Saturday, November 8, 2008

Pretty snowflake decorations

Over the last few days I've been crocheting a few snowflakes. They're such fun to make - I love crocheting lacy things and snowflakes  often combine a lot of my favourite crochet lace techniques. The one in these pictures  wasn't stiffened when I took these photos - I thought it looked nice as it was, all soft and un-starched. The photos were taken in our frontyard. . . 

Here's the pattern for making this particular snowflake. It's surprisingly simple, you really only need basic crocheting skills to make it. I found this pattern online and printed it out several years ago. I don't think the original pattern is available on the net anymore, so I'll share it here. Just note that this is not my pattern, it's Priscilla Hewitt's! And for lots more gorgeous snowflake patterns, go to Crochet Pattern Central.

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Priscilla Hewitt’s Picot Snowflake Ornament

Aus and NZ crocheters bear in mind that 1 US dc = 1 tr, 1 US sc = 1 dc, and so on.

Materials:Small amount crochet cotton and Steel crochet hook [I don’t think it really matters what cotton and hook you use. Just pick whatever cotton you like – I used some medium-fine mercerised white crochet cotton – then find a hook that seems the right size, according to how thick the cotton is and whether you are a tight or a loose crocheter - Editrix]

Pattern Note: There should be an unworked ch between each picot.

To make dc picot: ch 5, dc in the 4th ch from hook

To make cluster picot: ch 5, yo insert hook in the 4th ch from hook and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, insert hook in the same ch and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops on hook, yo and pull through all 3 remaining loops on hook, sl st in the same ch

Work tightly for best results. If you tend to crochet loosely, use a smaller size hook.

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Ch 6; join with a sl st in the first chain to form ring

Round 1: Ch 3 to count as the first dc, work 11 more dc in the rings; join with a sl st to the top of the beginning ch 3. (12 dc)

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in the same st as joining, (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in the next dc, *sc in the next dc, (2 dc, ch 3, 2 dc) in the next dc * Repeat from * to * 4 times; join with a sl st to the first sc. (6 “points”)

Round 3:Ch 1, sc in the same st as joining, (dc picot, cluster picot, dc picot), ch 1, sl st in the same sc, ch 1, 2 dc in the next ch-3 sp, work 2 dc picots, work 3 cluster picots, working along the other side, skip 3 cluster picots, sl st in the next unworked ch, (ch 4, dc in the 4th ch from hook, skip next dc picot, sl st in the next unworked ch) 2 times, 2 dc in the same 3-ch sp, she 1 skip next 2 dc, *sc in the next sc, (dc picot, cluster picot, dc picot), ch 1, sl st in the same sc, ch 1, 2 dc in the next ch-3 sp, work 2 dc picots, work 3 cluster picots, working along the other side, skip 3 cluster picots, sl st in the next unworked ch, (ch 4, dc in the 3rd ch from hook, skip next dc picot, sl st in the next unworked ch) 2 times, 2 dc in the same ch-3 sp, ch. 1, skip next 2 dc* Repeat from * to * 4 times; join with a sl st to the first sc. Fasten off. Weave in ends. 

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Finishing [optional]

You’ll need: Fabric stiffener, small zip lock bag, stainless steel straight pins or wooden toothpicks, waxed paper, sheet of flat Styrofoam, fishing line.

Place snowflake and fabric stiffener in a small plastic zip lock bag. Work stiffener into the snowflake through the closed bag then let it soak for at least one hour. Place a sheet of waxed paper on a flat sheet of Styrofoam. Remove snowflake from bag then wring out any excess stiffener. Shape snowflake on waxed paper paper and tack in place with pins or toothpicks. Allow to dry completely. Remove pins. Add a loop of fishing line to the snowflake to hang.

18 comments:

emme said...

Lovely...though I must admit that I love lacy, delicate crocheted snowflakes much more than I do real ones! ☺

~Emily

The Editrix said...

Lol! I would love to see real snow just once, to satisfy my curiosity. It never snows here.

But, if I lived in a place where there was a lot of snow, I think the novelty would wear off pretty quickly!

Clare said...

Those are beautiful!

I live in a place where the snow can last all the way into April and May. I love, love, love beyond words snow in December and for perhaps the first couple months of the year, but when you long for spring and simply get snow it's quite frustrating.

Nevertheless, I love my snow!

The Editrix said...

April or May - that's just about six months. Snow for half of the year. . . hmmm, I can certainly understand why you would begin to long for spring!!

I'm glad you liked the crocheted snowflakes :)

Anna-Ruth said...

They are absolutely beautiful!

The Editrix said...

Thankyou! I think they're beautiful too, which is partly why I love making them. :)

And thanks for following me, Isabella!

Unknown said...

We got snow just a few weeks ago. Seriously, it's awesome seeing it fall ay. But when it lands, everyone plays in it and gets wet. That is when the lounge starts to look like a wardrobe with damp jackets hanging about in it. [We don't get enough snow to all have proper snow gear or the strategy to deal with wet stuff.] The house gets muffy and younger siblings don't want to leave the snow alone, thus more wet, stuffy air and wet floor inducing clothes and shoes keep appearing by the fire!
Mind you, snowy and wintery weather are great excuses to watch fantastic films such as pride and prejudice. - Good memories!
But then you get cold and the frost makes the snow hard and nasty.
Yeah, I much prefer Spring and Summer.

The Editrix said...

:D! Oh dear. . . yes, I can just imagine the mess it would all make with younger siblings tramping in and out of the house. . . maybe it's just as well we don't get snow here!

My favourite time of the year is probably winter. I love every season, but we get such lovely mild winters here. We had only a couple of mild frosts this past winter. . . I like it when the nights are just cool enough for you to be able to snuggle up under all the bedcovers at night without waking up hot in the middle of the night!

Anna-Ruth said...

I prefer spring! I love all the blossoms that come out! There is this one street in darfeild, where it has huge bloosoming trees all the way down. It's absolutely amazing! the only dissapointment is that it is a really, really short street!

Oh, and Eadrix just to let you know... there are two Isabella Clintons, yup, we confuse everyone!
But we are going to have different nicknames or initials, we just have to decide! Tell you when it happens!

The Editrix said...

Whaaat? You mean there are two of you who have been commenting on my blog? Do you have different blogs, or do you share the same blog/s?

I am confused!

Livi said...

They are beautiful!

Anna-Ruth said...

We share the same blog! And no, it's only been me! I'm Simone and my blog intials are I.E.C don't know what the other Isabella's are yet! :)
I.E.Clinton

The Editrix said...

So which blog is it that you share? On your profile it says you have three blogs, but it doesn't list other team members for any of your blogs. Do you share the same profile, too?

Anna-Ruth said...

Yup! Sure do! It started out as a joke, aka, watajoke!

The Editrix said...

Okaaaayyy. . . I think I've got it now. I think.

The Editrix said...

I still think that this is all kind of weird, though! :)

Anna-Ruth said...

What! Me weird! Ok... You're probably darn right!

The Editrix said...

LOL!