Snowflake Monday

Today's pattern was initially designed at the end of the summer seven years ago, not a very snowy time for Colorado! So I read through my August 2013 journal in an effort to discover what inspired this pattern, other than the unusual first Round or the mail-order hand-dyed thread colors. (A photo tutorial of the center of today's pattern is located in last week's pattern, my Primer Snowflake.)

I had gigantic life-changing developments at work. I was having serious phone issues. (Ha ha ha! What a time to go back and read about that, after just being forced to replace and upgrade my phone AGAIN!!!). I had to change dentists because – my dentist of about 10 years had been diagnosed with Parkinson's. (Boy, did that ever feel like a ghost from the past, as Lizard was diagnosed with Parkinson's just 18 months ago.) I learned how to use the sports mode on my point-and-shoot.

My dad sent me a mile-long email about the event of my fourth year, when my birth mom permanently abandoned the family. It was the first time he'd ever "talked" with any of us kids about it in detail.

We were still on dial-up back then. We could use only so much bandwidth per day, and we had to use up some of that bandwidth watching our use.

I had a couple of remarkable experiences one August day on the train. On the morning train, a veteran sat across from me and told me he does counted cross stich. He said he did it in Afghanistan. He said the other guys all made fun of him, but you have to do something to keep your mind off the killing.

That night, a guy sat next to me who talked non-stop about his grandmother's crocheting. He said she was always making something. He said she'd see things in the store, and she'd look closely at them, she'd count, and then she'd go home and make them. He said she made afghans for all of her grandchildren. Including him.

Three times during the summer, I donated blood to a baby boy with cancer at Children's Hospital.

August was the month I picked up running again after rehabbing from my Over The Bars Scar Club bicycle accident a year and a half earlier. I ran a quarter of a mile the first day, half a mile the second day and two half-miles the third day. Then couldn't move the fourth day. My then-doctor (now retired) chewed me out royal! Following emergency back surgery in 2005, I could never run the distance or the intensity I had run before. I have to work up slowly, taking about eight weeks, running only two or three times a week, to add another quarter of a mile. I've been shooting for a mile ever since, and I can never get past 3/4s of a mile before winter and ice shut me down again before the next year.

In August we had house guests with small children from Canada. The mother was fairly interested in my natural dyeing. During one night of their stay, we had a coyote in our backyard singing, a thrill for them and us. The dad wanted us to ride up Pikes Peak with him on our bicycles the final day of their stay. Lizard made it halfway up the mountain before the wind got the best of him. Our friend made it to the top. I didn't try, thanks to the wind.

I was trying every kind of natural dye under the sun, literally, that summer. I tried every single weed and almost every breed of flower in our yard and neighborhood! I came up with what I thought at the time was one of my best creations ever, my all-natural dyed Summer of Color afghan.






It seems August of 2013 was a pretty big month in my life! I did find several journal entries oozing with pride over snowflakes I'd designed, but I didn't specify any of them by name except San Luis. I didn't even mention I'd created three versions of a pattern. So I'm not sure if any of the above experiences inspired today's snowflake. I can only tell you journaling is awesome.

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: 7.5 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

Journaling Snowflake Instructions


Option 1

Round 1: [Ch 10, 1 dc in 8th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch (petal made)] 6 times; sl st in starting ch (same ch as 1st sc).

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [in next petal loop work (3 sc, 3 hdc, 3 dc, 3 hdc, 3 sc), 1 dc around base gap between petals] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), *sk next 3 sc, 1 sc in each of next 3 hdc, ch 3, 1 hdc in next dc, ch 3, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, 1 hdc in next dc, ch 3, 1 sc in each of next 3 hdc, sk next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), *3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
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 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), *3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc and ch of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 6: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), *5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc and ch 2 of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 4.

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), * sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, 3 dc in same sp, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.


Option 2

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 6, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 5, sl st in sc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends.


Option 3

Round 7: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), [5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 6, sl st in 6th ch from hook, 2 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 5 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1] 6 times, omitting last dc and ch 2 of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 4.

Round 8: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 6, 1 sc in 6th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 5, sl st in sc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 3 dc in same sp, ch 3, 3 hdc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next sc, 1 dc in each of next 3 sc, 1 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; 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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