Snowflake Monday

We had planned to try riding our bikes again last Monday, but it was cold and rainy. (No complaints!!!) (And no snow yet, so my tomatoes are still growing!!!) Lizard fell asleep, which happens often these days because Parkinson's leaves him so exhausted just about all the time. I had to do something quietly, so I finally got busy on Halloween snowflakes for grands! I actually have enough now for gifts that must be mailed. Yay!!! They should arrive in time!!!

I played crochet thread chicken with the final Triple Shot VII snowflake, and I WON!!! Now I have to wind another two- to three-inch ball of white crochet thread from my heavy, mass-produced jumbo 2,730-yard ball. (Which actually is getting smaller by the month as I continually wind off more.) I was looking up the yardage on Amazon because I'd long ago recycled the wrapper. How amazing!!! I can now get a subscription of jumbo Red Heart or Cleo thread. Does Amazon have me pegged or what?!? :) (You really have to watch online crochet thread listings. Twice I've ordered jumbo size that included photos of 2,730 yards without noticing the description of 1,000 yards, which is nearly a third the yardage. HUGE rip-off!!! Sometimes, when an online crochet thread price seems too good to be true, it's because the amount of thread is far less than what you think you are ordering or expect to be receiving.)

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: 4 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, optional second color (or any number of colors desired), googly eyes or other means of making eyes, 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

Triple Shot VII Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

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.

Round 2: 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: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc] 12 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Bind off if making flake in more than one color. 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: If using same color, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next dc. If using new color, 1 dc in any dc. 1 dc in next dc, [ch 2, sk 1 dc, 1 dc in each of next 2 dc] 11 times; ch 1, 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 12th ch 2 sp of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of hdc directly below, [ch 2, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp, ch 2, in next ch 2 sp work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 12 times, omitting last 3 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 6: 2 sc over post of hdc directly below, [1 sc in each of next 3 dc, 2 sc in each of next 2 ch 2 sp, 1 sc in each of next 3 dc, in next ch 3 tip work (2 sc, ch 3, 2 sc)] 6 times, omitting last 2 sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Triple Shot VII Snowflake Variation Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), [1 dc in ring, ch 1] 5 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same sp, [ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 sp] 5 times; 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 1 sp of Round.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of hdc directly below, [6 dc in next gap between 3/dc groups] 5 times; 3 dc in next ch 1 sp; 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: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in same ch as sl st, [ch 2, 2 dc in next gap between 6/dc groups, ch 2, 2 dc in middle of next 6/dc group] 5 times; ch 2, 2 dc in next gap between 6 dc groups, ch 1, 1 hdc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 12th ch 2 sp of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of hdc directly below, [ch 2, 1 sc in next ch 2 sp, ch 2, in next ch 2 sp work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 12 times, omitting last 3 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 6: 2 sc over post of hdc directly below, [1 sc in each of next 3 dc, 2 sc in each of next 2 ch 2 sp, 1 sc in each of next 3 dc, in next ch 3 tip work (2 sc, ch 3, 2 sc)] 6 times, omitting last 2 sc of final repeat; 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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Snowflake Monday

I realized at the beginning of October that if I made one Halloween snowflake every day, I would be able to deliver my grands' treats early. Here we are, nearly halfway through the month now, and I'm still not halfway done!!! I'd better get busy!!!

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: 4 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, optional second color (or any number of colors desired), googly eyes or other means of making eyes, 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

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.

Triple Shot VI Snowflake Instructions

With center disc color, make magic ring.

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.

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

Round 2: 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.

Optional Round 2: Ch 2, [ in next ch 2 sp work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 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 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc] 12 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Bind off if making flake in more than one color. 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.

Optional Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, 5 dc in each of next 5 ch 3 tips; 2 dc in next ch 3 tip; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 4: If using same color, ch 5 as 1st dc and first ch 3. If using new color, 1 dc in any dc, ch 3. [sk next 2 dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, sk next 2 dc, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc), ch 3] 5 times; sk next 2 dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 3, sk next 2 dc, 1 dc in next ed, ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Optional Round 4: If using same color, ch 5 as 1st dc and first ch 3. If using new color, 1 dc in middle dc of any 5/dc group, ch 3. [sk next 2 dc, sl st in next gap between 5/dc groups, ch 3, sk next 2 dc, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 8, 1 dc in 6th ch from hook, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch, ch 5, sl st in same ch, ch 2, * 1 dc), ch 3] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; sl st in starting dc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Round 5: Ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 3, sk next ch 3 sp, sl st in next dc, ch 3, sk next ch 3 sp, in next dc work (1 dc, ch 8, 1 dc in 6th ch from hook, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch, ch 5, sl st in same ch, ch 2, 1 dc)] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 5; 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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Snowflake Monday

Not only is it Pinktober, but I just learned my sister is going through a second round of chemo. I hope my granddaughters enjoy pink Halloween snowflakes as much as the more typical Halloween colors.

