Snowflake Monday

For the first several months this year, I'd been trying to update snowflake patterns sporting typos, booboos and/or lack of clarity. During a spring editing session, I noticed the code Blogger began throwing into permalinks (that gibberish you see in the address bar above) a couple of years ago did not match what I had copied and pasted from Blogger's own Permalink tool in one specific pattern. I've been including permalinks in my patterns for darned near all 14 or so years I've been doing this in an attempt to stem theft of my patterns to be published on scraper blogs (scammy blogs with no original content, just plagerized content from successful blogs and typically bloated with completely irrelevant search terms - such as any big star or popular movie - to attract wider viewership) that often include dangerous links and cookies, and we're not talking chocolate chip.

I was horrified when I first realized Blogger had begun adding a sequence of random numbers onto the end of every permalink of similarly titled blog posts (such as Snowflake Monday or Wordless Wednesday) without telling bloggers (that I know of) what was happening. I tend to have a lot of repetitive themes, so I have way too many blog posts with the same titles. I knew there must be some security reason behind the change, so I spent all my free time the next three weeks or so going back to check (and replace when necessary) permalinks to make sure my links work. (Thankfully, the first duplicate blog post title each month doesn't get changed by blogger. 12 posts each year I don't have to change! Thank heavens!!!)

That's probably way more technical than non-blogging readers comprehend or even care about, and I get a lot of readers who don't even read what I write at the top of each pattern. (I get regular snarky emails or comments such as, "Where's the pattern!" if I write too much before the pattern.) So why do I even care whether links work?

More than a decade ago, the best way bloggers could direct readers back to their blog when content was stolen and republished without permission was to include language such as "If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original." Yes, that's why every single pattern includes that little bit of text you probably skip over when you're making a snowflake.

I don't know that taking the time to add that text helped or brought readers back, and I don't know if it's helpful now. In case it does work, I'm going to keep doing it. But with this recent discovery - the number tacked onto the end of my web address apparently changes when I hit that orange "publish" button. That means I once again have to go back and fix the link in the pattern again. And that I have about nine years' worth of patterns to go back and change.

I'd finished all the patterns published so far this year, back to the first week in January, when I first noticed this back in February. I was discouraged then because I knew it would take me a good long while to go back and fix all the rest. As if I didn't already have enough blog administrative tasks weighing me down!!! I still haven't gone all the way back to the beginning of my blog to replace all the http codes in every link with https (the new secure socket code). In addition, I still have about six more patterns readers have alerted me that need to be corrected. Sometimes, blogging is a neverending story (the inspiration behind today's snowflake name).

I guess as long as there are scammers, there will be mandated changes like this. It doesn't look like scammers are going to go away anytime soon.

Please forgive me for venting like this here; I want readers to understand why links sometimes don't work and why some of the things I say I'm going to do don't get done as quickly as I would like.

And everything above this paragraph, Dear Reader, was written back in February, before my blog totally disappeared from my paid domain, snowcatcher.net, in July. It took six exhausted weeks to get that straightened out!!! So, I'm now behinder than ever, but still plugging away. (I think that should be a snowflake name, too!!!) Let's keep smiles on our faces because no matter what technology throws at us, we can and will survive!!!

September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. So my goal is to make a teal snowflake each week. You're invited to join me!

Here's the inspiration for this week's pattern. Yes, I do indeed plan to make a bigger snowflake inspired by this beauty by j_man25599 soon!

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: 2.25 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

Falkor Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 11 dc in ring; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Pull magic circle 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: 1 sc in next dc, ch 6, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 4, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, sl st in next 2 ch, 1 sc in same dc, 1 sc in next dc] 6 times; sl st in st sc; 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 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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