What could possibly be more fun than a barrel of monkeys?
A barrel of snowflakes, of course!
I recently took a two-mile lunchtime walk around downtown because the temperature wasn't reaching into the 90s for the first time in a couple of weeks. I noticed all the cute little banners advertising the "Toys" exhibit at the History Colorado Center.
I've been drooling over a Spirograph set on Amazon just about ever since I wrote a blog post about my favorite childhood toys, back in 2010, back in the good old days when people still left comments on blogs. I had as much fun (as a barrel of monkeys... ha ha!) reading the comments as I did reading my old post!
The banners reminded me of my Spirograph and my Midge doll, but one banner in particular reminded me of the hours I'd spend with my little brothers trying to connect the outstretched arms of red, blue and yellow monkeys that came in a plastic yellow barrel. I was about 5 years old, and my brothers were about 3 and 2. Those silly monkeys turned the three of us into giggle monsters.
As I walked by Coors Field, which was beginning to fill with Rockies baseball fans hoping for the team's first win in a while, I wondered if my six-year-old neighbor would like to learn to play Barrel of Monkeys with a Barrel of Snowflakes, and today's snowflake was born!
Virtually any snowflake may be converted into a Barrel Snowflake simply by adding/extending two 10-ch picots on opposite spokes. So my Barrel of Crystal Monkeys can have gorillas as well as pygmy marmosets!
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 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, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing
Barrel Snowflake Instructions
Make magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1dc), * 2 dc in ring, ch 5, sl st in last dc (picot made); repeat from * around 4 times; 3 dc in ring, sl st into 2nd ch of starting ch 2, ch 1, 1 tr in same dc to form 6th picot of Round. Don't pull magic circle too tight.
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 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1 tr), 3 tr in same picot, ch 17, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 9 ch, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, ch 3 (monkey arm picot made), 4 tr in same picot, [4 tr in next picot, ch 7, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, ch 3 (picot made), 4 tr in same picot] 2 times, 4 tr in next picot, ch 17, sl st in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 9 ch, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, ch 3 (monkey arm picot made), [4 tr in same picot, 4 tr in next picot, ch 7, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, ch 3 (picot made), 4 tr in same picot] 2 times; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4; bind off. Weave in ends.
Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake as shown 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. Dab full-strength glue lightly onto curved monkey arm picots for added strength. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Play snowflake pickup, and have a barrel of fun!
haha are they as easy to hook together as a barrel of monkey's though?
ReplyDeleteHook as in make, or hook as in pick up, Pat? :) Both are easy peasy!
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