Eclectic Home and Life: Snowflakes

Snow is not just for children

3rd February

I took this photo last week when everyone
was posting their snow pictures!

Hailing from Scandinavian origin there are three things I crave from nature: mountains and trees, lakes and coastal life and finally snow. All over the UK in the past couple of weeks I have been seeing everywhere on social media snow has fallen, everywhere that is except where I live. In North America and Canada they seem to have so much snow it is no longer fun but until this morning, we had nothing, nada, not a little flake even. So much so that I have deliberately kept my crocheted snowflakes up from Christmas in the faint hope it would encourage the weather gods...

Under normal circumstance I would not even bat an eyelid at the amount of snow that graced our gardens this morning, but I am a girl starved I tell you. It has not snowed in our neck of the woods for over two years and for some strange quirk of fate neither have I been to Norway during the snowy months for a couple of years, all this leads to a girl delirious. At 1am when she noticed snowflakes falling out side she became more giddy than words could describe. I confess I was in a dilemma, wake up the sleeping occupants of the house, go outside alone or sit with a dreamy smile on my face? You got it, I had to pad outside in my slippers and put my face up to the sky and let the flakes fall on my skin. It. Felt. Good.

Snowing finally...

Having hormonal teenagers who seem to love their sleep more than anything else at the moment, I awoke them to the glee of snow, to be told, they both knew, had seen it through the window and could they have a little bit more of a lie in before having to get up and ready for school. Where had my excited little ones gone, if you find them, send them back, because these imposters can surely not be my kids. They washed, dressed, ate and left for school with not a snowball made or thrown, phah! I thought to myself, I will play in the snow alone. And so I did.

Firstly, I took some photographs just from the garden whilst the snow was fresh, knowing our climate, the snow will be gone by lunch time...

The pink bench, hardly noticeably in the summer with
all the vegetation creates a needed dash of colour in the winter garden

If you are interested in the pink bench, there is a post about it HERE

Finally the cat came out to join me, so I wasn't alone, but she has never really liked the snow and only managed a few minutes just to see what I was up to and promptly turned her tail and snuck back inside to the warm.

I then needed to play and what else would a crochet, crafty sewing girl do in the snow...

I couldn't resist photographing last nights crochet
make in the snow, it's not often we have such a back drop.

The crochet class blanket is coming along
and looked stunning against the white snow

But really all I wanted to do was to make a snow man and make snow angels in the snow...

Using my upturned felted bowl, makes the mini snowman
look like a colourful Russian me thinks!

Looking at the snow man from my kitchen window
is really putting a smile on my face

♥ Stay warm wherever you are ♥

Snowflakes at Christmas

11th December

Some of the 24 different varieties
of crocheted snowflakes

When I think of Advent, the run up to Christmas and the Big Day itself, it is always with hope of fresh crisp white snow, blanketing the world around me, creating this almost bubble like cossetted effect of, all is well with the world. Of course the number of times here in the UK that this has actually occurred in my life time can probably be counted on one hand, so I am chasing a dream. Unlike mamma and many of my family and friends who already have snow in Norway for Christmas this year. Each year it is the same and this year is no different. So how to get around it? I create my own snow fest and create an impression of white. How do I do this? With homemade snowflakes of course! In our home we have snow flakes made out of crochet and they are in all different shapes and sizes. In each home that I have lived in since leaving the house where I grew up, the crocheted snowflakes have followed me and have grown in number over the years. Some are now beginning to look a little yellowed with age and so it is time to make some more and 'freshen' them up... Yes, on my 'to do' list for the new year. Could someone nudge me in February to get cracking with this ever growing wish list of things to do please!?

The snow flakes are added to the window with white tack and there they smile at us each day. During day light hours, not so many any more as we are fast approaching the shortest day of the year, they cheer us up no end and in the evening the lamplight glow catches on the white and brings extra warmth into our home at night.

I do not have any specific patterns that are used, but have below collated a few snowflake patterns for you to have a dabble and play with. Join me in adding snow to your home at Christmas. Remember though that it is important to block your crochet to achieve the desired finished effect, just look at the difference it can make.

For those of you who do not crochet (yet!) there are a couple of other options to enjoy too. Below the crochet patterns are some linked to great sites for paper cutting your own snowflakes, such intricate details and fine cutting is amazing. Something for the boys too, even Darth Vader snowflakes! imagine! However, should you wish, you do not need to cut snowflakes out of paper or card, but could use material instead, felt would be particularly good for this and a more permanent solution, which can be brought out year on year and be another added tradition to your home as it is to ours.

Enjoy snow flaking!

Snowflake crochet patterns:

Lucy at Attic 24 has very clear instructions with photographs step by step, it is a fantastic website.
http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-snowflake.html

A great book to use if you become addicited to this ideas and would like to have different snowflakes, then this is for you!