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.