Snowflake Thursday

I'd been working my way through some of my stashed snowflake patterns in order to make enough snowflakes for my special project, which will be announced on Saturday. Just two more days!!! Can you believe it?!?

(By the way, don't forget to check out the fun at Sisters of the Snowflake, where the second annual Snowflake Day will be celebrated with a Snowflake Ball!)

Some of the old patterns didn't have names. Some had only the color of thread I'd used for the prototype, presumably for name inspiration when I picked up the pattern again. This snowflake was going to be easy because, to me, shades of light blue are perfect for a snowflake.

This pattern had more than just the thread color, though: "Light blue spirals with thicker thread," I'd written. (Size 5 crochet thread.) This baby had a story to go along with it! So I'm keeping the original name!!! Here's the story, which I don't even remember writing, much less dreaming, all these years later:

"Dreamed this pattern in detail the same night I dreamed we were aboard an African slave ship and being ordered to take care of a bigger ship by the evil admiral of both ships.

"I dreamed the evil admiral stole all my thread to keep us in bondage, and The Lizard kept assuring me we'd get it all back. The admiral sabotaged our ship somehow, and all the pop cans started firing like cannon balls because they were under severe pressure.

"We opened a window and let one of the pop cans fire into the bigger ship, and then The Lizard took one of my crochet hooks and sabotaged the big ship by sticking the hook in the engine to jam it.

"All the slaves laughed and waved as we kept sailing right on by the evil ship while the evil admiral cursed at us and shook his fist."


Not quite Pirates of the Caribbean, which according to my notes we had not watched recently, but that movie must have harbored at least a degree of inspiration for this pattern. Let's hope I dream more ship dreams! Let's watch Pirates all over again, Lizard! (Or Horatio Hornblower...)

The Lizard had watched Jaws, which has ships, while I worked on snowflakes the night before I dreamed this dream, and my then-boss was flying to Africa on the following Friday. Perhaps that explains where this crazy came from?

Naaa... Let's go with inspiration via Jack Sparrow!

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 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

NOTE: See Moogly's Tall Stitch Chart here.

African Spiral Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: * 1 sc in ring, ch 5; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in ring, 1 tr in starting sc (tr counts as final ch 5 loop, and you will be working over tr post as if it was a loop sp in next round). Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc over post of tr directly below, ch 2, sl st into same sp, * ch 4, 3 dc in next ch 5 loop, ch 2, sl st into same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 tr into 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (tr counts as final ch 4 sp).

Round 3: Ch 2, 2 dc over post of tr directly below, ch 2, sl st into same sp, * ch 5, 3 dc in next ch 4 sp, ch 2, sl st into same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 dtr into 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (dtr counts as final ch 5 sp).

Round 4: Ch 2, 2 dc over post of dtr directly below, ch 2, sl st into same sp, * ch 6, 3 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 2, sl st into same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 trtr into 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (trtr counts as final ch 6 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 5: Ch 2, 2 dc over post of trtr directly below, ch 2, sl st into same sp, * ch 7, 3 dc into next ch 6 sp, ch 2, sl st into same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 quadtr into 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (quadtr counts as final ch 7 sp).

Round 6: Ch 2, 2 dc over post of qtr directly below, ch 2, sl st into same sp, * ch 8, 3 dc into next ch 7 sp, ch 2, sl st into same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 quintr into 2nd ch of starting ch 2 (quintr counts as final ch 8 sp).

Round 7: Ch 2, 2 dc over post of quintr directly below, 3 hdc in same sp, 3 sc in same sp, ch 7, * 3 dc in next ch 8 sp, 3 hdc in same sp, 3 sc in same sp, ch 5; repeat from * around 4 times; 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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