[Ended] Snowflakes in July Along

[Julie]

Julie, you make the most beautiful snowflakes! I just wish mine were that good! Maybe someday....

 

A couple of them still need blocking (badly!), and some of them just aren't that good, but I'm still relatively new to thread, so I'll let that be my excuse!

 

Brie, yours are beautiful! Believe me, I make plenty of mistakes. I constantly hear in my head "snowflakes in nature aren't perfect" and "that probably won't show up on a tree from a distance". Oh, and my personal favorite, "blocking will probably fix that". I think the ones you've made so far are gorgeous, take a bow!

 

I'm curious where you got your patterns, I see some I really like in your photo.

[Kimberly]

I came very close to my personal goal of one per day.....I guess since I started the CAL a day late I still have tonight to make up for the missing one!

 

Here are my last three snowflakes!

I used a different hook for the red ones (Susan Bates) and found that I really like it and it worked up much quicker for me than the Boye hook I was using! The red ones has a strand of red lurex running through it! No fear, your computer color is not going wacky - the third one was one in peach!

[DesertCrocheter]

Brie, Kimberly, Julie--awesome flakes! They are gorgeous! Sorry, no photo to post of my own. I bought some starch yesterday but forgot that my pins were in my office at work, so I couldn't block them. But I realized that I have a lot of flakes to make if I plan on decorating. So I'm going to participate in Snowflake Monday for the rest of the year. Unless the class I'm scheduled to teach has enough students--since it's Monday nights, 6-8:30, and involves an hour and a half commute each way, I won't be getting any done on Mondays. Maybe Snowflake Tuesdays for me.

 

I think I completed 8 or 9, one still half done. What fun! Thanks Julie, for a great idea! Patty

[Chie]

I'm sorry I haven't done any updates on my snowflakes since I said I'd join this CAL.

 

 

I moved, and I didn't have Internet connection for 10 days!!! Gosh I tell ya, it was so frustrating to be disconnected from my online crochet buddies!

 

Anyways, I managed to make 14 snowflakes last week. They haven't been blocked yet, but I will do that ASAP, and post pictures here this week.

 

I haven't seen everybody's snowflakes yet so I'm off to do it now.

[Brie]

Thanks everyone! I realize that I'm probably just being overly critical of my own work, but I can't help it. I've always been like that!

 

Julie - all of the patterns I used were free online patterns, and I found most of them at CPC.

 

I finally broke down and bought a snowflake book, though. I managed to find Crocheted Snowflakes by Mary Thomas on ebay, so I went ahead and got it. I'm planning on joining in on Snowflake Mondays, too.

 

Kimberly - I those red flakes! I never would've thought to use colored thread!

[Stacey]

I love everyone's snowflakes!

 

I should have a photo of the rest of my snowflakes tomorrow. I picked a hectic time to join a week-long CAL what with the 12 hour shifts during the week and then this weekend DH and I were helping move my stepdaughter into her new apartment.

 

But I did get 3 (or is it 4?) more snowflakes done. I would have finished more, but it seemed like about half the patterns I printed out were ones that I just didn't get--I'd be about halfway through it and just hit a wall and not be able to figure out what I was doing wrong. I got to the point where I needed to make something that wasn't a snowflake just to prove that I hadn't lost the ability to crochet but what I ended up doing was the coaster version of Denise Augostine's Dreaming doily -- it looks very snowflake-y so I figured I could count it as a snowflake.

 

Oh....I forgot to add..I picked up some Royale at Michaels today, and found some white with a "Pearle" filament wrapped around the thread. It reminds me of the Knit Cro-Sheen that has the metallic thread wrapped around it- but this is more iridescent. So...

I haven't gotten around to using it, but I was wondering about any suggestions for blocking....I usually just use the 'tried and true' starch and water method for just plain thread, but I think the starch will probably limit the "sparkle factor" with this thread. What are you all using when you block with Lurex?

 

That sounds like exactly the thread I've been using... I blocked it with a mixture of elmer's glue and water, about half and half but maybe a little more water than glue. It came out fine; since the glue dries clear it didn't hide the sparkle at all

 

I think I'll be joining in on the snowflake mondays thing. I definitely like making snowflakes (when the pattern isn't going horribly wrong, that is! ) Maybe next time I get a 40% off Joann's coupon I'll see if they have any of those snowflake books...

[crazzy cow]

I only got 5 done . I was hopeing to get more done but I always have my snowflake Mondays to work on more. Julie this was fun Thank you.I wish I started this alot sooner.

[crochetlady]

okay guys I finished 11 snowflakes but the last one I finished it yesterday so actually Ifinished only 10 which is not bad considering I started out 2 days after the cal started:) Thanks Julie for the cal and I am sure I will follow the snowflake monday too! I am having a major problem with my camera .. don't know what it is.. I even got it repaired but the darn thing will still not upload the pictures...Its all there in the camera though..Well maybe this weekend I can ask DH to take a look into the problem!!

 

I loved looking at all your lovely snowflakes!

