Snowflake Monday

I Love The Wave
I’ve been making quite a few pink snowflakes to replenish my stock and because I can keep them hanging in my office until Valentine's Day. Today's snowflake is one I designed specifically to hang in my office.

Nothing in that description would make a very flirtatious snowflake name, though, so I perused my list of unused mountain names and noticed Flirtation Peak was up for grabs!


Other than the name, Flirtation Peak is not the most memorable mountain in a state chock full of high peaks. It is the 3,012th highest mountain in Colorado and the 8,407th highest mountain in the country. Shadowing the tiny hamlet of Idaho Springs, the mountain stands sentinel above the primary gateway to 14er Mount Evans. On peakery.com, Flirtation Peak is listed as unclimbed, but with power lines straddling it, obviously, it has seen a few human feet.

I have no mountain photo to go with this post, even though I've been in the shadow of the mountain hundreds of times. However, an antique postcard tells the story of a group of hikers going up Flirtation Peak in 1907 and then taking a portrait of the group in the dark via flashlight upon their return to Idaho Springs. See the postcard here.

I don't know how the mountain got its name, but the name alone ignites imagination, doesn't it?


Flirtation Peak Snowflake makes a great doily, too! Or bear rug...


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: 9.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread in 7 colors, size 8 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

Flirtation Peak Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: With Color A, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 11 dc in ring; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: * 1 sc in next dc, ch 6, sk 1 sc; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off.

Round 3: With Color B, 7 dc in each ch 6 sp around. Sl st in starting dc.

Round 4: 1 sc over sl st just worked between 7/dc groups, *ch 6, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 6, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next joint between 7/dc groups; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc; bind off.

Round 5: With Color C, 7 dc in each ch 6 sp around. Sl st in starting dc.

Round 6: 1 sc over sl st just worked between 7/dc groups, * ch 6, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 6, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next joint between 7 dc/groups, ch 6, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next dc, ch 6, sk next 3 dc, 1 sc in next joint between 7/dc groups, ch 6, 1 sc in same sp (ch 6 point loop made); repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc.
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 7: With Color D, 3 dc in any ch 6 point loop, * 1 sc in next ch 6 loop, [ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 6 loop] 3 times, 3 dc in next ch 6 point loop, ch 3, 3 dc in same loop; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last ch 3 and 3 dc of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 8: Ch 2(counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc just made, * ch 6, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 6, sk next ch 3 sp, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off.

Round 9: With Color E, 3 dc in any ch 3 point, *ch 14, 3 dc in next ch 3 point, ch 3, 3 dc in same point; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 ch and last 3 dc of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 10: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc just made, * 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, ch 6, 1 sc around next ch 14 of Round 9, ch 6, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off.

Round 11: With Color F, 3 dc in any ch 3 point, * 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, ch 3, 1 sc over next ch 6, ch 3, 1 sc over next ch 6, ch 3, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 ch and last 3 dc of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 12: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc just worked, * 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, [ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 3 times, ch 3, sk next 3 dc, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off.

Round 13: With Color G, 3 dc in any ch 3 point, * 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, [ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp] 4 times, ch 3, sk next 3 dc, 1 dc in each of next 6 dc, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 ch and last 3 dc of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in starting dc to form 6th ch 3 point of Round.

Round 14: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of dc just worked, * ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked (picot made), 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made, 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 dtr in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, 1 tr in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 tr in same sp, ch 3, 1 dtr in same sp, sk next ch 3 sp, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sk next 3 dc, [1 dc in each of next 3 dc, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made (picot made)] 2 times, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just made, 3 dc in same ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final round; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; 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 the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Tweet

Going Down

My websites will all be taking a 15- to 20-minute nap sometime tonight while my kernel is upgraded. Everything will be down, including my snowflake directory and all the snowflake patterns. It will look as if I disappeared off the web! But don't panic. It's only temporary.

My web host can't say exactly when the outage will occur other than between 8 p.m. tonight and 4 a.m. tomorrow, but everything's supposed to be better, faster, more secure and up-to-date when my websites get back online.

Now, I have no idea what a server kernel is, but I'm going to be enjoying a few kernels of my own while I watch some Olympics tonight, so being without snowflake patterns for a while isn't going to have a huge impact on me. How about you?!?

Tweet

Friday Fun

We hope to register in the Ride the Rockies lottery this weekend. This video really put us in the mood!

Tweet

The Wave II

The plan was to wake up a couple hours before sunrise and hit the trail with headlamps, arriving at the valley of The Wave before first light on the brilliantly colored west wall.

But it was 14 degrees when we awoke!!!

So we stayed in our snuggly, warm sleeping bags for a couple hours more. Not that the temperature got any warmer during that time...

As it turned out, the sun didn't come up that day, at least not at The Wave. A thick bank of clouds blocked it for a good four or five hours, but that also meant we didn't have to deal with harsh shadows while photographing paradise.


