Snowflake Monday

Every once in a while, I can still come up with a totally unique snowflake idea. When that happens, I'm tickled pink. Or, I guess, tickled green, being as it's March and today is THE day... Luck o' the Irish to ya!

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, 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

Spiroflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 tr), 17 tr in ring; sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 3. Pull magic circle tight.

Round 2: [1 sc in next tr, ch 8, sk next 2 tr] 6 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 3: Ch 1, working in back of piece, 1 sc in next Round 1 tr, [ch 8, sk next Round 1 tr, 1 sc in next tr (should be tr just left of next Round 2 sc)] 6 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 4: Ch 1, still working in back of piece, 1 sc in next Round 1 tr, [ch 8, sk next Round 1 tr, 1 sc in next tr (should be tr just left of next Round 3 sc)] 6 times, omitting last sc of final repeat; sl st in starting sc.

Round 5: Ch 3, making sure to work in ch 8 loops sequentially, 3 sc in each ch 8 loop around; sl st in starting sc.

Round 6: Sl st in next sc, ch 17 (counts as 1 dc and ch 15), [sk next 8 sc, 1 dc in next sc (should be middle sc of 3/sc group), ch 15] 5 times; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 17.

Rounds 7 and 8: Ch 3, working in back of piece, 1 dc in middle Round 5 sc of next Round 5 3/sc group, [ch 15, sk next 8 Round 5 sc, 1 dc in next Round 5 sc (should be middle sc of 3/sc group)] 6 times, omitting last dc of final repeat; sl st in starting dc.

Round 9: Ch 3, making sure to work entire Round in ch 15 loops sequentially, sl st in next closest ch 15 loop, ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), in same ch 15 loop work (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc), [6 dc in each of next 2 ch 15 loops*, in next ch 15 loop work (3 dc, ch 3, 3 dc)] 6 times, ending * on 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.

Tweet

Friday Fortius

Tweet

Fiber Fun

I am SO far behind! I feel like I'll never catch up!

Little Miss Unicorn's birthday is next week, and she informed me last weekend she'd changed her mind and wants an arctic fox instead of a unicorn. I don't mind at all, but the fox still isn't done yet, and oh, my goodness, the weekend is coming up way too fast! (I am planning to give it to her on Sunday...)

The newest WIP is no longer a WIP! Except it is... I finished it... YAY!!!!!!!!!! But the triangular shawwl is about six inches too short in the shoulders. I'm trying to figure out if I want to add one row on each side to give it a tad more wrapping power or if I should extend two columns on the top with a sort of V-neck because the back is already plenty long enough. Dilemma, dilemma, dilemma. I didn't want it to be a WIP, but WIP it will be until I can figure out what to do next.

I also need to finish a new snowflake (and pattern) for next Monday. I really need to do one for the following Monday, too, because I doubt I will have time next week. I need to finish a western-themed baby quilt for the bundle of joy who will be arriving across the street in about six weeks. And I need to finish my mother-in-law's quilt because I don't know how much longer she will be able to appreciate it. I cut out two dresses so I'd have something different to wear to church; I already had one in progress I haven't touched since the last update. Now I have three unfinished dresses screaming to be finished so they can be worn. The garden is beginning to call. The laundry never stops calling.

I want to make more homemade bread. I made my first dough in years, and it wound up as fry bread because the yeast didn't rise. (Great Navajo tacos!!!) I made sure my second attempt had good yeast by proofing it first, and we had two loaves of the most delicious fresh homemade bread. I think we finished the bread in less time than it took to make it. I didn't use eggs, as I did decades ago when I made bread all the time, because all the YouTube videos say you need just flour, salt, sugar (I use honey) and water. (I watched YouTube videos because it has been so long since I'd made bread, I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing.) My homemade bread had much better structure when I used eggs. So next batch will include eggs. But where on earth will I find four more hours???

Oh, and I want to shoot the eclipse tonight, but we're expecting a blizzard. Of course. Maybe I can shoot snowflakes instead...

lunar eclipses from 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2019

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet

Hurry, Spring

I think this probably is my final amaryllis of the year. I've had wide-open flowers now since the second week of January. My best amaryllis season ever, I think.

I snipped each stalk and put it in a vase on my kitchen counter because the flowers are so top heavy, they can tip the pots over if I don't cut them. The flowers seem to last fewer days that way, but I don't have to replace broken pots. And who doesn't love a vase of fresh flowers in the kitchen while cooking???

My favorite bulb of all never bloomed this year. The picotee was my first amaryllis ever, and I bought it nine years ago.

I tried germinating my flowers the first couple of years and growing bulbs from seeds (which supposedly won't be true to the parent), and I even tried mixing a couple of different flowers after I began collecting different varieties. None of my own baby bulbs have ever bloomed, and none of the natural offsets (literally scores of them over the years) have ever bloomed.

None of my older bulbs bloomed this year. Some have bloomed while out on the porch during the summer, but typically producing only one or two flowers instead of four or eight. Amaryllis bulbs apparently do have a shelf life, and most of mine may be done bearing. It might be time to discard some of the older bulbs. I might give them all another chance this summer because it's hard to let go. These are like children to me! I've raised them so long, I'm too attached!!!

Tweet

Snowflake Monday

I did NOT want to write the pattern for this one! I know it's going to be challenging, and heaven only knows if I can write it in a manner in which it's understood. But it's March, it's rainbow season, I love my hand-dyed threads, and I've always wondered if I could achieve a 3D look just from color changes. I'm still not sure how 3D it actually looks, but I do love the final flake.

This one was inspired by my thread colors and my desire to create a 3D appearance, as well as by another of my own snowflake photos. I wasn't able to achieve the hexagon shape in the rainbow to match the inside of the snowflake, but I still love the snowflake.

