Snowflake Monday

The inspiration for today's snowflake fell on my front porch on January 8 this year during Winter Storm Finn. I've been yearning to crochet it ever since because I see tiny little hearts in the photo! And you know how I love heartflakes!

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: 7.5 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

Winter Storm Finn Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 4 (counts as 1 dtr), 23 dtr in ring; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 4. Don't pull magic circle too tight.

Round 2: [Ch 7, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 2 dtr in next dtr, ch 4, sl st in 4th ch from hook, 2 dtr in next dtr, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, ch 4, sl st in each of next 2 dtr] 6 times, omitting last sl st of final repeat.
NOTE: Binding off here makes a super cute little snowflake!

Round 3: Ch 25 (counts as 1 quadtr (or yo 5 times) and [ch 19), 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook, [sk next ch, 1 sc in next ch] 5 times], ch 6, 1 quadtr (or yo 5 times) in next gap between spokes] 6 times, omitting last quadtr of final repeat; sl st in 6th ch of starting ch 25.
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: [1 sc in each of next 6 ch, working up spoke, sk next sc, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc in bottom of next sc, [1 sc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp] 3 times, in spoke tip work (2 sc, ch 1, 2 sc), working back down spoke, [1 sc in next ch 1 sp, ch 1, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp] 3 times, 1 sc in top of next sc, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, sk next sc, 1 sc in each of next 6 ch; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Winter Storm Finn Snowflake Rock Instructions

This pattern was created from the first two-round snowflake prototype I made using the above photo as inspiration. I like this flake, too, but I like the above flake better! However, a few modifications make this a cute snowflake rock for the garden, don't you think?

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 17 dc in ring. Don't pull magic circle too tight.

Round 2: [Ch 7, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 2 dtr in next dc, ch 4, sl st in 4th ch from hook, 2 dtr in next dc, * ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, ch 2, sl st in next dc] 6 times, ending * on final repeat; 1 dtr in next dc, ch 1, 1 hdc in top of dtr just made to form 12th ch 3 picot 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 3: Ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 picot, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 4 picot, [ch 3, 1 dc in next ch 3 picot] 2 times) 6 times, omitting last dc and last 2 ch of final repeat; 1 dc in 2nd ch of starting ch 5 to form 18th ch 3 sp of Round.

Round 4: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), 1 dc in next ch 5 loop] 17 times; 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form 18th ch 5 sp of Round.

Rounds 5-?: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and ch 5), [1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5] 16 times; 1 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 2, 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form 18th ch 5 sp of Round. Continue with Round 5 until snowflake fits snugly around rock, leaving about a 1- to 2-inch opening on the back or bottom side.

Final Round, Rock Covering:Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each ch 5 sp around, inserting rock after about 2/3rds of Round, gently stitching while finishing Round and closing up hole so as not to damage crochet hook; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off, leaving 4- to 5-inch tail. Weave end through final Round of dc and pull tight. Bind off again, weave in end. Place in garden!

Snowflake 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

It's all AI (Artificial Intelligence), and it's fake crochet. But it's crochet inspiration, too. To me...

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Sky Log

I recorded the 8 April 2024 eclipse in my 2024 digital temperature quilts, so of course the worldwide northern lights must make an appearance, too! Thank heavens I already had a Northern Lights Snowflake!

My sampler (approximately half-year) digital quilts are almost done. I'm so excited by that because I can't wait to make something cool out of the fabric when printed. I don't know yet what I will make... Perhaps a baby quilt or two because I've got so many new babies coming into my circle of family and friends. But I think a couple of these might make an awesome dress or skirt, too. Or a new coat!

I used a piece of rainbow batik to symbolize the northern lights in the digital batik temperature quilt, the one I'd like to make with real fabric one day.

The only thing I could think of to symbolize northern lights in the all-blue HST digital temperature quilt was to smear or swirl the half-square triangles. I wasn't sure at first if I liked the idea, but now it's sort of grown on me.

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Wordless Wednesday

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Parkinson's Awareness

A Parkinson's organization we haven't worked with contacted us last month (April is Parkinson's Awareness Month) and asked us to post on social media to help raise awareness of the disease and ask for monetary contributions to the organization.

We have actively supported a few movement disorder organizations during the 19 years of our glorious marriage, never knowing one day we would be dependent upoon a couple of them. I hope one day to be able to create new snowflake patterns for a new PDF booklet to raise money for organizations such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Davis Phinney Foundation. Right now though, I'm struggling to keep my head above the pool of salt water tears, so that particular dream is on temporary hold.

The organization we had not heard of until they contacted us provided a template for a social media post. (Actually, they provided four templates for different roles: patient, caregiver, bereaved family member and health professional.) At the time, I thought it might be a good idea to share our story to help raise awareness. Not to raise money, but to help people understand what it's like to live with this disease. I saved the email and wrote a lengthy blog post I have not yet published because I'm not sure I want to reveal everything I wrote.