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, optional second color (or any number of colors desired), googly eyes or other means of making eyes, 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
NOTE: I did not glitter these flakes.

Triple Shot V Snowflake Instructions

With center disc color, make magic ring.

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.

Round 2: 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.

Optional Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc and ch 1), [sk next dc, 1 dc in next dc, ch 1] 11 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), [2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc] 12 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Bind off if making flake in more than one color. 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.

Optional Round 3: Sl st into next ch 3 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in same ch 1 sp, 3 dc in each of next 11 ch 1 sp; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 4: If using same color, ch 2 as 1st dc, 1 dc in same ch as sl st. If using new color, 2 dc in any dc. [ch 1, sk next dc, 1 sc in each of next 2 dc, ch 1, sk next dc, in next dc work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 2 dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 tip of Round.

Round 5: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc directly below, [ch 5, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (picot made), ch 3, in next ch 3 point work (3 dc, ch 7, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each of next 2 ch, ch 4, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook and in next ch, 1 dc in top of next dc, sl st in next ch of ch 7, (heart picot made) ch 1, 3 dc)] 6 times, omitting last 3 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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Pinktober

(affiliate links to my designs)

One of my little neighbors has a new baby sister. I knew she was coming; I saw mama walking in the neighborhood a couple of months ago, and it was pretty obvious. But I didn't know it would be this soon. Time to get quilting yet again. Late, as usual, these days!

Big sister got a quilt from one of my digital Spoonflower panels, and her mother absolutely loved it. She always compliments my garden when she walks by. I thought it would be fitting for baby sister to receive a quilt from one of my own floral cheater panel designs.

Except I didn't have any pink or floral cheater panels left in my Spoonflower stash!!! How could that possibly be?!? Especially in October!

I did find some butterfly fabric of my own design, but I'm planning to make a dress for me from that.

I know, I know, last thing I need is yet one more new quilt project. But I couldn't resist. I created a new panel, and I'm hoping to have it in hand one day next week so I can begin sewing. I think this one will be SO much fun!

On my phone, I had created a really fun cosmos collage with flowers in my garden the second (I think) year of the pandemic. I thought I'd created a cheater quilt panel from that image, but I guess not. The original image was too small, and I had not played with the idea to create a proper-size image. I certainly meant to. I guess this is just another case of proving how tangled life got during the last few years.

All it took was the motivation of finding out the new little one has arrived. I have so many other things I need to do, including mending a coat for a very elderly neighbor who will need the coat before the weather cools off, assuming it might one day...

Yes, I made a card, too. How could I not???

I probably could have finished the coat in the time it took me to design a new Spoonflower cheater panel for the new baby quilt, but one more day on the coat won't matter, right?!? I promise, that's my next project!!!

In the meantime, I created a few more pink floral Spoonflower panels, and I ordered a few of them, too. Now I'll be ready next time I need to quilt pink!

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Pinkless

I was so confident on October 7 that we'd experienced our final 85+ temperature of the year, I took the pinks out of my crochet temperature project bag. This was a pretty big deal because we were about to travel to my mother-in-law's house for a week, and I wouldn't have my pinks if I needed them.

I decided to take a chance because I also needed my vacation time to finish my annual Halloween snowflakes for the grands. I'd already gotten quite a few days behind on my crochet temperature project, thanks to a pinched nerve in my back, and I'd caught up. (Thank goodness!!!) I would be gone nearly as many days as I was unable to sit when I was in pain, so I knew I could catch up if I got behind again because I took no pink thread.

Thankfully (because I am no fan of hot weather), I didn't need pink while I was gone! And, I got to reintroduce some of my favorite spring colors!!!

