Light the World

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Five

I've always believed snowflakes have six sides. Yet I've photographed a few that began as triangles, and every once in a while, I'm able to clearly photograph a broken specimen. This particular flake doesn't appear to have been broken. I tried to find out if there is a name for five-sided snowflakes. Kind of like a three-legged dog, affectionately known as Tripod. (I've met a few!)

Brian Lotze, one of my favorite snowflake photographers, has better tripod snowflakes than I've been able to capture to date. I've loved incorporating triangles into my crocheted snowflakes. (My other favorite snowflake photographers include Alexey Kljatov, Don Komarechka, Monique van Someren, Nathan Myhrvold, Mark Cassino, Kenneth Libbrecht (see below), and, of course, my first mentor, although he was gone long before I was born, Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley (I own ALL of his books). I haven't been able to see many of Ukichiro Nakaya's 3,000 snowflake photos, but I enjoy his research, as should every snow sport enthusiast worldwide, since he pioneered ski area snowmaking. I LOVE studying and photographing and crocheting snowflakes. Wouldn't it be grand if my own snowflake photos one day could be a minor part of this magnificent collection?

I still think there should be a special name for snowflakes with five dendrites. Our fierce wind shatters so many of my photographic specimens!

Many, many articles have been published over the decades using but often not properly crediting the fantastic information and research made possible via Kenneth G. Libbrecht, all his books (which, yes, I own every single one), Cal Tech, and SnowCrystals.com. I'd say he's probably the current authority on snowflakes. I wonder if he's ever captured a five-pointer...

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Snowflake Monday

The week before Thanksgiving, my sister had a biopsy. She called me the following Thursday night to ask what it means when the doctor calls after office hours and wants her back in his office first thing the next morning. I knew, and I was crushed. We had prayed and fasted for her. She does not see God in her life and doesn't really care to, and I wanted to try to help her keep her spirits high. When she called again the next morning, she didn't have to say the C word. I'd had all night to prepare. But my words for her wouldn't come.

Pinktober came a little late this year.

A few days later, I discovered this precious video on YouTube. It was exactly what I needed. Exactly when I needed it. But how could I help it be what she needed?

I was able to share the video with my sister-in-law, who also is a full-time caregiver right now while her dad battles terminal cancer. She is not of my faith, but we've had so many heartfelt discussions about faith and our Savior. We can read scriptures together as we talk or text on the phone. Our differences in faith have never mattered. I wished I could have that kind of relationship with my sister.

I decided perhaps that's what I need to pray for. The day before Thanksgiving, the opportunity arose during a painful phone conversation with my sister. I seized the moment and asked if I could send her the video. I acknowledged she doesn't have the same beliefs as me, and I told her I understand her apprehension, especially now. I told her I face my own faith battles from time to time, and I completely respect her point of view. She said to go ahead and send the video.

A few minutes after I sent it, she texted me a thumb's-up. I responded that it's really difficult for me to think of Parkinson's as bread, but I'm doing the best I can. "Understood," was her reply. I wasn't sure she'd ever confide in me again. I wasn't sure if I'd be the one she'd turn to with questions anymore. But I thanked God for giving me that brief window and helping me recognize it as an opening.

I crocheted these snowflakes in her honor on White Friday (which experience won't appear on my blog until November 2025).

I decided I should send her a bunch of pink snowflakes, the way I used to for everyone I knew who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Back before Parkinson's consumed so much of my life and so much of my husband's soul. Back when I did Pink Friday in honor of those battling breast cancer. As today's flakes were drying, my sister texted me and proceded to carry on a completely normal conversation. Thanksgiving lasted longer than one day for me this year.

I created a White Friday Snowflake rug from T-shirt yarn (tarn) seven years ago but never made a plain white (or pink) snowflake from the pattern until now. I might need to challenge myself to design a new snowflake pattern every White Friday...

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: 5.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, optional1-1.25" stone, jewel or charm for necklace, 12-inch or desired length of chain for necklace (although you also could crochet a chain or use a ribbon), 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

White Friday II Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 6 (counts as 1 dtr and ch 2), [1 dtr in ring, ch 2] 11 times; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 6. Pull magic circle tight. For necklace, make 2 Round 1 discs, and bind off at the end of the 1st one.

Round 2: 4 sc in each ch 2 sp around; sl st in starting sc. For necklace, hold 2 motifs together and work 4 sc in each ch 2 sp around, inserting stone/jewel or charm 2/3s of the way around before completing 4 sc in final ch 2 spaces, sealing insert inside of snowflake center.

Round 3: [1 sc in same sc as sl st (or next sc in repeats), ch 1, 1 hdc in next sc, ch 1, 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 tr in next sc, ch 3, 1 tr in next sc, ch 1, 1 dc in next sc, ch 1, 1 hdc in next sc, ch 1, 1 sc in next sc] 6 times; 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 4: Sl st in next ch 1 sp, ch 2 (counts as 1 sc and [ch 1), 1 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 1 dc in next ch 1 sp, in next ch 3 tip work (1 tr, ch 5, 1 dtr, ch 7, 1 dtr, ch 5, 1 tr), 1 dc in next ch 1 sp, 1 hdc in next ch 1 sp, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp, sk next 2 sc, 1 sc in next ch 1 sp] 6 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in 1st ch of starting ch 2; bind off. Weave in ends. For necklace, work 2 sc/hdc/dc in ch 1 sp to provide more structure strength for heavy pendant.

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.

For necklace, stiffen same as snowflake, taking care not to get glue on stone/jewel/charm. Once dry and removed from pinning surface, attach chain (or attach thread/yarn and crochet a chain). Brighten the life of any Frozen-loving little girl with a White Friday II Snowflake Pendant!

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Friday Fortius

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Fading Temps

(affiliate links to my designs)

Digital temperature quilt projects have become more of a time hog and less of a fun project the last few months, so I'm thrilled when another one is finished. My batik quilt panel representing the second half of 2024 moved to the finished column this week, and I'm so glad!

I haven't tried putting the two panels together yet to see how they'd look, but the color scheme is growing on me. Initially, I did not like my rainbow temperature scale because I don't really care for the red, orange and yellow, but also because I picked colors I don't like to use as much to reprsent the hot temperatures, which I also don't like. And yet, holy moly! Didn't the premature quadrupled full shortened year panel make the coolest tea towel?!?

Bring on winter snow!!!

I still have five more digital projects to finish, and I really love three of them. Yet all have become drudgery, not only because we had identical highs and lows for long consecutive strings of days this year, which is not typical where I live, but also because life really got in the way this year. We're just a few days away from finishing up the year, and I'm not going to make a decision on creating a 2024 temperature quilt, real fiber or digital, until the end of the month. Or maybe I'll take a week off and start in January and play catch-up. Ha ha ha! I feel like that's what I've been doing most of this year!

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Wordless Wednesday

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Sneffels

Nearly 13 years ago, I designed one of my favorite snowflakes, Mount Sneffels.

I recently had to make a white version of the flake for my 2024 digital snowflake temperature quilt. I can't believe I hadn't made a white one before. Other than the rock covering...

I enjoyed revisiting the pattern. I still love this snowflake.

A white version provided the opportunity to play in Photoshop, of course. This is such a great flake!

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