Snowflake Monday Christmas Special

In honour of the new granddaughter:

A "ruby" flake for Ruby's first Christmas! The pattern is called "Lovely Snowflake" and it's from a book, but I don't know which one. Sorry all you pattern hounds.







But we've since had an additional new addition.

DS and his partner are in the process of adopting Matthew. He came home with them 4 December. So, naturally, he has a flake, too:

I think this is a nice, boyish flake for Matthew's first Christmas. It's #8 from Sally V George's Crochet Works.

Both flakes were made with Anchor Arista thread and a 2 hook.






Boy and girl grandbabies, just in time for Christmas - perfect!

A new flake for Snowflake Monday

A member of Crochet Partners recently posted a link to her new Crochet Lace Snowflake pattern. It was a must-try!


So I did. :-)










Her sample is blocked much more gently than mine and has a nice, rounded look to it. I'll have to make another one and try not to pin it out quite so vigourously, LOL.

It was a fun flake to work and so nice to find a fresh, new pattern. Anyone else designing out there?

Snowflake Monday

Hot on the heels of my previous Snowflake Monday post (well, only 4 weeks; that's good for me!)

This is the Chain Loop Snowflake from the Better Homes and Gardens website.










This is the Open Chain Loop Snowflake from the same page.










And this one is Snowflake No.4 from More Snowflakes in Crochet Thread by Mary Thomas, ASN #1038.

Long time no flake

Ten Mondays have passed since I last made a Snowflake Monday post. That's because almost that much time has passed since I made a snowflake. But the arrival of September made me aware that Christmas is not all that far off.

The first flake is Snowflake No.11 from ASN Crocheted Snowflakes by Mary Thomas #1025(25).










The second is Snowflake No.2 from ASN More Snowflakes by Mary Thomas #1038 (go Mary!).









Three more to go and I'll have one gift dozen out of the way. Then, hopefully, I'll be able to make a few more for myself this year.

Late Snow

Surprise! Another Snowflake Monday post - just when you'd given up hope.

Nothing new here - these are flakes I've blogged about before. The left-hand one is by Noel Nevins. If you're already a member of CrochetSnowflakes you can access the pattern, otherwise, sorry, but no one's moderating the group at the moment so you wouldn't be able to join. And the right-hand one is from LA Thread Tree Trims leaflet 2836.

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it

I realise that you must all be very concerned about the fact that I haven't been making any Snowflake Monday posts for a while (meh, humour me). Here it is, a third of the way through the year, and I've only made 9 snowflakes. What ever could the matter be??

Well, mainly it's the fault of this little tadpole here:
No, not me you idiot! At my age?? This little girl (yes, apparently it's a girl) is on her way to becoming our first grandchild. Early October.

So, naturally, I've been crocheting baby stuff like a mad thing since we got the news in February. Snowflakes will just have to wait their turn. Here are the results of my efforts so far:













Heirloom Baby Blanket and Crocheted Hat and Jacket for Baby (the mittens and booties are my design)














Baby, It's Cold Outside (BICO) and Shining Star baby blanket from 50 Sensational Crocheted Afghans and Throws (WIP).

In addition, I've made another pair of booties, a BICO for another mum-to-be and seven chicken potholders.
Okay, so the chickens are nothing to do with babies. But they're cute.

I even have one as my avatar on Ravelry and Flickr.

A low-key Snowflake Monday

This is my latest snowflake for Snowflake Monday. This is #14 from ASN Crocheted Snowflakes book 1025(25).

I'm not being very productive in the SF department this year. Perhaps because I made so many last year. And because I don't need quite so many this year so I'm not feeling pressured (yet) to crank them out.

Snowflake Monday

Yoohoo! Sus! Lookie, lookie.


It's Monday.











                         There are snowflakes.








It must be




Actually, these two were ready for last Monday but we had such lovely weather that DH just went out for the day (I only work Tue-Fri). So no blogging.

The first SF is the one previously seen in it's voodoo stage. Both of these patterns can be found in ASN Crocheted Snowflakes Book 1025(25).

Snowflake Monday+2

(i.e. Snowflake Wednesday - better late than never)


This little guy is called Crystal Snowflake and is from a book called I-know-not-what. I just have a copy of it that someone gave me (copyright? ¿que?).

This one, on the other hand, is online - it's #8 and it's here.