Now I'm cleaning out my email, and I came across the templates again. I had to do some major rewriting (that alone made me wonder if perhaps I should volunteer my writing and editorial services to the organization in question). I still haven't quite decided if I should actually publish this because it wasn't structured well, it didn't flow smoothly, and I can do a much better job on my own without the use of a template. I decided to go ahead and fill in the blanks on the (rewritten) template below so I can delete the email. The italics are where I replaced the name of the organization we'd not worked with. If you are reading this blog post, that means I finally hit the orange publish button. Probably during a writer's cramp moment. Or following yet another sleepless night.

Five years ago, my precious husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's. I am now one of nearly 40 million caregivers across the United States.

Living with Parkinson's is like living with a hungry thief who robs us daily of nuggets of life, passion, and sanity, slowly devouring us, piece by piece, day by day. The loss never stops. It just keeps getting worse. Lizard has endured the loss of almost everything he loves, his independence, his ability to think clearly, his balance, his ability to sleep, and now, his grasp on reality. Currently, there is no cure for Parkinson's.

The hardest part of being a caregiver is knowing there is nothing I can do to make it better. There is nothing I can do to relieve his symptoms. There is nothing I can do anymore to slow the progression of this vicious disease. The number of people living with movement disorders is skyrocketing.

Our neurologist, endocrinologist, ophthalmologist and general practitioner have been a lifeline for us. Our family and friends who understand what this brutal disease does help us get through daily disappointments, surprises and challenges. The Michael J. Fox Foundation and the Davis Phinney Foundation (and many other Parkinson's organizations) provide Zoom seminars and gab sessions, as well as YouTube videos, we can turn to for support or when we suddenly are faced with a new symptom and don't know how to keep going.

All of our friends, loved ones and health professionals walk alongside us because we have been so deeply impacted by this disease. Although Parkinson's feels isolating and debilitating, we are surviving with their help, and we are so grateful for their love and support.

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Snowflake Monday

When I dug out my old ocean colorway Red Heart crochet thread to work up last week's Snowbike Rock Wrapper, I was surprised and shocked to see the beginning of a snowflake, long, long forgotten. I have no clue when I started this thing, other than when I was on my Six-Sides-From-Three kick, making snowflakes out of triangles. My guess would be sometime no later than 2018, when I crafted my Butterfly Pyramid Snowflake, but probably MUCH earlier because I was using my own hand-dyed thread for most color projects by 2018.

I have no idea how I intended the original snowflake to look, so I just quickly made up an ending and wrote a pattern. Then made a white version, and then, because this is Week 4 of my Snowflake Rock crochet-a-long, a rock, with instructions! I put the rock out in our garden the day the world got to witness the northern (or southern) lights.

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: 4.5 inches from point to point
Materials: For snowflake: 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. For rock: size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, 5- to 6-inch round flatish river rock.

Aurora Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: 9 sc in magic ring; sl st in starting sc. Don't pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), sk next 2 sc, 1 dc in next sc] 3 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 7.

Round 3: Ch 7 (counts as 1 fpdc and [ch 5), 3 dc in next ch 5 sp, ch 5, 1 fpdc around next dc] 3 times, omitting last fpdc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 7.
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 9 (counts as 1 fpdc and [ch 7), 2 dc cluster in middle dc of next 3/dc group, ch 7, 1 fpdc around post of next fpdc] 3 times, omitting last fpdc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 9.

Round 5: Ch 11 (counts as 1 fpdc and [ch 9), 1 dc in top of next dc cluster, ch 9, 1 fpdc around next fpdc] 3 times, omitting last fpdc of final repeat; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 11.

Round 6, Snowflake: [Ch 7, sk next 4 ch, in next ch work (1 dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc), ch 7, sk next 4 ch, sl st in next dc] 6 times; bind off. Weave in ends.

Round 6, Rock Covering: [Ch 7, sk next 4 ch, in next ch work (1 dc, ch 3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, 1 dc), ch 7, sk next 4 ch, sl st in next dc] 6 times.

Round 7: Ch 10 (counts as 1 trtr and [ch 5), in next ch 3 picot work (1 dc, ch 5, 1 dc), ch 5, sk over next ch 7 sp, 1 trtr in next sl st] 6 times, omitting last trtr and last 3 ch of final repeat; 1 tr in 5th ch of starting ch 10 to form 18th ch 5 sp of Round.

Rounds 8-?: Ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and [ch 5), 1 dc in next ch 5 sp] 18 times, omitting last dc and last 3 ch of final repeat; 1 tr in 2nd ch of starting ch 7 to form 18th ch 5 sp of Round. Continue with Round 8 until snowflake fits snugly around rock, leaving about a 1- to 2-inch opening on the back or bottom side.

Final Round, Rock Covering:Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each ch 5 sp around, inserting rock after about 2/3rds of Round, gently stitching while finishing Round and closing up hole so as not to damage crochet hook; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2; bind off, leaving 4- to 5-inch tail. Weave end through final Round of dc and pull tight. Bind off again, weave in end. Place in garden!

