01 November 2010

Snowflake Monday

Midnight Oil Snowflake on recently finished Boardwalk Socks
I can't remember why we went into the bookstore, but we'd decided not to buy anything. So I didn't take my purse, and The Lizard didn't take his wallet.

He looked at books. I looked at crochet, knit and quilt magazines. It was a pleasant break from whatever stress I'd been facing.

Next to me on the bench was a Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook. On the cover were a few attractive snowflakes. I wanted to make them!

I looked at the price of the cookbook, thinking perhaps I could give it as a Christmas gift because I really don't need any more cookbooks. I don't have room on my shelves for more, plus, I don't eat sugar anymore. This particular cookbook is loaded with sugar recipes. Plus, I've already made this year's Christmas presents.

I had nothing with which to draw. I could have gone out to the car to retrieve my purse. I instead decided a little exercise in photographic memory was in order. Good to sharpen the brain every now and then. So I tried to memorize the three snowflakes I liked best.

When we finally finished perusing the bookstore, I took one more mental snapshot of the cookbook cover, and in the dark in the car, I drew sections of the snowflakes I wanted to duplicate on an envelope because it was the closest thing to a drawing pad I had.

This week's snowflake is the first and probably the easiest of the three, and I finished designing it, writing the pattern and pinning it in the middle of the night because Microsoft, which knows everything we want and need better than we will ever know, automatically adjusted my computer for Daylight Saving Time while I wasn't looking, even though that isn't supposed to happen until next weekend. I thought I was going to bed at 1:30 a.m., which is bad, but in reality, it was 2:30 a.m. So I'm going to call this snowflake Midnight Oil.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!

Snowflake Scribbles
Finished Size: 6 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Midnight Oil Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), into ring work 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1hdc, 1 dc, *ch 2, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc; repeat from * around 4 more times; 1 dc into 3rd ch of starting ch 3. Do not pull magic ring too tight.
Round 1Round 2: Ch 5 (counts as 1 dc and 2 ch), *1 dc into next sc, ch 2, 1 dc into next ch 2 sp, ch 3, 1 dc into same ch 2 sp, ch 2; repeat from * around 4 more times, 1 dc into next sc, ch 2, 1 dc into next ch 2 sp, ch 1, 1 dc into 3rd ch of starting ch 5.

Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc around dc post, ch 1, 1 tr around dc post, ch 1, sl st through top of tr, ch 1, 1 dc around dc post, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 5 of previous row, *1 hdc in next ch 2 sp, 1 sc in next dc, 1 hdc in next ch 2 sp, 1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next ch 3 sp, ch 1, 1 tr in same sp, ch 1, sl st in top of tr, ch 1, 3 dc in same sp, ch 1, 1 tr in same sp, ch 1, sl st in top of tr, ch 1, 1 dc in same space, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 hdc in next ch 2 sp, 1 sc in next dc, 1 hdc in next ch 2 sp, 1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in starting sp, ch 1, 1 tr in same space, ch 1, sl st in top of tr, ch 1, 1 dc in same space, sl st in 3rd ch of starting ch 3.
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 3, 2 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 17, 1 sc in 10th ch from hook, ch 12, sl st in sc, ch 10, sl st in sc, sl st in next ch, ch 9, 2 dc in 3rd ch from hook, sl st in middle dc of 3 dc group of next petal; repeat from * around 5 times; st st in middle dc of 3 dc group at start of round; 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.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. 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.


Midnight Oil Snowflake at Sunset on Halloween Night

24 comments :

  1. hello just wanted to thankyou for your awesome snowflakes!

    just like the real thing..everyone a little bit different!

    Clare

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  2. Haa, genius way to save money :), nice snowflake anyway.

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  3. I thought you were going to say you used your cell phone to snap a photo, lol. Do you have any idea how many times I've done something similar then realized later I had a camera with me in the form of a phone, lol.

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  4. after a good snowflake crocheting day, the only thing I can see in the dark of my eyes is the most beautiful snowflakes. The bad thing is that they go away in an eye blink, so I have no time to draw them. Am I adicted? Hehehehehe...

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  5. Love your story and the peacefulness of a bookstore. Your drawings were great. Such a delicate snowflake!

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  6. The snowflakes are wonderful. I like it!

