Snowflake Monday

Today's snowflake is inspired by my crochet temperatature project motif, but it's the snowflake I was working on when I learned our Sister of the Snowflake Patty Foley had honorably concluded her brave five-year battle with cancer.

Patty was beloved by her community and was a master lace maker and teacher. I never met her in person; she won one of the contests I conducted many years ago, and she participated in our first (and so far only) Sisters of the Snowflake annual Make a Snowflake Day video conference call. I got to watch her working on a snowflake while we talked about our snowflake inspirations.

Patty made needle lace and could knit, crochet and tat. She sent me a pair of tatted snowflakes many moons ago when I disclosed I hoped to one day learn to tat. My grandmother was a tatter, and I inherited her shuttle. To this day, I still have not learned to use it.

I remember when Patty's work was featured in an international crochet project, the giant crochet sea urchins in Singapore. I remember how proud and excited she was! I was jealous because I'd never been asked to participate in anything like that. And yet, I was overflowing with admiration for Patty's work.

People like Patty are among the host of reasons I continue to keep trying to come up with new snowflake patterns every single week.

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 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

Special Stitches

Cluster Stitch (cl)

Yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook, [yo, draw up loop, yo, draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times, yo, draw through all 4 loops on hook.

Mini Snowflake for Patty Instructions

(because with a few small changes, it makes such a cute one-round snowflake)

Make magic ring.

Round 1: [1 cl in ring, ch 12, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 7, 1 sc in 7th ch from hook, ch 9, 1 sc in 9th ch from hook, ch 7, 1 sc in 7th ch from hook, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, 1 dc in in next main spoke ch (below all 5 sc) and in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 1] 6 times; sl st in top of starting cl; bind off; weave in ends. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

A Snowflake for Patty Instructions

Round 1: [1 cl in ring, ch 13, 1 dc in 7th ch from hook and in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 1] 5 times; 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting cl, 1 fsc, 2 fhdc, 2 fdc, ch 3, 1 tr in bottom of last fdc to form 6th ch 5 tip of Round; OR, if foundation crochet is too difficult, work repeat 6 times; sl st in top of starting cl; bind off; weave in ends. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat. Begin next Round on any point with 1 dc instead of ch 2.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc over post of tr directly below, [ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, dc in next ch (pointy picot made), in next ch 6 tip work (5 dc, ch 3, 5 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 5 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.
NOTE: Binding off here makes a cute little snowflake with point-pinning options... innies and outies! Ha ha!

Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 1), 1 dc in same ch 3 tip, [ch 1, 1 dc in next dc, sk next dc] 2 times, ch 1, 1 dc in next dc, sk next pointy picot, [ch 1, 1 dc in next dc, sk next dc] 3 times, in next ch 3 tip work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc, * ch 3, 1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc)] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 3 to form 6th ch 3 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 4: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of dc directly below, [2 dc in each of next 9 ch 1 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc)] 6 tines, omitting last 2 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of staring ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 sp of Round.
Binding off here makes a cute flake.

Round 5: 1 sc over post of dc directly below, [ch 12, sk next 10 sc, 1 sc tightly between 2/sc groups, sk next 2 sc, 1 sc tightly between 2/sc groups, sk next 10 sc, in next ch 3 tip work (1 sc, ch 5, 1 sc)] 6 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.
There are two different ways to pin this snowflake; three if you count forgetting to pin the heart points on the 2nd Round inward. (I had to restiffen to correct my mistake.)

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.

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