Caribou Floatie Monday

Nope. No snowflake today. Sorry. I needed something special to introduce my latest snowflake pattern PDF booklet, and besides, today's pattern makes one of the cutest 3D ornaments I've designed so far, in my opinion. (To go directly to instructions for obtaining the booklet, please refer to the pink text below.)

I spent nearly a month scrambling my brain like fresh eggs trying to come up with great idea for a cover for the 2015 snowflake PDF booklet to raise money for the Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I'd thought of a cute idea last year, but I couldn't remember it at all. Back to the drawing board.

During our flight home from our nephew's wedding in Oregon just before Thanksgiving, I finally thought of a really cute idea. Going back to work after a couple days off kept me from working on the new cover right away. When I finally got to sit down and begin designing, I discovered I had started a new cover last year when I came up with the assumed lost idea!!! I had TWO covers! Yippee! I'd be all set for next year, if I do another snowflake booklet for 2016!

A few hours later, a third title and cover idea that trumped everything simmering and everything I'd already done came to me in the middle of the night. Now I have THREE covers, which means I guess I have to come up with at least 60 more original snowflake ideas in the next two years so I can keep going and use all these awesome booklet covers!

The funny thing about the idea I used for the 2015 PDF booklet is it was right there in front of me all along, making a real "Duh!" moment when it hit me over the head like a polar blizzard in the high Rockies!


This amazing idea, however, has drawbacks. Welcome to my personal interpretation of Commercial Law 101.

Recreating snowflakes shown in a movie (or ad, logo or other visual media) in another form of art is considered derivative and is thereby legal in most cases. The snowflakes I've used as models are not individually copyrighted or trademarked, but sharing screenshots of the movie where the inspirations may be found is NOT legal. Period. Not even if I credit them.

The inspiration for 20 new patterns in my new PDF booklet comes from the highest grossing movie of all time, and that particular movie, of which I'm 100% sure you can guess without me even revealing the title, just happens to be from the company that has been known to act like a great white shark when it comes to copyright infringement and theft.

Fortunately, Disney has taken the high road with Frozen, perhaps acknowledging (finally) that artwork inspired by a financially successful movie generates more sales and income for the company in the long run, and so far Disney has not gone to great lengths to shut down any and all derivative work inspired by this profitable movie, as in it has in the past. Thank heavens! Whew!!!

Still, nothing wrong with being safe and making sure no production toes are stepped on, in my opinion.

As a result, my newest PDF booklet required more than just crocheting, writing down everything I did and then taking pictures of what I made. Hours of research and consultation were required to make sure I won't be sued or hit with a C&D letter (that's cease and desist, or immediately stop doing what you're doing, for those unfamiliar with the acronym) if I use this magnificent idea. I don't like it when people steal my patterns and photos, so I'm not about to inflict the same kind of injury upon anyone else, even vicious Great White Sharks. I also can't afford to fork out a licensing fee to use recognizable screenshots to illustrate from whence my ideas came.


However, it is legal to use "a few" thumbnails of non-copyrighted and non-trademarked items or characters from a film to illustrate inspirations. (For those who don't know, mouse ears are trademarked and have logo status, and violations are aggressively pursued.) "Few" in legal terminology has a subjective definition (which means the number changes; it could be three, it could be five, it could be whatever whimsy a judge in a courtroom determines). I don't want to push my luck, so I've included only four screenshots, from the introduction at the beginning, in the PDF booklet. One new pattern is inspired by the soundtrack, and I've included a photo of the CD label.

That means there are 15 more patterns I've recreated with thread hidden like Easter eggs throughout the movie, which means you get to try to find them!


My newest snowflake pattern PDF booklet features my True Love Snowflake and Elsa's Braid Snowflake, as well as 18 brand new snowflake patterns, a garland pattern and two ornament patterns, all of which will not be published on my blog.

To obtain a pdf copy of my most recent pdf booklet, please make a charitable contribution of at least $10 to your choice of The Davis Phinney Foundation (which has a goal of making life better for people who have Parkinson's), or The Michael J. Fox Foundation (which has a goal of finding a cure).

Each time a donation is made, I receive an email notifying me of the donation, and I email the pdf booklet as a token of my gratitude. I try to respond to each donation on the day they are made. However, please bear in mind I am not always able to check email 24 hours a day, especially during the work week. If you make a donation and don't hear from me within three days, it's possible I did not receive notification. In that case, please notify me at flake at snowcatcherphotos dot com.