    Konny

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  7. I am so thrilled I found your blog. I crochet also and have for 40 years. I am presently making snowflakes for my daughter-in-laws xmas tree. I found your patterns and have done 18 so far. I am having trouble with this one. Row one, where you say double in the starting chain and then repeat 4 times. I am having a duh moment, how do I repeat 4 times in the same starting circle? my email is delenaj2@gmail.com if you care to help me. I am keeping your blog on my favorites!

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  8. omg, I must have just needed a good nights sleep. I figured out the pattern. I just realized the end of the round was one dc into 3rd chain of starting ch 3. Thanks so much for these awesome patterns!

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  9. Delena, I'm so glad you were able to figure it out. I worked up that first row in variegated thread this morning and took pictures, hoping to illustrate, but I forgot to download the photos!

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  10. I have made several of your patterns with no problem. This one however, I can not figure out. I cannot get past round one, it doesn't seem to make any sense at all.

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  11. these are totally great. I will try them! Thanks so much for posting them!

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  12. Anonymous, as soon as I finish the photo retouching I've been working on for two weeks, I will try to get pictures of this flake in progress and post them. Hopefully that will help. I'm sorry that you are having problems with this one. It truly is a lot of stitches in a small opening!

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  13. I LOVE all of your snowflakes. I hope one day to be able to do them!

    Would you happen to have the patter for the afghan that your snowflake is laying against? I really like it.

    Thank you so much,
    Emma
    emmastormy08@gmail.com

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  14. Thank you, Emma Stormy (cute name!)

    Behind that snowflake are socks from Amy O'Neill Houck's Step by Step pattern, and the pattern is located here in episode 205, and there's a link in Ravelry, too, if you do a search there.

    In case you're wondering about the color scheme, that particular pair is made of Knit Picks Felici self-striping sock yarn, which is released in new colorways every so often. The best colors don't last long, and you typically can't get more once it sells out. I had never tried the yarn before and so ordered only enough for one pair of socks. Loved it so much, I started a pair of fingerless mittens and ran out! Luckily, I was able to buy enough to finish the project from another Ravelry member who ordered extra and wanted to destash.

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  15. I'm wondering if there's a misprint in the first round... I really want to make this one and have tried several variations but can't make it work...

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  16. Anonymous, this pattern is complex but correct as written. Please let me know what you are having trouble with, and I will do my best to help you.

    I have a double crochet join photo tutorial here, if that helps.

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  17. These are beautiful snowflakes, but I think the first round has two misprints:
    (1) the "*ch 2, 1 dc, 2 hdc, 2 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc;" should read "*ch 2, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc;"
    (2) the phrase "1 dc into 3rd ch of starting ch 3" should come after "repeat from * around 4 more times", not before.

    Since 1985, I've been making one snowflake pattern each year to give to family and friends. I start at Christmas and crochet and starch about 30 a month (lots of family!). I've so glad I found this site -- these are beautiful!

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  18. Anonymous #1, I stand corrected. No wonder you had trouble. I apologize for screwing up so badly in writing directions for Round 1.

    Anonymous #2, thank you so much for clarifying what I must have missed 16 times and setting me straight. The pattern is now fixed.

    And Anonymous #2, 30 snowflakes of the same pattern each month for a whole year?!? Holy moly! You are a saint! I hope your family appreciates what you've done!

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  19. What 1 hdc refers to? Thanks in advance for explanation! Greetings from Cyprus :)

    ps: I used other account for previous comment if you can not publish it I would be grateful.I made msitake, sorry!

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  20. Hi, Ingalill

    I'm not sure I understand your question. 1 hdc is 1 half double crochet, which is yarn over, draw up a loop through next stitch, yarn over and draw through all three loops on hook. I believe the European term is single crochet. Does that help? If not, please let me know, and I'll try to figure out what it is you need.

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  21. Hello, I'm having a little trouble with the 3rd round, what is the dc post?

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  22. Hi, Anonymous. You are working over the double crochet stitch you just completed to finish the previous round. I have a photo tutorial for the double croche join here.

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  23. Thank you for your snowflake posting--so gorgeous, I especially like the thread with sparkles!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Jamaila! What a beautiful name! I really like to make the snowflakes sparkle, too!

      Delete


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