Snowflake Monday

I didn't plan to revisualize my Part I Snowflake when I finally got around to adding rounds to complete my interpretation of an IA image, but I was curious how taller stitches might look. While I do LOVE today's snowflake, I wasn't able to work the heart shapes as in the AI inspiration. Oh, well; Valentine's Day is now history, right?

I'm willing to go back to the drawing board (or crochet board...) in another future attempt to bring this AI image to crochet life. Not sure when, but I do want to try to get those heart shapes right!

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: 8.25 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

Part II Snowflake Instructions

Ch 48. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: Ch 6 (counts as 1 tr and ch 3), 1 tr in same ch as sl st, ch 1, [[sk next ch, yo 2 times and draw up loop in next ch, [yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 2 times,] 3 times, yo and draw through all 4 loops in hook (tr dec made), ch 1, sk next ch, in next ch work [(1 tr, ch 3] 3 times], 1 tr)] 6 times, omitting last 2 tr and last 2 ch 3 on final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc into 3rd ch of starting ch 6 to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round (and 18th ch 3 sp of Round).

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), 1 dc in same ch 3 sp, [ch 3, 1 fpsc around next tr dec, ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, 1 fpsc around same tr dec, ch 3, sk next ch 3 sp, in next ch 3 tip (middle V-st) work (1 dc, ch 1, 1 dc, * ch 6, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, [ch 1, 1 dc] 2 times] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 3, 2 fsc for form 6th picot tip of Round.
NOTE: Binding off here makes a cute variation of the Part I Snowflake.

Round 3: [Ch 16, sl st in next picot tip] 6 times.
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 10 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 8), 1 sc in middle of next ch 16 sp, ch 8, 1 dc in next picot tip] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 10.

Round 5: [1 sc in each of next 8 ch, 3 sc in next sc, 1 sc in each of next 8 ch, sk next dc] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 6: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same sc as sl st, [ch 16, sk next 18 sc, in next sc work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 2 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.

Round 7: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc in same ch 3 sp, [ch 8, 1 sc over Round 6 ch 16 sp into next Round 5 middle sc of 3/sc group (skipping over 8 sc on Round 5), ch 8, in next ch 3 tip work (5 dc, ch 7, sl st in 4th ch from hook and into next ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, 5 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 5 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; 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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Friday Funny

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I Heart Crochet

(affiliate links to my designs)

The purple hearts are done!

Purple, green, blue and pink hearts combine for a giant layered and super colorful heart.

Far more avocado hearts are done than I've photographed (a total of 26 so far), but I've still got three more hanks of thread sitting in avocado pit and avocado skin dye in the living room window. At least three more avocado hearts to come!

Lots of heartflakes have been completed and gifted.

I never get tired of heartflakes.

Pink stretched hearts were an experiment I liked so much, I couldn't stop.

Now I'm tempted to go back and make MORE stretched hearts from all my different shades of solar-dyed hues!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Not So Intelligent

Anyone who has followed me for the last couple of years or so knows I often use AI now to illustrate some of my blog posts because, as a full-time caregiver, I just don't get to go out and photograph the world anymore. I miss the photograpahy and exploration like crazy. I still get out when I can. But, unfortunately, sometimes I can't find a real photo in my extensive collection to properly illustrate something I'm writing about. (And I still do NOT use AI to generate my prose. I write every single post that has ever been published here on Snowcatcher, and I don't plan to ever incorporate AI-generated text.)

I also follow a few social media sites that post nothing but AI crochet. It annoys me because so many people who follow such sites have no clue the content is not real, and many are scammed on a daily basis. I enjoy the AI crochet inspiration; I often can create something similar to any AI crochet I see. But I would never, ever, try to pass off an AI image as real. It really irks me that other content producers have no such scruples.

The above video is one of the best I've seen to date (and I've viewed MANY), and I am anxious to share it with you here to help you begin to see the difference between AI and real and to let you know you are not alone if you've been duped. To help you build confidence if you've been duped and feel like you've failed because the AI-generated instructions make no sense and/or you cannot make your work look like what the picture shows.

Crochet is supposed to be fun, relaxing, inspiring, healing and validating. It can be that if content creators quit investing in get-rich-quick schemes. We know that's not going to happen. So let's do what we can on our part and not fall for the hogwash. Enjoy viewing it. Be inspired. But please don't buy into fake crochet.

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Snowframe Monday

My brother served his two-year mission in Milano. :) I wrote to him regularly on onion skin paper because it was less expensive to mail than regular paper. There was no such thing as email, texting or international phone calls back then (because long distance phone calls back then were charged by the minute, and no one could afford calling another country). The mail we did send to each other took three months. He thought we had forgotten about him for the first three months! And when he got home, the first thing he wanted was Taco Bell, then peanut butter!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowframes 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, size 7 crochet hook, optional 6 beads, optional 6 heart (or desired) motifs, 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

Armonia Snowframe Instructions

Chain 84. Taking care not to twist work, sl st in starting ch.

Round 1: [1 sc in next ch and in next ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, in next ch work (2 dc, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, 1 hdc in each of next 2 ch, 1 sc in each of next 2 ch, ch 12, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, 3 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, ch 6, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, ch 4, * sl st in 2nd ch from hook, working back down spoke, sk next 2 ch and next picot, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, ch 2, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sl st in same ch as previous dc, sl st in each of next 2 ch, ch 9, 1 dc in 4th ch from hook, [yo and draw up loop through next ch, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 3 times, yo and draw through all 4 loops on hook (hdc dec made), 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, sl st in next 4 spoke ch, ch 1, sk next ch] 6 times; sl st in starting sc. 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.

NOTE: If desired, string 6 beads onto thread before beginning snowframe and pull one bead onto work at top picot (*) on each spoke.

NOTE: Or, if desired, attach heart motif or desired motif at top of each spoke (*) via sl st.

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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Friday Fascination

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