Snowflake Monday

We recently took our first and second bicycle rides up the Breckenridge side of Boreas Pass. We'd been up the Como side countless times (seeing quite a few moose, deer and elk along the way). Most of the autumn leaves throughout the high country had dropped for these most recent trips, but we found one little stand of about 8 aspen trees still ablaze. Plus, the views were phenomenal! (Photos tomorrow!)

Today's patterns were inspired by our Boreas adventure, golden and orange aspen leaves, last week's trick-or-treat holiday and a snowflake I made long, long ago in a galaxy far away.




You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes and/or dishes you make from these patterns, but you may not sell or republish the patterns. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: Snowflake, 4.5 inches from point to point; dish, 3 inches across and 1.75 inches tall
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


Boreas Pass 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.

Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), * 1 dc in next dc, ch 2; repeat from * around 10 times; sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 4.

Round 3: Sl st into next ch 2 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same sp, 3 dc in each ch 2 sp around for a total of 36 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 4: Ch 4 (NOT A TYPO) (counts as 1 tall dc and ch 1), 1 dc over sl st just made, between starting ch 2 of Round 3 and last dc of Round 3, * ch 1, 1 dc in middle dc of next 3/dc group, ch 1, 1 dc in gap between next 2 3/dc groups, ch 1, 1 dc in middle dc of next 3/dc group, ch 1, 1 dc in gap between next 2 3/dc groups, ch 1, 1 dc in same gap (V-stitch made); repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last V-stitch of final repeat for a total of 30 dc; 1 sc in 3rd ch of starting ch 4 to form final ch 1 sp of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of joining sc directly below; 2 dc in each ch 1 sp around for a total of 60 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 3 dc in next dc, * ch 5, sk next 4 dc, 1 dc in each of next 5 dc, 3 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 5, sk next 4 dc, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.
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 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same st, 1 dc in each of each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next dc, * ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 8: 1 sc in same ch as sl st, * 1 dc in next dc, ch 2, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same st, 1 dc in each of next 8 dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 2, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same st, 1 sc in next dc, ch 2, 1 sc over next sc and ch 5 sp (drop sc made), ch 2, 1 sc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last ch 2 and last sc of final repeat; ch 4, sk next picot and next dc, 1 sc in next dc (counts of 1st st of next Round).

Round 9: * 1 dc in next dc, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same dc, 1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 2, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 4, sk over next picot, 1 sc in next drop sc, ch 4, sk over next picot and next dc, 1 sc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 sc and last ch 4 of final repeat; 1 dc in next sc (sc joint between leaf motifs) (last dc counts as 1st st of next Round).

Round 10: * Ch 7, sk over next picot and next dc, 1 sc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 5, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch (picot tip made), 2 dc in next dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 7, sk over next picot and next ch 4, 1 dc in next sc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in joint dc between leaves; bind off. Weave in ends. Make sure all picots are in front of chains.


Boreas Pass Dish 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.

Round 2: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dc and ch 2), * 1 dc in next dc, ch 2; repeat from * around 10 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 4.

Round 3: Sl st into next ch 2 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same ch 2 sp, 3 dc in each ch 2 sp around for a total of 36 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 4: Ch 4 (NOT A TYPO) (counts as 1 tall dc and ch 1), 1 dc over sl st, between starting ch 2 of Round 3 and last dc of Round 3, * ch 1, 1 dc in middle dc of next 3/dc group, ch 1, 1 dc in gap between next 2 3/dc groups, ch 1, 1 dc in middle dc of next 3/dc group, ch 1, 1 dc in gap between next 2 3/dc groups, ch 1, 1 dc in same gap (V-stitch made); repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last V-stitch of final repeat for a total of 30 dc; 1 sc in 3rd ch of starting ch 4 to form final ch 1 sp of Round.
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 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over joining sc directly below; 2 dc in each ch 1 sp around for a total of 60 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 7 dc, * ch 3, sk next 2 dc, 1 dc in each of next 8 dc; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 3, sk next 2 dc, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 7: To form bowl sides, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), working around Round 5 dc posts from behind, 1 dc around post of each of next 7 dc, * ch 2, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, 1 dc in each of next 8 dc; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 2, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 8: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same st, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next dc, * ch 2, 1 sc in next sc, ch 2, 3 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 4 times, ch 2, 1 sc in next sc, ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 9: Ch 1, * 1 hdc in next dc, ch 3, sl st in top of hdc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same dc as hdc, 1 sc in next dc, 3 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 3 dc in next dc, 1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 2, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 hdc in next dc, 1 sc in same dc, ch 2, 1 sc in next sc, ch 2, 1 sc in next dc; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc in final repeat; sk over next picot; do not join.

Round 10: * 1 sc in next hdc, ch 1, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same dc as dc just made, ch 1, 1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 1 sc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 1 dc in same dc as dc just made, 1 sc in next dc, ch 3, 1 sc in next sc, ch 3, sk over next picot, 1 sc in next sc, ch 3; repeat from * around 5 times; do not join.

Round 11: Sk over next picot, 1 sc in next sc, ch 3, * sk over next picot, 1 sc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made), 2 dc in next dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 3, sk over next picot and ch 3 sp, 1 dc in next sc, ch 3; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends. Make sure all picot points are in front of chains.


Finish: I tried something totally different in stiffening my first dish. I stiffened it with cedar-scented Epsom salts (half cup of salts in a glass bowl with water hot enough to dissolve crystals, wait for water to cool enough to not burn hands, add 5 drops cedar or other wood-scented essential oil, then thoroughly immerse crochet bowl in salts and squish around to make sure it's completely saturated) and a drinking glass big enough to shape the bowl. The Epsom salts harden very quickly when they get cold, so I set the glass outside for a while when it was very cool out. The Epsom salts mute the thread color and thicken the thread so lace isn't quite as lacy on regular snowflakes, but for this dish, I love the effect. It made the leaves look frosty.

I then washed the crocheted dish in the washing machine on a gentle cycle with my regular laundry. Most of the Epsom salts washed out, but the tips of the leaves remained stiffened and frosty-looking. Cool, eh?

For regular stiffening, follow the same instructions below for snowflakes, but use a drinking glass instead of the cardboard box for shaping. The glass may be washed as normal after the stiffening process is complete and used again as a drinking glass if you use liquid starch or water-soluble glue.


TIP: I curled my leaf tips upward and outward with my fingertip after immersing my projects in stiffener or painting my projects with stiffener to give them a more realistic appearance.

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 the 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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