Snowflake Monday

At 8:18 pm Saturday, February 18, I finished my backup project of downloading one (Snowcatcher photo gallery) image from every snowflake pattern I've shared on my blahg. (Yes, I know, that's not how the word officially is spelled. But "blah blah blah"g is a term of endearment for me.) Two more of my external hard drives from the past have given up the ghost, and I no longer have access to many images I've taken over the past two decades if they aren't in my SmugMug gallery or on an unlabeled CD hiding somewhere in my basement.

Images are missing. I will have to remake some snowflakes and rephotograph them. This is not the first time I've undertaken a project of this nature. I remade many early snowflakes for my Snowbike quilt. (Oh, my gosh!!! I'd forgotten I created that stunning quilt for an exhibit that never happened!!!) I even tried to rephotograph the snowflakes in white if I didn't already have a white version.

I remade even more snowflakes for my snowflake lamp, which still proudly hangs in my dining room and still is a conversation starter when we have visitors. (A bit devastated to learn Matt, the blogger who inspired my snowflake lamp, is no longer blogging. Thank heavens for the Wayback Machine!!!) I tried to rephotograph these snowflakes in white, too, but those photos were on one of the external hard drives that died.

Some of the snowflakes on my lamp need to be re-stiffened or remade. They've lasted a good long while... I made that lamp in 2016!!! But some of the flakes have yellowed, and some are showing their age.

My current project is a bit more ambitious. Not only am I trying to make sure my Snowcatcher Snowflake Directory has photos of white snowflakes (except for a few that were made specifically to be in color) for every pattern; I'm also trying to make sure I have a backup photo of every snowflake I've designed. Not just for the digital temperature quilt I've been working on this year. I just need to make sure I have named photos of every single snowflake. Call me obsessed.

I was elated when I downloaded the final flake, and not only because this project had taken four months. I have limited personal computer time in the evenings because working from home (on a secure and highly protected work computer) most of the time does NOT, believe it or not, make housekeeping, cooking and gardening (in summer) easier or faster. There's also that full-time caregiver thing always going on in the background. (Not a complaint.)

I experience many internet outages, and that interfered with my project many evenings. (It interferes with working from home, too, and I could rant on and on about that...) Right in the middle of my final batch of snowflake photo downloads, I got a stupid notice that my photo website is not secure. Oh, and it was secure five minutes ago??? But not now??? Just how does that happen???

I'm a cold weather lover, and I adore all things ice. But, boy, was I on fire! I was virtually chatting (and getting unexpectedly disconnected due to aforesaid internet burps) with tech support for my internet, my website, my browser, my computer, my VPN, everything I could think of, and getting nowhere really fast. I'd spent the previous weekend doing hard resets on my new (but nearly year-old) laptop because the most recent Bios update had rendered my external keyboard and wireless mouse useless. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Microsoft??? HP is climbing that ladder!!!

Turned out my browser had done an auto update in the background. I had to clear my browser history... on a new computer I've been using only about two months now. Oh, was I an unhappy camper!!!

Isn't modern technology fun? And yet, what would I do without it?

My new backup snowflake photo folder on the new laptop says I have 731 snowflake images (which includes variations and Easter eggs). My snowflake pattern folder contains 721 patterns (so far). There probably need to be at least 800 photos in the new backup folder. My work is not yet done. Even though it felt for a few joyous minutes like it should be done.

I've been saying for years I'd like to make every single flake I've designed into a rock covering for my garden. Now, so many of the existing snowflake rocks have deteriorated, I really need to just start over at the beginning and redo nearly all my snowflake rocks. My goal in 2021 was to make a new snowflake rock each week as I sat on the porch with Lizard at lunchtime. I think I made three that year. I don't think I made a single one in 2022.

It seems the myriad of snowflake projects at the Snowcatcher household will never see the finish line, much less cross it. Yes, I finished creating a new backup photo file, which eventually will be online in my Snowcatcher photo gallery so I will always have a copy (I now have a copy of everything on the new laptop and sometimes on my phone in The Cloud, an automatic option at home on the new personal laptop whether I like it or not). But even my photo backup project may never die, as long as I keep making new snowflakes. I already have a new one to add to the collection today!

Here's my inspiration, taken on my front porch during my lunch hour on February 15. I'm planning to make another go at this one in the future because it's so darned inspiring. But, how many times have I said that now??? :)

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: 6 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

Winter Storm Nova Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in ring, [ch 2, 3 dc in ring] 5 times; ch 2, 1 dc in ring; sl st tightly in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Do not pull magic circle too tight.
NOTE: Oh, heck, I couldn't resist. Had to make an itty bitty cutie.

Round 2: Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), 1 sc in next dc, [3 sc in next ch 2 sp, 1 sc in each of next 3 dc] 5 times; 3 sc in next ch 2 sp, 1 sc in next dc; sl st in starting ch.
NOTE: Well, that's kind of cute, too. I used a ch 1, sl st in top of sc just worked on the middle of each 3/sc point to make the tips stand out more, which you may do for the full-size flake, too. I just pulled out the points when pinning my bigger flakes.

Round 3: Ch 17 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 15, 1 dc in 5th ch from hook, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch, ch 7, 1 dc in same ch, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch, ch 4, sl st in same ch (5-pointed snowflake tip made), ch 10, sk next 5 sc, 1 dc in next sc] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 17.
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: Binding off here makes a cute snowflake and saves a TON of thread. I made the following adjustments to the 3rd Round on this one that I rather like and probably will use instead of the above Round 3 next time I make the full-size flake.
Round 3 with Adjustments: Ch 17 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 15, 1 dc in 5th ch from hook, ch 5, 1 tr in same ch, ch 7, 1 tr in same ch, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch, ch 4, sl st in same ch (5-pointed snowflake tip made), working back down spoke, 1 sc in next ch (which is VERY tight, thanks to all the stitches in the previous ch) ch 9, sk next 6 sc, 1 dc in next sc OR 1 dc over sc Round into middle dc of 1st Round] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 17.

Round 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [10 dc in next ch 10 sp, in next ch 4 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just worked, 1 hdc, 1 sc), in next ch 5 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 2 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just worked, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), in next ch 7 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 3 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just worked, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), in next ch 5 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 2 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just worked, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), in next ch 4 sp work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 1, sl st in top of dc just worked, 1 hdc, 1 sc), working back down spoke, 10 dc in next ch 10 sp, 1 dc in next dc OR 1 fpdc around post of next dc (I like the look of the front post dc so much better!)] 6 times, omitting last dc or last fpdc 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 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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