Snowflake Monday

Today's pattern is derived from one of the snowflake rocks I made for my grands for Easter. I added some fun picot points when I wrote the pattern to make the tips look like fireworks.

When I made the snowflake rocks for my grands, I was trying to use up my store-bought crochet thread colors. I was trying to use up the rest of my patriotic stash while making today's samples because although they are hand-dyed and pretty darned gorgeous, they are not my hand-dyes.

This is the end of the authentic red, white and blue after today's flakes. I will be lucky to get a whole tiny flake out of the leftovers for September 11 or Veterans' Day.

And here's my initial attempt with the "faded" red, white and blue. I have another ball somewhere, but I didn't want to have to hunt it down. So I frogged the last two rounds and worked the 2nd Round shells with 9 double crochets instead of 11, adding one chain in between each shell. (It may not have needed the extra chains, but I wanted to make sure the flake would lie flat when stiffened.) I still came up one double crochet and 3 chains short. So I wove in the starting end and cut off the tail, the tied it to the finishing end, and voila!

So, if you ever run out of thread so close to the end of a snowflake and don't mind frogging, you can decrease the number of double crochets in just about any shell or popcorn by one or two stitches without affecting the overall appearance of the finished flake. And you can try using the tail if you're still short. Great use of trimmed threads, right?

One of my grands sent me a progress picture of the glass gem flint corn seeds I sent (in addition to other fun seeds I thought they might enjoy).

I'm so impressed with the growth!!! Mine are not quite as mature...

I haven't had much success with corn the last couple of attempts. Our growing season ended up being too short.

After giggling at "rainbow" corn seeds I found on the web (looking for the site from which I bought my seeds, which is Botanical Interests) it occurred to me that the snowflake points also look like corn stalks in August and September!

I don't know if my stalks will mature before the first snow, and the corn produced from these seeds is good for ornamental purposes and for popcorn. This variety of corn is not sweet corn for the dinner plate.

However, my seeds are authentic, they didn't come from a foreign country, and legit seed websites have no need to Photoshop (or steal) photos to rip off vulnerable would-be gardeners. Check out this pretty but wacky scam...

I may just have to sit down and crochet some rainbow corn ears now... Ha ha ha!

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

Corn Stalk Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through 2nd ch of starting ch 2 and replace loop on hook, pull loop through ch (starting popcorn stitch made), [ch 10, 1 sc in 9th ch from hook, ch 1, 5 dc in ring, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc (popcorn stitch made)] 5 times; ch 1, 1 dc in top of starting popcorn st to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round, ch 3, 1 dtr in top of dc just made to form 6th ch 7 loop of Round.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 5 dc over post of dtr directly below, [11 dc in next ch 7 loop] 5 times; 5 dc in next ch 7 loop; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same ch as sl st, [ch 5, 1 sc in next gap between 11/dc groups, ch 10, [[sl st in 2nd ch from hook and each of next 3 ch, ch 5]] 5 times, omitting last ch 5 of final repeat, sl st in each of next 5 ch of ch 10, 1 sc in same gap, ch 5, 3 dc in middle (6th) dc of next 11 dc group, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc in same st] 6 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.
NOTE: Skipping the picots on this Round makes this an easy, beginner and cute little snowflake.

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.

Tweet

Pin It