Snowflake Monday

Today's snowflake was inspired by a donation to my MS-150 fund-raising campaign before I have even finished this year's snowflake booklet. The donor is a huge fan of anything orange, and I wanted to thank her in a special way because I can't send a booklet yet (and because I don't think she crochets with thread). This design is what I came up with.

This is my very own hand-dyed thread. It was supposed to be shades of peach, not orange. Back to the drawing board! Or, well, painting board. But I've made a rule for myself; I can't dye more thread until I use up what I've already made.



I was having a difficult time using up this wild orange because I didn't really care for the boldness of the hue, so this special snowflake was the perfect task for this particular ball of thread.

I'm still working on the 2013 snowflake booklet (with a few surprises I hope will knock your socks off), so I believe an appropriate name for this snowflake is Expectation Mountain. See a historic photo from near Expectation Mountain here.

The tiny town of Rico sits at the foot of 12,050-foot Expectation Mountain. Rico, the Spanish word for "rich," reached its height in 1892 with a population of about 5,000. The town was home to two churches and two newspapers! By 1900, slightly more than 800 people still called Rico home. The Enterprise Mine was among the richest mines in all of Colorado; and anyone knowing my interest in Star Trek will understand why that tidbit of trivia had to be included here.

The Enterprise Mine was on the verge of bankruptcy when owner David Swickheimer's wife Laura bought a $1 Louisiana lottery ticket, won $5,000 and invested it in her husband's mine. In 1887, the Enterprise struck the Swansea vein, nearly pure silver. David Swickheimer became Rico's first millionaire and later went on to co-found Bay City, Texas.

Sadly, the Swickheimers divorced shortly after the silver discovery.

Rico was the second town I pedaled through during my first Ride the Rockies in 2003 (Dove Creek was first), and back then, the population of Rico was about 212. Next stop was Lizard Head Pass, the third most difficult climb I've ever done on a bicycle. Rico was a very nice lunch stop, and I was so full of expectations that day because I'd waited more than 10 years to be drawn for my first Ride the Rockies!

The love has never died. I anxiously await the announcement of this year's Ride the Rockies route in less than four weeks. And expectations still run high, hoping my body will indeed be able to take on another cross-state bicycle tour in June.

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: 4.5 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

Expectation Mountain Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in ring, * ch 1, 3 dc in ring; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form last ch 1 sp.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same sp, * 2 dc in next ch 1 sp, ch 8, 2 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 2 dc in next sp, ch 8, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), * 2 dc in next ch 8 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 sc in same sp, ch 3, 2 sc in same sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
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: Sl st in sp between 2 2/dc groups, ch 14 (counts as 1 dc and ch 12), sl st in 11th ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in same ch, 1 dc in same sp between 2 2/dc groups, ch 4, 2 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 4, sl st in sc, 2 sc in same ch 3 sp, ch 4, * 1 dc in next sp between 2 2/dc groups, ch 12, sl st in 9th ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in same ch, 1 dc in same sp between 2 2/dc groups, ch 4, 2 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 4, sl st in sc, 2 sc in same ch 3 sp, ch 4; repeat from * around 4 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 14; 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.

If using glue, 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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