Tomorrow is our annual Make a Snowflake Day/Snowflake Ball!
Today's snowflake was designed pre-2010. (To me, it looks like I may have been trying to improve upon my first Snow Mon Snowflake. Or perhaps my first Snow Mon pattern was my attempt to improve upon today's flake...) I photographed the prototype with a 2010 sunrise for one of my first Snow Mon widgets (cute little link button/photo on the right edge of my blog). I never wrote a pattern for it and totally forgot about it because I gave away the original. After fixing last week's mini snowflake, I looked up my blog post about snowflake surgery and found this long-forgotten gem. I decided it would be as good a flake for Make a Snowflake Day tomorrow as any!
Snowflake Mondays began back in 2009 when Marikamum, a member of the Ravelry Snowflake group, asked for the pattern for a flake I'd designed and made for my weekly snowflake. I had never written any kind of pattern before. I didn't realize Snowflake Mondays would become a thing, that I'd end up with more than 800 snowflake patterns (so far!!!), or that my blog would ultimately become known as a collection of free snowflake patterns. (Although I always hope my non-snowflake posts have value, too!)
I created new Snow Mon widgets each year for several years. In about 2014, our fearless then-Yahoo group leader Autumn had February 6 officially designated as Make a Snowflake Day or Make a Flake Day. (Yahoo groups were discontinued several years ago, and we re-convened on Facebook as Sisters (and Brothers) of the Snowflake.)
I believe our current Facebook group co-leader Diane came up with the idea of an annual Snowflake Ball to celebrate our special Day. We celebrated for the first time in 2015. Tomorrow marks our ninth annual official Make a Flake Day/Snowflake Ball. Which means, we really have to get our thinking caps on so we can do something awesome and amazing for our tenth anniversary next year!
I tried to do something special almost every year for our Snowflake Ball. I made a few snowflake quilts, I shared a new snowflake pattern each day for a whole week, I created my infamous Snowflake Lamp, and I released a fundraising pdf booklet of snowflake patterns. I totally missed the celebration in 2020 because Lizard was recovering from total knee replacement, and, the world was on the verge of... well, you know. 'Nuff said.
On Make a Snowflake Day last year, I announced my creation of a number of digital snowflake temperature quilts and a crochet temperature project, which weren't completed until last month. I'm doing two more unique digital temperature quilts this year. I'm definitely not tired of or bored with our annual Snowflake Ball, but it is getting more and more difficult to come up with a new and amazing crochet snowflake project each year. As much as I love making snowflakes.
I'm writing this blog post a week ahead of time. I asked the Sisters of the Snowflake what we should do to celebrate tomorrow, and it sounds like they'd be fine with an extra pattern tomorrow. So I'll finish up and get going on a new flake for tomorrow!
Today's snowflake name is another snow plow name that made me laugh. If nothing else touches you today, I hope this name makes you laugh!
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 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
Clearopathra Snowflake Instructions
Make magic ring.
Round 1: 12 sc in ring; sl st in starting sc. Don't pull magic circle too tight.
Round 2: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), 1 dc in each of next 2 dc] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 7.
NOTE: Binding off here makes an adorable little flake.
Round 3: Ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 3), 2 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, sk next dc, 2 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 5.
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 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, [ch 4, sk next sc, in next sc work (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc), ch 4, 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last 2 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next dc, [ch 5, sk next ch 4 sp, in next ch 2 sp work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc), ch 5, sk next ch 4 sp and next dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last 2 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next dc, [ch 6, sk next ch 5 sp, in next ch 3 sp work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc), ch 6, sk next ch 5 sp and next dc, 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc] 6 times, omitting last 2 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
Round 7: [Ch 8, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 5, sk next ch 6 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (sl st, ch 3, 2 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 3, 2 dc in 3rd ch from hook, sl st), ch 8, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 5, sk next ch 6 sp and next dc, in next dc work (sl st, chc 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, [ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook] 3 times, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, sl st)] 6 times; bind off. Weave in ends.
Finish: I've been stiffening my flakes with undiluted, full-strength water soluble school glue for quite a while now, and I've been squishing the glue onto and throughout each flake with my fingers (yucky mess!!!) instead of gingerly painting the flakes with glue. Yes, it's a mess. But it's faster. And stiffer.
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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