The snowflake name, of course, comes from the little rainbow bear I crocheted back in 2009 and used for all my birthday greetings for a full year a decade later. I still just love this little bear!!!

Okay, I began writing this pattern at 7 a.m., and it's now 10:33 p.m. I think this is the longest it's taken me to write a single snowflake pattern. (There were lots of other daytime chores embedded in the day, but it still doesn't typically take me so many hours to write one snowflake pattern.) I hope you can understand the instructions; in retrospect, this flake is worth all the brainache. It is really growing on me! You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes (or mandalas) 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 in 2, 7 or 13 colors, 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

' Special stitches:

fp = front post

septr = septuple treble

Snowbow Snowflake Instructions

NOTE: I created the mandala background (which can stand alone as a mandala if desired) with 12 hues of hand-dyed thread in pastel rainbow colors, two colors for each of the first six Rounds, beginning with pink and ending with purple. I alternated dark and light shades of the same color every stitch on the first Round and after every increase on the next five Rounds. I alternated the colors on each Round six times, carrying the unused color across the back of my work as I went. The mandala background may also be done in 6 colors or in just one color.

With color 1, make magic ring. (I used pink.)

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. If using a new color for each Round, bind off and weave in ends on each of first 6 Rounds.

Round 2: (I used orange.) 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: (I used yellow.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 36 dc; 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: (I used green.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 48 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 5: (I used blue.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 60 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 6: (I used purple.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 72 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 7: (I used white for this Round and each of the next 2 Rounds.) Ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of next 3 dc, 2 dc in next dc, [1 dc in each of next 4 dc, 2 dc in next dc] 11 times for a total of 84 dc; sl st in 2nd ch of starting ch 2.

Round 8: 1 sc in each of next 7 dc, 1 fpseptr (septr means yo 8 times) around Round 1 ch 2 that counts as dc, [1 sc in each of next 14 dc, sk next Round 1 dc, 1 fpseptr around next Round 1 dc] 11 times; 1 sc in each of next 7 dc; sl st in starting sc.

Round 9: [1 sc in next sc, 1 fp dc around Round 7 dc just to the left of Round 7 dc below next Round 8 sc, 1 sc in next sc, sk next Round 7 dc, 1 fp tr around next Round 7 dc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 tr in next sc, 1 dtr in next sc, ch 3, 1 fptr around next fpseptr, ch 3, 1 dtr in next sc, 1 tr in next sc, 1 dc in next sc, 1 fptr around Round 7 dc just to the right of Round 7 dc directly below current Round 8 sc, 1 sc in next sc, 1 fpdc around Round 7 dc just to the right of Round 7 dc directly below current Round 8 sc, 1 sc in next sc, 1 fptr in gap between middle 2 Round 4 dc directly below] 12 times; 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.

Tweet

Friday Fantastic

I cannot wait to see the eclipse video!!!

Tweet

More Cards

(affiliate links to my designs)

Hard to believe none of the grands have birthdays in January or February. But that gave me some time to chill and try to think of new card ideas for the coming year. This week hit hard with the first of the birthdays, and nothing in the mail yet! Fortunately, I was able to text this older grand and let him know I was late but had not forgotten him.

All the kids got a real kick out of last year's AI birthday cards. I had created 28 cards with crocheted animals enjoying adventures my grands love. I decided to do the same thing this year. This week's birthday belongs to a computer geek and rising mini scientist. I kind of wish now I'd tried to create an AI image with an aminal running a computer! I did do one with a camera. One of the grands has taken up photography, and she says I inspired her. She shares her weekly school assignments with me. What a joy!

Some of the kids thought I'd crocheted and photographed the scenes. That made me feel really awesome; they think I have that kind of crochet talent! Some of them picked up a bit of interest in art when they learned how I'd come up with these images. I'm hoping they all feel loved, inspired and tickled when they receive their cards.

Coming up with 28 fresh ideas in just a couple of days is a challenge, but I did it! I think I might try to think of new ideas as I go this year so it won't be so deadline difficult next March!

Tweet

Wordless Wednesday

Tweet

Gotcha

Last year, I reported (both here and on Farcebook) scam ads with fabric, yarn and sewing machine "sales" just too good to be true. You'd think I'd have been wise to Round 2 this year.

I donated quite a bit of stash yarn to a senior center that crafts winter items for veterans years ago. Much of what was left was ruined in one of my frequent basement floods. (Finally fixed for once and for all last year.) Ever since then, I've sort of been hoping for a yarn sale which would allow me to replenish at least a bit of my stash. You know, just in case I ever decide to do a real temperature afghan...

So when I saw the JoAnn Los Angeles ad (NOT on Farcebook) with awesome savings on fabric precuts and yarn, I assume my common sense got trampled by my wishful thinking. I'm not sure there was any kind of logical thinking going on in my brain at that moment. I can't believe now I fell for it. I can't believe I was that stupid.

The very next day, I was alerted by my bank of a foreign transaction. I didn't have to look it up. I knew which expense was being questioned.

I was able to get a refund. Hopefully the "merchant" is being blacklisted by financial institutions now. (Unfortunately, the scammers expect this and change names and websites frequently to keep the scam alive and kicking.) I will have to settle for a regular sale one day to replenish my yarn stash. All I can do is try to warn people not to make the same mistake. And perhaps keep warning. I don't think it's going to slow down or stop. It's probably going to get worse.

In my post-scam research, I discovered anyone can learn how to set up fake delivery schedules and notices. Unbelievable. I will never understand why anyone would put so much trouble and effort into hurting fellow human beings, but I guess that's the world we live in. All we can do is try to be smarter, and keep trying to make the world a better place. In spite of the trials and tributations.

Tweet