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 Fabulous

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Piecemeal

I've been known to collect fabric. I could probably open my own quilt shop now. I'm not sure if that's a confession or an attempt at humor. Or maybe both. Whatever the case, I sometimes go off on wild goose chases to find fabric I missed out on.

Sometimes I go on to make wonderful quilts from these gorgeous collections.

Other fabric collections are slumbering in sealed airtight bins where they receive no daylight so the vibrance and freshness might not ever fade. One is still stacked waiting its turn on my to-do pile. It was supposed to be a Mother's Day or Christmas quilt back in 2022...

I jumped into the Me and My Sister collections late in the game several years ago. I learned from their website there were earlier collections I had to have. But they were LONG out of print!

A persistent search perhaps six or seven years ago yielded four or five of the earlier charm square packs (I never did get my hands on "Giggles"). I still add to my Me and My Sister collection to this day. I've made a few baby quilts from a few of the "extra" yardage and precuts I found on sale over the years, but the main stash of two charm square packs each remains mostly intact. (I had to rob a few squares to finish one neice baby quilt.)

No matter how large my stash, there's always a new fabric line to capture my attention, my wallet and my motivation. When you don't have time to quilt, it's fun to find new fabric that makes you want to quilt, right??? So beautiful, you can't wait to sit down to the sewing machine. The instant your receive it. That's always my plan... The Limelight Baliscapes fat quarter bundle I bought last year was going to find its way under my needle within minutes the day it arrived. It was going to make the most beautiful quilted jacket on the planet. It (and some gorgeous floral green batik yardage I picked up on sale about the same time) is still waiting and hasn't even been removed from the package, except for the photo for this blog post.

The Guicy Giuce Art Deco collections are my latest addiction. I never saw the first edition, and the second edition was sold out in one of my favorite shops when the bright, fruity colors first grabbed my eyes. I searched high and low for the second edition and bought it online on the spot to make sure I would never have to buy it piece by piece. The first edition was a bit harder.

I found a fat quarter bundle of the first edition that wasn't missing any of the collection and ordered immediately. I looked up reviews on the new-to-me shop to make sure it was reputable, but I never thought to look from whence I was buying. I got a text from my bank alerting me to my foreign purchase. I received a confirmation email from the shop, and another when the bundle was shipped the next day, so I didn't worry. That was back in January. Here it was, late April, and still no first edition in my mail.

Turns out I purchased my original Art Deco bundle from Australia, and I paid for standard shipping. Had I had my head together back in January, I wouldn't have hesitated for a minute to opt into a more expensive but more reliable shipping method. Unfortunately, I had my hands, heart and head full of all kinds of trauma and stress for about eight weeks straight back then, and logic just wasn't to be found anywhere in my equation then.

I've since looked up a few times how long it takes to ship a package from down under to up over (Colorado). I get estimates everwhere from three weeks to eight months. I imagine my fat quarters bundled up and sitting in the dark depths of a huge ship somewhere in the Pacific Ocean still trying to make its way to America. It is possible that little bundle will still show up in my mailbox or on my doorstep one day. Maybe. Just maybe. I haven't totally lost hope. Yet. If it does, it now will be a superb bonus. Because I grumbled internally for four months. I wasn't satisfied. I had to have that first edition. I had to order again. I just had to. I had no choice. :)

I recently searched again and found even fewer results, now that the (estimated) 2022 collection is nearly six months older. I ended up buying 10 of the 16 initial colorway fat quarters from one shop, 3 from another shop, the most difficult to find color from a third shop, and two larger remnants from a fourth shop. This time, I did try to make sure I was purchasing either from inside my own country or paying for reliable shipping from Canada (and Alaska!).

Last week, I received an email from one of the shops stating the most difficult to find fabric was sold out, and my money for that fat quarter was being refunded. Off I went on another hunt to find one more fat quarter... that is, AFTER making sure all the other orders, which had already shippied, included all the fabrics I ordered. I didn't want to come up short again. I feel like time is running out on the first edition!

Only two shops I could find had my missing fabric. One was the original shop in Australia. I'm sure it would have been a safe purchase this time if I paid the higher quality postage. The other shop offered only half yards or yardage. Dragonfruit is not a color I would buy a lot of in most circumstances. Red, orange and yellow just aren't really my thing. But I want the full Deco Glo I collection. I added in half a yard of another couple of colors from the second collection I do like, thinking they might be good for binding or as part of a creative quilt backing when I do finally sit back down to my sewing machine. (And holy moly, I'll have to order from Whimsodoodle again!!! Then sent me a free dark blue batik fat quarter, which is going to go great in my Moda Blockheads quilt!)

Now I'm fully Giuced. At least until Deco Frost is released... (Ha!!! I preordered a fat quarter bundle!!! I won't have to piecemeal!!!)

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