Snowflake Monday

I put up my sparkly pink tree (with white snowflakes) and my (artificial) lodgepole pine tree (with pink snowflakes) at work last week because it's October. I put my pink out every year, and every year, a few co-workers (usually new) initially respond with (legitimate) disdain...

"Christmas??? Already???"

No, it's not Christmas. But we are expecting our first snow this week!!!!!!!!!!


My pink is in honor of all my friends and relatives who have fought or who are fighting breast cancer in any form. It's in memory of all my friends (including one man) and relatives who have died of any form of breast cancer.

I do not profit off my pink, and I do not brush breast cancer discomfort under the table in a parade of pink ribbons. I'm carrying around five markers inside my body so the technicians during future mammograms can easily locate all my close calls and distinguish them from any new ones that may appear. Three more of my friends have reported their diagnoses to me this year. Sometimes I feel as if I am in pink quicksand.

I make pink snowflakes all year long to hopefully brighten the days of people I know who are going through chemo. I have to keep making more because I keep running out. I keep running out because a cure has not been found and because this horrible disease affects so many people. I've read that 110 women die of breast cancer every day.

For many years, my doctors recommended I get my "mammy" every six months instead of every year because breast cancer has occured in my family and because cancer has occured in my family. I'm one of the lucky ones; I am back down to annual exams now, although insurance paperwork (due to family history risk factors) pushes them to every 13 months now. (Family and lump history require me to go the extra mile, and it all has to be approved before I do it. Goes without a hitch every year, but it does take an additional three to four weeks to process every single year.) I used to get my mammy every October. Thanks to those paperwork mazes, my next October mammy probably won't be until around 2026.

I try to encourage every woman I know to schedule a mammy. You would be surprised how many women think they aren't old enough yet. October's pink is a great reminder to schedule a mammy.


So, kick me for being on the pink (or teal or silver or purple or blue/teal/pink or, heck, just about any hue of the entire rainbow) bandwagon if it floats your goat, but my motivation to support those who are suffering and those who are caring for those who suffer and champion those who are fighting for a cure will never change.


I will never stop fighting for a cure for multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, any form of cancer, and a host of other conditions that have claimed the lives of people I love. Finding causes is not enough. Getting tested is not enough. I want cures.

One of the (countless) ways I demonstrate my heartfelt ambition is going pink in October. So, hug someone going through chemo, schedule your mammy, then make a pink snowflake!

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

Ambitious Snowflake Instructions

SPECIAL STITCHES:

Popcorn Stitch (pc)

Work 5 dc in designated st, take loop off hook, insert hook through top loop of 1st dc and replace loop on hook, pull loop through top of 1st dc.

Make magic ring.

Round 1: [Pc in ring, ch 3] 6 times, omitting last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in top of starting pc to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: 1 sc over post of dc directly below, [ch 5, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 5 times; ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 sp of Round.

Round 3: 1 sc over post of tr directly below, [ch 7, 1 sc in next ch 5 sp] 5 times; ch 3, 1 dtr in starting sc to form 6th ch 7 sp of Round.

Round 4: 1 sc over post of dtr directly below, [ch 9, 1 sc in next ch 7 sp] 5 times; ch 4, 1 trtr in starting sc to form 6th ch 9 sp of Round.

Round 5: 5 sc over post of trtr directly below, [ch 3, 5 sc in next ch 9 sp, ch 5, 5 sc in same ch 5 sp] 5 times; ch 3, 5 sc in next ch 9 sp, ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 loop of Round.

Round 6: 1 sc over post of tr directly below, [ch 13, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in next ch 5 loop, ch 5, 1 sc in same loop] 5 times; ch 13, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in next ch 5 loop, ch 2, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 tip 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 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [7 hdc in next ch 13 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, 7 hdc in same ch 13 sp, 1 dc in next ch 5 tip, ch 5, 1 dc in same tip] 6 times, omitting last 3 ch and last dc of final repeat; 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 5 tip of Round.

Round 8: 1 sc over post of tr directly below, [ch 8, 1 dc in next ch 4 loop, ch 3, 1 dc in same loop, ch 8, 1 sc in next ch 5 tip, ch 5, 1 sc in same tip] 6 times, omitting last 3 ch and last sc of final repeat; 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th ch 5 tip of Round.

Round 9: 1 pc over post of tr directly below, [6 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, in next ch 3 sp work (3 dc, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook) 2 times, 6 dc in next ch 8 sp, in next ch 5 tip work (1 pc, ch 15, 1 sc in 13th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, 1 pc)] 6 times, omitting last pd of final repeat; sl st in top of starting pc; 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 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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