Snowflake Monday

I did NOT want to write the pattern for this one! I know it's going to be challenging, and heaven only knows if I can write it in a manner in which it's understood. But it's March, it's rainbow season, I love my hand-dyed threads, and I've always wondered if I could achieve a 3D look just from color changes. I'm still not sure how 3D it actually looks, but I do love the final flake.

This one was inspired by my thread colors and my desire to create a 3D appearance, as well as by another of my own snowflake photos. I wasn't able to achieve the hexagon shape in the rainbow to match the inside of the snowflake, but I still love the snowflake.

The snowflake name, of course, comes from the little rainbow bear I crocheted back in 2009 and used for all my birthday greetings for a full year a decade later. I still just love this little bear!!!

Okay, I began writing this pattern at 7 a.m., and it's now 10:33 p.m. I think this is the longest it's taken me to write a single snowflake pattern. (There were lots of other daytime chores embedded in the day, but it still doesn't typically take me so many hours to write one snowflake pattern.) I hope you can understand the instructions; in retrospect, this flake is worth all the brainache. It is really growing on me! You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes (or mandalas) you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Finished Size: 5.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in 2, 7 or 13 colors, 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:

fp = front post

septr = septuple treble

Snowbow Snowflake Instructions

NOTE: I created the mandala background (which can stand alone as a mandala if desired) with 12 hues of hand-dyed thread in pastel rainbow colors, two colors for each of the first six Rounds, beginning with pink and ending with purple. I alternated dark and light shades of the same color every stitch on the first Round and after every increase on the next five Rounds. I alternated the colors on each Round six times, carrying the unused color across the back of my work as I went. The mandala background may also be done in 6 colors or in just one color.

With color 1, make magic ring. (I used pink.)

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. If using a new color for each Round, bind off and weave in ends on each of first 6 Rounds.

Round 2: (I used orange.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, 2 dc in each dc around for a total of 24 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 3: (I used yellow.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 36 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 4: (I used green.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 48 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 5: (I used blue.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 60 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 6: (I used purple.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 72 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 7: (I used white for this Round and each of the next 2 Rounds.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 84 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 8: 1 sc in each of next 7 dc, 1 fpseptr (septr means yo 8 times) around Round 1 ch 2 that counts as dc, [1 sc in each of next 14 dc, sk next Round 1 dc, 1 fpseptr around next Round 1 dc] 11 times; 1 sc in each of next 7 dc; sl st in starting sc.

Round 9: [1 sc in next sc, 1 fp dc around Round 7 dc just to the left of Round 7 dc below next Round 8 sc, 1 sc in next sc, sk next Round 7 dc, 1 fp tr around next Round 7 dc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 tr in next sc, 1 dtr in next sc, ch 3, 1 fptr around next fpseptr, ch 3, 1 dtr in next sc, 1 tr in next sc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 fptr around Round 7 dc just to the right of Round 7 dc directly below current Round 8 sc, 1 sc in next sc, 1 fpdc around Round 7 dc just to the right of Round 7 dc directly below current Round 8 sc, 1 sc in next sc, 1 fptr in gap between middle 2 Round 4 dc directly below] 12 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: I've been stiffening my flakes with undiluted, full-strength water soluble school glue for quite a while now, and I've been squishing the glue onto and throughout each flake with my fingers (yucky mess!!!) instead of gingerly painting the flakes with glue. Yes, it's a mess. But it's faster. And stiffer.

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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