My previous pdf booklets are available also. I will send all eight of the old booklets to anyone who makes a donation of $40 or more, which is the equivalent of $5 per booklet. If you would like fewer than the whole set, please make sure I know which pdf booklets you want.

All donations to the Davis Phinney Foundation and the Michael J. Fox Foundation are tax deductible.

You may do whatever you'd like with floaties you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 3 inches tall, 3.5 inches across
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in two colors (I used muted yellow and brown), size 8 crochet hook, optional 2 beads for eyes, optional embroidery thread for eyes, optional permanent marker for eyes, small amount of stuffing, optional sequin for air valve

Caribou Floatie Instructions

Lifesaver Tube

This pattern includes linked double crochet. If you are unfamiliar with linked double crochet, see a tutorial here.

With yellow, ch 20.

Round 1: Taking care not to twist ch, 1 sc in 1st ch and in each of next 3 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 3 ch, 1 ldc in each of next 10 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 3 ch. Do not join on this or any of the following Rounds.
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 each of next 4 sc, 1 hdc in each of next 3 hdc, 1 ldc in each of next 10 ldc, 1 hdc in each of next 3 hdc.

Repeat Round 2 for 7.5 inches on the outer edge or until tube forms a donut shape without kinking, working 5 sc instead of 4 every 3 Rounds. Sc in the Round migrates to the right. By extending the sc section by one stitch (without changing the number of stitches in the tube) every 3 rounds, donut shape should not twist. When piece measures 7.5 inches on the outer edge, bind off leaving a long tail. Stuff tube. Using tail, sew tube ends together, stuffing as needed to form smooth donut shape. Weave ends inside lifesaver shape.


Head

With brown, make magic ring.

Round 1: 6 sc in ring; do not join on this or any of the following Rounds. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around.

Round 3: * 1 sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times for a total of 18 sc. Draw up loop in next sc, join yellow and finish sc with yellow. Bind off brown.

Rounds 4-8: 1 sc in each sc around.
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: Beginning here, stuff head lightly as needed to make crochet easier.

Round 9: 1 sc in each sc around, decreasing 2 sc evenly spaced.

Round 10: To shape head, 1 sc in each of next 7 sc, 3 sc in each of next 2 sc, 1 sc in each of next 6 sc.

Round 11: 1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 1 ldc in each of next 6 sc, 1 hdc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 5 sc.

Round 12: 1 sc in each of next 6 sc, 1 sc in next hdc, 1 hdc in next dc, 1 ldc in each of next 4 dc, 1 hdc in next dc, 1 sc in next hdc, 1 sc in each of next 5 sc.

Round 13: 1 sc in each of next 5 sc, draw up loop in each of next 3 st, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook, 2 ldc in each of next 4 dc, draw up loop in each of next 3 st, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook. (Round does not truly end here, but for ease of counting, next st begins next Round.)

Round 14: 1 sc in each of next 9 sc, draw up loop in each of next 3 st, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook, 1 hdc in next st, 1 ldc in each of next 4 dc, 1 hdc in next st, draw up loop in each of next 3 st, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook.

Round 15: 1 sc in each of next 7 sc, draw up loop through each of next 2 st, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook, 1 hdc in next st, 1 ldc in each of next 4 dc, 1 hdc in next st, draw up loop through each of next 2 st, yo and draw up loop through all 3 loops on hook.

Round 16: 1 sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in each of next 2 sc, 1 sc in each of next 12 sc.

Rounds 17-19: 1 sc in each sc around.

Round-20: 1 sc in each sc around; bind off leaving long tail. With tail, sew head onto lifesaver tube. Weave end into tube when done.

Antlers (make 2)

With brown and leaving long tail, ch 12, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, ch 4, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch of ch 12, ch 3, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next ch, 1 sc in each of next 6 ch of ch 12. Bind off, leaving long tail.

Finish: Stiffen antlers in desired shape and using tail ends, attach one to each side of caribou head. Stuff thread ends into body. Attach wiggly eyes, buttons or beads for eyes, or, if for a small child, consider embroidering eyes or drawing eyes with permanent market. Caribou also looks fine without eyes. Attach optional sequin to lifesaver tube opposite of head as valve stem if desired. Attach hanging string or loop to inside of tube on same side as head to balance weight when hung.

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