park, Foxton Road and other nearby roads for a week. More than 900 homes were evacuated, 28 homes were lost, 4,140 acres of woodland burned, and three lives were lost.

For weeks, everywhere we went, businesses were collecting for victims of the fire. Household goods, food, warm clothing, money... families in the burn area needed everything.

Now, just ten weeks later, that very same community so heavily affected by a terribly tragic event is back to providing cold water, sports drinks and fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies to cyclists training for rides this summer.

Pleasant Park truly is a pleasant place in the world.

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 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Instructions

Ch 3, sl st into 1st ch OR make magic ring.

Round 1: 12 sc in ring; sl st in 1st sc. Pull magic circle tight.
Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as dc), dc in same sc, ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next ch, tr in next ch, dtr in next ch, trtr in next ch, ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2, 2 dc in next sc in ring, *2 dc in next sc, ch 4, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 6, sc in 2nd ch from hook, dc in next ch, tr in next ch, dtr in next ch, trtr in next ch, ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2, 2 dc in next sc in ring; repeat from * around 4 times for a total of 6 petals; sl st in 2nd ch of starting sc; 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 or desired stiffener. 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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