Spring Star Flower Monday

When you order garden bulbs from one seller, within a few months you're on the mailing list for all the sellers.

Not such a bad thing if you are a blue flower addict like me.

I've been drooling over a number of exotic iris bulbs ever since last autumn, when the bulbs are actually shipped, regardless of when you order. But I have approximately 12 different species of iris right now, and the bulbs are getting really crowded on my hand-shaped mound. They need to be dug up and divided next year. So I'm trying to maintain self-control and not order any more irises for a while.


However, other blue flowers catch my eye.

I'd never heard of Ipheion, and the common name, spring star flower, is as much a knockout as the actual flower! They're advertised as fragrant ground cover when you step on them (but why would you do such a thing???), and the onion-like aroma of the foliage is not appreciated by garden pests.

Win/win!!!

So, when the late summer catalog with the best sale I've seen since the first time the flowers caught my discerning eye arrived, well, it didn't take long for impulse control to fail.

The bulbs won't ship until September, so I thought I'd crochet a few. After I plant the bulbs, I won't have flowers until next April. So I thought I'd stick a spring star flower in my vest-in-progress. Keeps me from being too antsy while I wait, wait, wait...

Other flower flakes in this series include:

Mother's Day Snowflake Motif
Sunflake III
Daisyflake
Picotee Snowflake
Chamomile Snowflake
Lobelia Snowflake
Hoyaflake
Daffodil Snowflake
Windflower Snowflake
Blue Flax Snowflake
Spiderwort Snowflake
Love in a Mist Snowflake
Iris Snowflake

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes and/or flowers you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: flower, 2 inches across; snowflake, 5.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in 3 to 5 colors, size 7 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


Spring Star Flower Snowflake Instructions

With yellow or stamen color, make magic ring.

Round 1: [Ch 2, 1 hdc in ring, ch 2, sl st in ring] 3 times. Bind off. Don't pull magic ring too tight yet.

Round 2: With purple or petal contrast color, 1 sc over any sl st, * ch 7, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, 1 sc into ring over same sl st, ch 7, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 4 ch, working behind next stamen, 1 sc into ring over next sl st; repeat from * around 2 times for a total of 6 long, skinny petals, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Now you may pull magic ring tight.

Round 3: With lavender or pastel petal color, * 1 sc in bottom right sc of any petal (or bottom right sc petal of next petal in repeats), 1 hdc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in ch 2 tip, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook (petal point made), 2 sc in same ch 2 tip, working back down left side of petal, 1 sc in next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 1 sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Round 4: With green if making leaves or white if making snowflake, working on the back of motif, 1 dc in 2 threads at base of any petal (work the dc into 2 threads to prevent the dc from pulling the petal out of proportion), * ch 3, 1 dc in 2 threads at base of next petal; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.
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 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), * 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 5 sp of Round.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of tr directly below, 2 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp, * 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp, 2 hdc in same sp; 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, 2 hdc in same sp, 2 dc in same sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. (If making leaves, bind off green here and work remainder of Rounds in white.)

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, 1 dc in gap between next 2 sc, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, 2 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, 1 dc in gap between next 2 sc, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 8: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, 3 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 9: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 3 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 2 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 4 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, 4 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 2 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 4 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 10: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc over post of dc directly below, * ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 3 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), 5 dc in same tip; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, [1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 5] 3 times, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; 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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