They say it's not "Indian summer" unless you've had a freeze. We'd had a great streak of cooler highs but not freezing nights before we left town, which made me think we were done with summer. Temperatures were unseasonably warm at the beginning of October, and that dreaded dark pink (only because I don't like hot weather) in my crochet temperature project made three more appearances when, in my mind, it should have been packed away until next year. UGH!

While we were gone, the little foothills village where I live had its first freeze (and first hard freeze) of the season!!! The sudden cold did in all my (pleasingly pink) cosmos that was remarkably rampant in many places I did not plant (but treasured!) and all my pepper plants and tomato plants. (I'd harvested all veggies and put them in the window to ripen before we left, and they were perfect when we returned home!)

Now, I thought, we finally were done with summer! Gonna miss my veggies and flowers, but not gonna miss the 80s and 90s one bit!

Then, darn it, back came those blasted 80s! Very thankful to still not be using pink in the crochet temperature project, but I had to pull out the maroon again (80-84 degrees) several times. Luckily, I didn't need it until the day we got back home, because I'd left it at home. Very fortunately, we missed the expected high of 85 one day last week by just one degree! (85 degrees and up are all pink.)

Quite thankfully, because I don't like high temperatures, not because I still have so much pink in my hand-dyed stash, I never used two of the pinks in my 2023 temperature chart.

One of my goals with this crochet temperature project was to use up some of my hand-dyed crochet thread because there's just so much of it. I love to dye, but I can't use up the stuff I dye fast enough. I've been mostly good about keeping the new year's resolution I made pre-pandemic to not dye anymore until I use up what I have.

As I run out of crochet temperature project colors, I've been diving into the stash to get as close as I can to the color that ran out. I had to dye purples earlier this year because I used up ALL my medium to dark purples. That made me look a little more closely at the original goal to use up as much hand-dyed thread as I could because the colors I'm running out of are colors I love using.

Now I'm about to run out of my pale sage, which I probably will need to finish out the year. (Shoot, I'm going to need more of it this week, for both highs and lows!!!) I have no other shades of sage or anything even remotely close at all left in my stash. And I love the hue. So I'm dyeing more, and I'm hoping to get a gradient collection of at least three shades. I'd be happy with four if I can get them!

I try to reuse each dye until there is no pigment left.

And now, thanks to our true and often predictable Indian summer (getting hot again after a freeze), I'm about out of my only maroon, too.

Maroon isn't really a shade I adore or even use as much when I'm crocheting, but it's SO hard to achieve. When I do use it, it's typically for patriotic, Christmas or Valentine's projects. All three of which are coming up! So I guess I need to try my hand at dark maroon again, too. Darn it! Did not plan that aspect of my temperature quilt out well at all. Not once did I fret at the beginning of the year at the prospect of running out of any of the colors I'd selected.

A long-term goal (not started yet) close to my heart for decades is to create thread crochet tapestries of some of my favorite photos. Can't very well do that if I've used up all my hand-dyed thread.

My crochet temperature project has been teaching me so many lessons. I'm making a list of things I've learned for an end-of-project wrap-up. I've learned so much about snowflake surgery (thanks to booboos I discovered too late and could not live with), crochet techniques such as joining, thread end-burying and difficult stitch mastery. I am really thankful I took on this project, even though there were times when the pinched nerve in my back made me wish I didn't have make a motif every single day (and catch up when I got so far behind).

Earlier in the year, I'd actually considered trying to use up my hand-dyed blue crochet thread in an all-blue 2024 crochet temperature project. Although I think that would be a stunning work of art, I don't think there's any way I could part with the entire collection now! Crazy me. I just want to add more to it!

Most importantly, I've learned it's okay to have a good stash with great selection. It's okay to take up space at home for things most important to me. And perhaps it's even okay to dye a bit more, even though I've still got at least 80 colors left in my stash!

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Pinktober

I really thought (and hoped!!!) I was done with pink in my 2023 crochet temperature project. But, sadly, here we go again...

I shouldn't be surprised. We typically get what they call an Indian summer every year. We just didn't get the September frost to make it a summer rebirth. We did cool off just a tad for a couple of weeks, but summer wasn't done yet.

Color changes keep it interesting, right?

Whatever happens, I'll keep going. In the end, I think it's going to be a beautiful work of art, even if it includes more pink than I'd hoped.

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