Sand Dollar Snowflake

After much waiting, here is my first version of my Sand Dollar Snowflake. After it has been done by at least a few members of the Snowflake Monday CAL (as its testing regime :')...), I will add it to my Ravelry shop as a free download.

Sand Dollar Snowflake

American Terms

Sample made with size 10 white thread with silver metallic wrap and US size 8 steel hook – finished dimensions of 7.5 cm/3 in diameter from point to point.

Special stitches:

Popcorn: 5 dc in same stitch, remove hook from working loop, insert hook through top of first dc in popcorn stitch, grab working loop with hook and pull through top of first dc, ch-1 to lock stitch.

Chain 5 and join with sl st to form a ring.

Round 1: Ch 1, 12 sc in ring, join with sl st to first sc. [12 sc}

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), 4 dc in same stitch, remove hook from working loop, insert hook through 3^rd chain (top of ch-3), grab working loop with hook and pull through chain, ch-1 to lock {beginning popcorn stitch completed}, ch 1, (skip next sc, popcorn in next sc, ch 1)5 times, join with sl st to locking chain of beginning popcorn stitch. [6 popcorn stitches, 6 ch-1 spaces]

Round 3: (Sl st into next ch 1 sp, ch 5, sl st in same ch 1 sp) 6 times [6 ch-5-loops]

Round 4: Sl st in next 3 chains of ch-5-loop, ch 1, sc in ch-5-loop, (ch 5, sc in next ch 5 loop) 5 times, ch 5, join with sl st to 1^st sc. [6 ch 5 spaces]

Round 5: Ch 3 (counts as first dc), (in next ch 5 sp: (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc); dc in next sc) 5 times, in next ch 5 sp: (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc); join with sl st to 3^rd chain of initial ch 3. [30 dc, 6 ch 2 sp]

Round 6: * (Sl st in next dc) 2 times, in ch 2 sp: (sl st, ch 9, sl st); ** sl st in next 3 dc; repeat from * 4 more times, repeat from * to ** once, sl st in next 2 dc, sl st to 1^st sl st. [6 ch-9 loops separated by slip stitches]

Round 7: sl st into next sl st, *skip next sl st [working into chains of ch-9 loop: (dc in next ch) 2 times, (hdc in next ch) 2 times, (sc, ch3, sc) in next ch, (hdc in next ch) 2 times, (dc in next ch) 2 times] skip next sl st ** (sl st in next sl st) 3 times; Repeat from * 4 more times; Repeat from * to ** once more, sl st in next sl st. [6 points containing a total of 24 dc, 24 hdc and 6 ch-3 picots (sc, ch 3, sc), separated by slip stitches]

Round 8: mark joining slip stitch of row with stitch marker * ch 3, sk next sl st, sl st in next sl st, ch 3, sk dc, sl st in next dc, ch 3, sk hdc, sl st in next hdc, ch 3, sk sc, (sl st, ch 3, sl st, ch 3, sl st, ch 3, sl st) in ch 3 space, ch 3, sk sc, sl st in hdc, ch 3, skip next hdc, sl st in dc, ch 3, sk next dc, sl st in sl st, ch 3, sk next sl st, sl st in next sl st ** Repeat between * and ** 5 more times – on the final sl st you will sl st to the marked joining slip stitch. [48 ch-3 loops plus 6 triple-ch-3-loops on points.]

Finish off, wash, stiffen and block as desired.

Counting Chains

I have been having a conversation with KnittySuzie on the Learn Crochet Group on Ravelry regarding how to count chain stitches in crochet. I have made a little video to illustrate my instructions as I think we may be having a terminology misunderstanding. This is my virtual answer to meeting up to stitch together in a coffee shop, but, if ever you're in Sydney...  :') : (I am partial to a skim cappuccino or mocha myself...)

New Snowflake Design - Crystal Lace Snowflake

So, I am trying to design some more things this year and have set myself a goal of at least 2 - 4 snowflakes for the Snowflake Mondays CAL on Crochetville. I am trying to use pics of actual snowflakes as inspiration. This flake is my attempt at the centre of Bentleys flake #890. I haven't yet got my head around how to do the plate-like branches, but that will be another flake :).

I am open to comments and suggestions, this will be flake of the week for the SM2009 CAL for Week 3 (11 January), which will constitute the testing phase. I am WAAAAYYY open for name suggestions as well, please leave suggestions as a comment here or in the SM2009 thread or PM me at Crochetville... thanks! Well, I've decided (I think) :').

CRYSTAL LACE SNOWFLAKE

PATTERN (American terms)

chain = ch

slip stitch = sl st

single crochet = sc (UK/Aus dc)

double crochet = dc (UK/Aus tr)

treble crochet = tr (UK/Aus dtr)

chain # space = ch-# sp (space formed by the # of chains done in the previous round)

Special stitches:

Dc2tog: (Yo, insert hook in next stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through 2 loops) 2x, yo pull through all 3 loops remaining on hook.

Grounded picot: ch 3, sl st to top of stitch you chained from.

Chain 4, join to first chain with a sl st to form ring.

ROUND 1: Chain 2, dc into ring (these count as the first dc2tog), ch 3, (dc2tog into ring, ch 3) 5x, sl st to first full dc (NOT into the top of the ch2). [=6 dc2tog, 6 ch-3 spaces]

ROUND 2: Ch 1,  (sc into stitch (mark if necessary), 3 sc into ch-3 space) 6x, sl st to first sc. [= 24sc)

ROUND 3: Ch 1, sc in same stitch (ch 5, skip 3 sc, sc in next stitch, *ch 3, dc in sc just made, grounded picot, dc in same sc, ch 3 and sl st into same sc**) 5x; ch 5, skip 3 sc, sl st to initial sc of round, repeat instructions between * and ** into the sc you just sl st into. [= 6 picot-topped branchlets, 6 ch-5 spaces]

ROUND 4: Sl st into next ch-5 space, ch 2 (counts as first hdc), 4 hdc into ch-5 sp, ch 3, sc in picot loop, ch 3, (5 hdc in ch-5 sp, ch 3, sc in picot loop, ch 3) 5x; sl st to top of initial ch 2. [= 6 5hdc blocks, 12 ch-3 spaces]

ROUND 5: Sl st across hdcs and into next ch-3 sp, ch 3 (counts as first dc), 4 dc in ch-3 sp, tr in next sc, grounded picot in tr, tr in same sc, 5 dc in ch-3 sp, (5 dc in next ch-3 sp (you will be skipping the hdc blocks), tr in next sc, grounded picot in tr, tr in same sc, 5 dc in next ch-3 sp) 5x, sl st to top of initial ch 3 of round. [=12 5dc groups, 6 picot-topped 2-treble groups to form 6 picot-topped curved points...]

Finish off. Weave in ends. Wash, block and stiffen as desired.

Samples: Larger flake done in white #10 Cebelia with a size 9 Boye steel hook: measures  2 3/4" across between points. Smaller flake done in silver-wrapped white Altin Basak size 50 (size 30 equivalent) thread with size 11 Boye hook: measures 2" across between points.