We were the first hikers in the Wire Pass Trailhead parking lot, and although another vehicle arrived before we hit the trail, we were first on the trail. We didn't get far, though, before the second couple, hailing from Australia, called out from the parking lot, asking if we were going to The Wave.

The Aussie accent is so delightful, we couldn't help but share the first two-thirds of the journey with them. Tales of their five-week journey across America (ending the following week with a tour of Yosemite before heading back home) captivated us so thoroughly, we'd traversed a full two miles before the air became quiet.

Ahead, we could see "the notch," the deep crack in a canyon wall directly above The Wave and the best visual the BLM provides to permit holders. We were almost there!


The goal, at least for me, had been to ring the valley, shooting the sunrise (which, of course, didn't happen) while searching for dinosaur footprints below "the pink band," before crossing the sage flats to look for The Wave II. We hadn't had time to explore during our first, impromptu trip, but this time, we had all day. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to shoot everything.

The Lizard and the Aussies reached the base of the sand dune which must be scaled to enter The Wave by the time I reached the edge of the west valley wall. I'd fallen seriously behind because I just couldn't stop taking pictures! I didn't know if The Lizard would wait for me at The Wave or make his way back across the flats to join me, but I knew he could see the neon band of lime green on my fleece sweater as well as I could make him out all the way across the valley, so I began searching for dinosaur imprints along the base of the upper pink band.

I was successful in my search, but I didn't shoot any tracks until after I heard a familiar voice from behind. The Lizard had joined me! Together we searched both the upper and lower pink bands and found a good many tracks, but I shot only one set. There were too many other things to photograph!


The rock formations were amazing, and I'd never seen photos from this side of the valley. Hikers are always so intent on The Wave, they don't often explore what other mysteries Coyote Buttes holds.

We reached a confluence of the two pink bands where they dropped off the edge of a high cliff. We ascended a red rock wall to see what was up above. More wonderful rock formations and sandstone coloring!

From this high vantage point, we could see a frozen waterfall at the end of the valley. So, of course, we had to get closer. En route, we often were the only recent footprints in the sand beds we followed. The rock formations just kept getting better and better. I wanted to spend a whole week here! I wondered which of three cameras I'd toted along would run out of battery juice first. And which one would need a new memory card first???


The Nikon D300, my "big gun," won that race. Fortunately, I'd charged all the cameras via the 4Runner's cigarette lighter the night before in camp, and I never ran out of power, although I did have spare charged batteries for two of the cameras.

At one high point along the way, my iPhone sang out that I'd received an email. In the middle of nowhere!!! I knew better than to check. It lies. When I briefly logged into the phone, it promptly informed me it could not retrieve email because no internet connection was available. No kidding!

The frozen waterfall wasn't as spectacular as it looked from afar. It was more of a melting snow seep than a waterfall, and in total permanent shade (which is how the ice formed in the first place), getting a good shot wasn't easy. We began traversing the cliffs back toward The Wave.


Again, the rock formations and colors were so fascinating, they rivaled anything we'd already seen. We marveled that few ever venture where we were but lamented the loss of pristine adventurism once my photos garner wide audience. When others see the unknown secrets buried outside The Wave proper, there will be no solitude and no more mysteries.

Maybe I shouldn't share ALL my photos...

Finally, The Lizard interrupted my 70th or so sandstone portrait session to gasp excitedly, "I think we're right below The Wave II!" He'd studied contour lines on topographic maps to get a better feel for where The Wave II might be located. He recognized some unique features, and he'd found what we wanted to see most this trip.


Up we climbed, and there it was, The Wave II, just as we'd seen it in photos, some of them very old black and white pictures in out-of-print books. Seeing it in full color made it come to life for me, just like "Wizard of Oz" when Dorothy opens the black and white door to full Technicolor Munchkin Land.

The Wave II has different coloring than The Wave, but it is beautiful in its own right. It was worth climbing for. It was worth extra mileage. We spent quite a while there, during which time another couple crossed over The Wave II in search of a safe way to get up the cliffs, perhaps to Top Arch and the Dinosaur Dance Floor, then retreated without really noticing The Wave II or us.

The plan for us had been to make a big loop after The Wave, climbing up to Top Rock Arch, Melody Arch and Grotto, the Dinosaur Dance Floor, The Alcove and Fatali's Boneyard, but we spent so much time circling the valley, mostly alone, we thought it would be okay to head back to the car, saving some special sites for our next trip. Yes, next trip. Yes, we very much want to go back. I think I could live there and still not see everything. It's an amazing landscape, and I'll probably start throwing my hat into the lottery again this summer for a fall permit.

Chances of being drawn again aren't real high, but it's worth it!

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet

White Pocket

The plan was to car camp at the Wire Pass Trailhead the night before we ventured back into The Wave. I did some research to find out what hikes we could explore in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument the day before our hike. I found a treasure trove of photos and blog posts sharing the phenomena called White Pocket.