 

Hugs

Vims

[dhaunae]

I managed to finish 15 (well, 14 and a snowflake bookmark) which makes me very, very happy considering what a wreck last week turned out to be. The last few are blocked and drying now and I'll have pictures of all up tomorrow. I definitely will be trying to do at LEAST one snowflake each Monday from here on out, I really enjoyed this CAL ... thanks so much for starting it up!

[Chie]

I LOVE seeing all the beautiful snowflakes!

It's surprising that there are so many variations of snowflake patterns.

 

I said yesterday I was going to block my snowflakes, and I did too. They are dry and still pinned now.... but to me, they are not solid enough.

All of my snowflakes are pretty lacy, and I wanted them to be really hard, but they aren't.

After I washed and dried my snowflakes , I soaked them into undiluted liquid starch, squeeze-dried them, pat-dried with a towel, pinned, and let dry. I am going to use acrylic spray later, but I don't know how much it helps.

 

Any suggestions pleeez.

[RebeccaVelasquez]

BEAUTIFUL flakes, everyone!

:flake

[dhaunae]

Finally done with blocking the flakes I did during this CAL; I look forward to making more, but not to blocking them! I thought doing it all at once would be a better idea. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Next time I'll block them as I get them done, or a couple at a time. I do think I am getting better as I go, and I'll be doing Snowflake Mondays for sure

 

[MorMonsen]

I have been a silent participant to this CAL as life got in the way. But I have been crocheting some snowflakes but not as many as I hoped for.

 

I have enjoyed looking at all the wonderful snowflakes you all have made

 

I am going to crochet a lot more of them before Christmas and I enjoy it a lot

[DesertCrocheter]

Wow, Lani, gorgeous! I saved my 11 snowflakes (forgot to bring the camera to work to upload the images, again!) to block together, and now I'm wondering if that was a mistake. I've never blocked and your post has me worried. Oh well. We'll try this weekend. Patty

[Chie]

Lani, your flakes are beautiful!!!

[Ro]

*sniff* I'm so honored!

 

Julie made me an 'honorary' member of this CAL by gifting me with not just one but THREE of her amazingly beautiful snowflakes!!! My whole family is so in love with them, my husband looked at the card and said "Small token? you're kidding! Look at the work that went into those!" I think it's really true that nobody appreciates the work that goes into crochet projects like other crocheters...and I am so amazed and thrilled with this beautiful gift.

 

Thank you Julie, I appreciate it so much! You really made my week.

 

xoxo

Ro

[vatonc1]

I finally have pictures of some of the snowflakes I made last week:) I actually have some more to block, hopefully I will get around to it in the next day or so. Anyway, here is the first batch:D

 

I noticed while I was uploading the pic that some of these are a bit "off" so they will probably get "re-blocked" when I work on the next batch:lol

[DesertCrocheter]

Here's the link to my first snowflakes from last week. Reminder, these aren't blocked yet, so they're curling and not flat at all. One is quite lumpy and doesn't seem right, but maybe the blocking will minimize that. Anyway, far inferior to the gorgeous examples posted here, but my first snowflakes so I'm pleased. Patty

 

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a383/DesertCrocheter/first_snowflakes.jpg

[dhaunae]

Looking good! Just wait til you get those blocked, Patty ... you're going to find that they aren't inferior at all

[Brie]

Everyone's snowflakes look great!

[Julie]

Big thank you's to everyone who participated in this CAL. I absolutely LOVED seeing everyone having fun talking about snowflakes which most of you know is my absolute favorite thing to make. I am totally amazed and honored; you guys, you all are thanking me for the CAL!

 

I'm so glad everyone had fun with it, and I hope you all keep up with the flake production throughout the year. The pictures so far are amazing, beautiful flakes everyone, really and truly!

 

We'll definitely do a Snowflakes in July CAL again next year, this was too much fun not to do again.

[vatonc1]

Can I just tell you all that I am totally OBSESSED with Christmas now! Between Christmas in July and the Snowflakes CAL - I can't seem to get back into the 'groove' with my other projects. I did break it up a bit and make a thread angel, but now I'm hunting through other Christmas related patterns! You've created a monster!

[Julie]

Can I just tell you all that I am totally OBSESSED with Christmas now! Between Christmas in July and the Snowflakes CAL - I can't seem to get back into the 'groove' with my other projects. I did break it up a bit and make a thread angel, but now I'm hunting through other Christmas related patterns! You've created a monster!

 

 

LOL Welcome to my world!!

[dhaunae]

Julie, we should all be thanking you for doing this for us! If you hadn't started this CAL, I would NEVER have gotten 15 flakes done already. Never. Heck, I wouldn't have gotten 15 flakes done by Christmas, good intentions or no. And yeah, I'm also obsessed with Christmas now *hehe* I've found all sorts of nifty things to make for myself and my daughter and my mom and and and ... it's great

[Julie]

Thank you Lani, I'm so glad you're having fun. It keeps me inspired too.