Snowflake Monday

Last week's pattern marked the first of four smiling snowflakes I churned out in about 2013 and then forgot about for approximately a dozen years. I'm trying to reverse engineer the old flakes (which, in case you wondered, were made with my own hand-dyed size 30 crochet thread and a size 12 crochet hook) now, each with (in my opinion) the best of the four faces I created back then. I think I was in "if at first you don't succeed" mode back then because the four smiling face snowflake centers are similar, but each shows a bit of improvement. Today's is the second of the batch. I plan to re-create the final two in the coming weeks. A month full of chilled smiles!

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: 6.5 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

Happy Thoughts Snowflake Instructions

Special Stitches: fdc (foundation double crochet)

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.

Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1 tr), 2 tr in same ch as sl st, ch 2, sk next dc, 2 tr in next dc, ch 2, sk next dc, 3 tr in next dc, 1 fdc in bottom of tr just worked, 1 dc in same fdc ch, [1 fdc, 1 dc in same fdc ch] 13 times, working last dc of final repeat by drawing up loop through 2nd and 3rd chains of starting ch 4 for first 2 tr yo (creating a linked tr/dc); sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4.

Round 3: 1 sc in each st around, increasing 3 times, with two of the increases in the eye spaces, for a total of 36 sc; sl st in starting sc.
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 6 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 5), sk next 2 sc, 1 sc in next sc] 11 times; ch 2, 1 tr in 1st ch of starting ch 6 to form 12th ch 5 sp of Round.

Round 5: Ch 4 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 3), in next ch 3 sp work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)*, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 1st ch of starting ch 4 to form 18th ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 6: Ch 6 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 5), 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)*, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 2st ch of starting ch 6 to form final ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 7: Ch 1 (counts as 1 sc), [in next ch 5 sp work (1 dc, ch 6, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, ch 2, 1 dc), 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, in next ch 3 tip work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc), ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 6 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; 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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