We hestitantly traversed the four-wheel-drive-only road 30-some-odd miles from the Wire Pass Trailhead and found, to our delight, beautiful rock formations every bit as photogenic as The Wave. And we had the entire place to ourselves the whole day!

After something like 600 photos and approximately four miles of hiking and rock scrambling, we headed back to the Wire Pass Trailhead, this time not quite as squeamish about the deep sand road, as our confidence strengthened during the morning drive.

Instead of car camping in a parking lot, we stayed the night at the Arizona State Line Campground, with real restrooms and picnic tables! This previously unknown (to us) gem is the finish line (or jumping off point, depending on direction of travel) for cyclists (and other trail enthusiasts) doing the AZT, or the Arizona Trail, the southwest version of our very own Colorado Trail back home.

The Colorado Trail encompasses about 500 miles from Waterton Canyon (just outside the Denver metro area) through the Rocky Mountains and skirting some of our famous fourteeners (mountains higher than 14,000 feet) to Durango.

The Arizona Trail is even longer, reaching from the Mexican border to the Utah border across more than 800 miles. It may not climb as high as the Colorado Trail, but it reaches the depths of the Grand Canyon!

We didn't see any hikers or cyclists finishing the epic trail during our brief stay, but it was quite energizing to know what kind of emotions must have been experienced right there, in our camp spot, the first one trail finishers would hit, as cross-country adventurers reached the end of a long, challenging journey.

We've been to The Wave twice now, and we're not done. I don't know if we'll do the advance lottery again, but we would like to go back, and next time, segments of that Arizona Trail might be explored as well! Returning to White Pocket would be awesome, too!

Tweet

Snowflake Monday

This was the final flake in my Lost Amigo snowflake collection when I finally wrote the pattern a couple of weeks ago. Now I have at least three more "lost" snowflakes for which I must write patterns.

This particular Lost Amigo, however, has more of a southwestern theme than the other two (here and here), thanks to some bulk ornamental glass beads I just couldn't resist. I had to get a little more creative with the snowflake name for this gem.

Anyone who knows me well knows I come from New Mexico, the land of spicy food. I've never lost my taste for the authentic hot dishes of legends. (Or their Tex Mex equivalents. I am, after all, Texan by birth.) I have been growing my own Anaheims, habaneros, poblanos, Santa Fe Grandes, Serannos and cayennes for five years now, and most of them grow year-round because I bring them indoors for winter. (I long to get my hands on seeds for scorpion and viper pepper varieties. They supposedly are SUPER off-the-scale hot!) Granted, my peppers all are miniatures, due no doubt to elevation, nevertheless, the flavor my peppers provide curbs some of my homesickness for the desert southwest.

Because I typically am drawn to all things southwest (chili peppers, lizards, kachinas, lizards, yucca, lizards, prickly pear, lizards, Ojos de Dios, lizards, etc.), inexpensive glass chili pepper beads from Oriental Trading caught my eye, and I couldn't resist. I bought one package, and I may have to buy more, given how much I love the way they spiced up this snowflake!

(Not all of the chili pepper beads had holes, and the ones without broke when I gently attempted to poke holes with a sharp needle, but I still think this is an adorable project, and the beads are relatively inexpensive. I just won't ruin any more hole-less beads, but use them in potpourri or some other craft...)

I love snowflakes with danglies. Snowflakes with danglies often require a bit more stiffening than plain snowflakes. My favorite stiffening agent is liquid starch (or homemade cornstarch glue). Liquid starch is not quite sturdy enough to support the weight of multiple ornamental beads. Because this snowflake is not particularly delicate, I decided to give Epsom salts a go, adding a bit of aromatic essential oil to further spice up the ornament, and then I sprinkled some undissolved salts on the snowflake before it finished hardening. Gives a bit more of an icy effect, don't you think?

Here is a list of some of the beads currently on my wishlist, in case the chili pepper beads don't suit your tastes.

acrylic Christmas ornaments
heart-shaped crystals
Christmas charms
more Christmas charms
even more Christmas charms
charms
dragon teardrops
glass pendants
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, 6 ornamental beads or charms (5 if you prefer to hang your snowflake on point), size 8 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

Fire and Ice Snowflake Instructions

String 6 beads or charms onto thread. Make magic ring.

Round 1: 18 sc in ring; sl st in starting sc. Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: * 1 sc in next sc, ch 10, sk next 2 sc; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 5, 1 trtr in starting sc to form 6th ch 10 sp of Round.

Round 3: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc over post of tr just worked, * ch 6, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook (dc picot made), ch 3, 2 dc in next ch 10 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 2 dc and ch 3 of final repeat; ch 1, 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 2 to form final ch 3 sp 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), 2 dc over post of dc just worked, * ch 7, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook (dc picot made), ch 1, pull up bead and ch 1, catching bead in ch, ch 4, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook (dc picot made), ch 4, 3 dc in next ch 3 sp (skipping over dc picot of Round below), ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook (picot made), 3 dc in same ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 5 times, omitting last 3 dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; 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 the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

Tweet