Snowflake Monday

Rustlers Loop
Hi folks, it's the Lizard. If I keep this up, I may have to start maintaining a blog for myself again. Anywhoooo, I have another manflake to talk about. It's the Rustler Snowflake. The Rowdy Yates of the Clint Eastwood world, if you will.

Rustler is a tenacious flake named for Rustlers Loop, which is located off the start of the Kokopelli Trail southwest of Loma, Colorado. Rustlers received its name when several mountain bikers came upon a band of hooligans rustling black and white goats off neighboring farms and ranches. In a nutshell, the rustlers disappeared without a trace, the mountain bikers went on to bigger rides to the west and the goats named this small plateau of freedom Rustlers Loop.

Just kidding.

Actually Rustlers is a delightful little interpretive loop created for novice and visiting riders new to the high desert sandstone riding that is predominant to western Colorado and eastern Utah. During the riding season, on any given weekend, the trail is host to all types of riders, including their dogs. There is easy access to the Colorado River, as well.

The loop consists of small climbs, a fair amount of loose sand and hard sandstone riding, loose river gravels, small ledges and off-cambers. There is even a section of twisty-turny sagebrush riding. Aspiring riders can work on various bike-handling skills before venturing farther west on more to very isolated trails. Snowcatcher has honed a number of skills here. The loop also makes a nice warm-up prior to hitting other areas.

Geology is colorful, terraced, fractured rock of the late Triassic, Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous Periods. Terracing right above the river is primarily the result of river deposition of gravels over time. The climate is delightfully hot and dry, as well as cold and dry. Only a tough flake will survive here, and the Rustler flake is no exception.


Above is my version of the Rustlers Snowflake. After some real-time rustling, I came up with enough tools, cogs and chain rings to create a real manflake!

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: 3.5 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

Rustler Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: * 3 sc in ring, ch 3; repeat from * around 4 times; 3 sc in ring, sl st in starting sc, ch 1, 1 dc in same sc to form final ch 3 loop. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in sp just made, * 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 3 dc in starting sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form final ch 3 sp.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in sp just made, * ch 4, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 4, 3 dc in starting sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form final ch 3 sp.
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 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in st just made, * ch 8, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 8, 3 dc in starting sp, ch 3; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 5: Ch 5, sl st in 4th ch from hook (picot made), ch 3, 3 dc cluster ([yo and draw up loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and draw through all four loops on hook) into sp over ch 8 sp and ch 4 sp between 3/dc groups of Round 2, ch 7, sl st in 4th ch from hook (picot made), ch 2, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in final sl st of Round 4; bind off. Weave in ends. (NOTE: To better fit this snowflake over my rock, I clustered over just the chain spaces and not into the 2nd Round double crochet groups.)

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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