When Dharma Trading Company announced late last year a shortage of turquoise and cerulean pigment, the urge to dye grew strong within me.
Turquoise, along with primary hues lemon yellow and fuchsia red, were the first professional dyes I ever bought, and for many dyeing sessions, I mixed all my own colors from these three dyes. Cerulean was in the third or fourth shipment I ordered from Dharma a few years later.
I've dyed a ton of turquoise. It's one of my favorite colors, so I use it quite often in everything I create.
Cerulean looked pretty on the Dharma dyes color samples webpage, and I've enjoyed the yarn and fabric I've dyed with it, but it wasn't a shade I used often. Mostly because I like to mix my own colors.
I had last used cerulean back in 2013 and 2014 while creating my Winter Dreams afghan, and yes, the pattern is still available in my Knot Just for Christmas pdf snowflake pattern booklet via charitable donation, but now to the Michael J. Fox Foundation or the Davis Phinney Foundation. (If you would like a specific booklet when you make a donation, please let me know so I can send the proper booklet.)
Hearing the color cerulean may soon be extinct, I decided it was time to dye more cerulean. I mixed up one empty little repurposed ice cream jar with just a tiny bit of cerulean powder, then added in a hand-wound 100-yard hank of size 10 crochet thread. I put this jar in the living room window to solar dye – yes, in winter! So not much heat, and plenty of cool conducted through the pane in the evenings.
After a week of percolating, I removed and washed that first hank, then dipped another in the same jar. After a week, I did one more, and then I did a final dip two weeks ago.
That pastel from the fourth dip came out so darned awesome, I think I want to do this again with the other five colors of the rainbow! I want to make a super pastel rainbow mandala now!!!
But for now, I have these terrific gradients of cerulean, and although today's pattern is not exactly what I had in my mind when I started crocheting, the pattern has actually grown on me now, and I think I love it!
I wanted the snowflake to show the gradients of the thread, and I wasn't sure the shades would stand out with all those layers of stitches hogging up all the visual attention. But, it's the first design with my new thread, and my co-workers LOVE this snowflake, so I decided to try to write the pattern in legible and understandable format. It was not an easy process, and the pattern has not been tested. Sorry. Didn't have time.
Reading the history of blue pigments is so fascinating. I love all colors (well, except yellow on snow...), although I'll be the first to confess blue, particularly turquoise and electric, is my favorite.
Cerulean is thought to be somewhat equal to the color of the clear blue sky. Not sure I completely agree, but each is entitled to their own interpretation.
Other than the blue of a clear sky, primitive cultures did not have a word for the color blue until lapis lazuli was discovered in the area now known as Afghanistan in about 4,000 BC.
The pigment called cerulean was discovered in the late 18th century and given its name in the 19th century. The word cerulean as a color name was first used in 1590.
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: 5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread (I used 5 colors, but feel free to use as few or many colors as desired), 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
Cerulean Snowflake Instructions
With Color 1, make magic ring.
Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 11 dc in ring. Pull magic circle tight.
Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, [sk 1 dc, 2 dc in next dc, ch 3, 2 dc in same dc] 5 times; 2 dc in same st as starting dc; ch 3, bind off. Weave in ends.
Round 3: With Color 2, [2 dc in any ch 3 tip (or next ch 3 tip on repeats), 1 fptr around post of next skipped Round 1 dc directly below, 1 dc in gap betweeen 2/dc groups, 1 fptr around same skipped dc, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3] 6 times; sl st in top of starting dc; bind off. Weave in ends.
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: With Color 3, [2 dc in any ch 3 tip (or next ch 3 tipon repeats), 1 fptr around 2nd dc of next 2nd Round 2/dc group directly below, 1 dc in next gap between Round 3 2/dc group and Round 2 fpdc, 1 fptr around Round 3 dc in gap, 1 dc in next gap between Round 3 fptr and 2/dc group, 1 fptr around 1st dc of next Round 2/dc group, 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3] 6 times; sl st in top of starting dc; bind off. Weave in ends.
Round 5: With Color 4, [2 dc in any ch 3 tip (or next ch 3 tip on repeats), 1 fptr around 2nd dc of next 3rd Round 2/dc group directly below, 1 fpdc around next Round 4 fptr, 1 dc in gap between Round 4 fptr and next Round 4 dc, 1 fpdc around next fptr, 1 dc in gap between next Round 4 dc and Round 4 fptr, 1 fpdc around Round 4 fptr, 1 fptr around 1st dc of next 3rd Round 2/dc group; 2 dc in next ch 3 tip, ch 3] 6 times; sl st in top of starting dc; bind off. Weave in ends.
Round 6: With Color 5, [1 dc in any ch 3 tip (or next ch 3 tip on repeats), 1 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp, 1 fptr around 2nd dc of next 3rd Round 2/dc group directly below, and now comes the fun part...
yo and draw up loop from around 1st Round 5 dc of next 2 dc group, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook (1st step of fpdc made),
yo 2 times and draw up loop from around 1st Round 4 dc of next 2 dc group, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (1st step of fptr made),
yo 3 times and draw up loop from around 1st Round 3 dc of next 2 dc group, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times (1st step of fpdtr made),
yo 4 times and draw up loop from around 1st Round 2 dc of next 2 dc group, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 4 times (1st step of fptrtr made),
yo and draw through all all 5 loops on hook (left side mega fp cluster st made),
2 dc in gap between next Round 5 2/dc group and Round 5 fptr, sk next Round 5 fptr, 1 fpdc around next Round 5 fpdc, sk next Round 5 dc, 1 fpdc around next Round 4 fptr, sk next Round 5 dc, 1 fpdc around next Round 5 fpdc, sk next Round 5 fptr, 2 dc in gap between next (skipped) fptr and next Round 5 2/dc group, and repeat mega fp cluster st for right side as follows...
yo 4 times and draw up loop from around 2nd Round 2 dc of next 2 dc group, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 4 times (1st step of fptrtr made),
yo 3 times and draw up loop from around 2nd Round 3 dc of next 2 dc group, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times (1st step of fpdtr made),
yo 2 times and draw up loop from around 2nd Round 4 dc of next 2 dc group, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times (1st step of fptr made),
yo and draw up loop from around 2nd Round 5 dc of next 2 dc group, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook (1st step of fpdc made),
yo and draw through all all 5 loops on hook right side mega fp cluster st made),
in next ch 3 tip work (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook)] 6 times; 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 snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
You'll never let colors vanish as you dye away. cerulean is also the name of a town in Pokemon lol
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Pat! I guess that shows how much I know about Pokemon!
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