And here is one still at the Voodoo stage, as my friend Sus puts it. This is Snowflake No.12 from ASN Crocheted Snowflakes, book 1025(25).

Last Post in 2007

Hi! I hope you've all had enjoyable holidays.

Things are starting to return to some sort of normal now. I've actually managed to make a couple of snowflakes today (pictured pre-blocking) (both from books, sorry - click here for all my posts with links to online patterns).















Halfway through the first one I realised today was Monday (you lose track of these things when you've been off a while), so these are officially my first Snowflake Monday flakes towards my 2008 total. I'm not aiming for 51 this year but I already know I'm going to need at least 25.

Wishing you all a Very

Been back 7 weeks...

...and haven't posted since Week 1. Figured I'd better post something before the month was out!

I've been busy. In case you hadn't noticed, Christmas is only 27 days away.

If you're a "crafty" person you know how manic the last few weeks before the Big Day can be. No matter how many times I've said "I must start earlier next year", I always end up running out of hours in the day in which to crochet/stitch/bake all the little goodies I want make for everybody. I've had to whittle my list down - if you don't get a hand-made giftie from me this year it's because you've been bumped to next year. Sorry. I did think of you.

There's been a distinct lack of Snowflake Monday posts on my part, but rest assured I have been flaking. I've made 53 snowflakes so far this year. Beat my "51 Flakes by Christmas" deadline by 3 weeks! I've still got a few more to make. Most of them will be given away but I have put a few aside for ME. Come the 1st I'll be hanging them in the front room window. Can't wait!

Despite my mounting pre-Crimble panic I did set aside some time today to take part in Just This Day. Did anyone else here join in?

I really hope I can find some time to post again before Christmas but if I don't manage it... I wish the Handiwork Fairies visit you in the night and finish all your gift projects so you can relax and enjoy the rest of the Holiday Season!

I need a holiday

Hi everyone. Sorry I've been "absent". It's been a bit crazy around here - family stuff. Not over yet but I thought I'd better check in before you all gave up on me.

I have made a snowflake.

It's a bit of a weird situation. Someone at simplysnowflakes wrote that they were having trouble with a pattern they'd gotten from a library book. No picture and they couldn't get the book again. They posted the first 2 rounds of the pattern (there are 3 in all) to see if anyone could make sense of it. This is what I came up with. Whether it's right or not I couldn't say but I thought it came out quite cute as is.

The question is, can I post the pattern? I'd say not, 'coz I haven't actually changed it, at least not intentionally, apart from making it 6 points instead of 8 and not working the last round.

I am set to go on holiday at the end of the month, thankfully, although the preparations for that will no doubt stress me out as well. I'm trying to take it easy until then.

Contingency Plan

We have the delightful L back with us again for a week, so regular blogging has gone out the window.

For this reason I am posting my Snowflake Monday contribution today. Don't know when I'll get another chance!


I managed to make a flake yesterday but I haven't blocked it yet. This is a picture of one I made in the same pattern (not online folks, sorry) last year.

Regular programming will resume next week (I hope).

It's that day again

And I do have a snowflake!

It's "Emily's Snowflake" and the pattern can be found here. Word of warning, though - the reason I made this one is because someone else posted that they'd tried it but there was no picture to go by and the pattern didn't make sense. I'm sorry to say I agree with them. I think it was meant to be an 8-point flake but after a great deal of trial and error I decided to just make my own 6-point version (repeat after me, snowflakes have six points - anything else is a motif).

Here are my adjustments:
Ch 5 and slst to form a loop
Rnd 1) 6 sc
Rnd 2) stet
Rnd 3) as written but work a dc into each ch1 sp and each sc
Rnd 4) first brackets should read (3 dc, 2 ch, 3 dc), repeat all 5 times.
Rnd 5) stet
Rnd 6) as written but repeat from * to * 4 times more

Late Flakes, Holiday Snaps and a Big Brag

Sorry I'm late. Our little guest has (finally) gone home and I'm frantically trying to catch up with everything.

This is simplysnowflakes' SF Sign-up #11. I added an extra "arm" 'coz y'all know I don't do 5-point flakes (or 8 or God forbid 12). I should have reduced the number of chains between each point, though - as it is it came out too "round".





I think last week I promised some pics of L's visit so here goes:


L with the bear she won in the arcade at Seawick Holiday Park (St Osyth, Essex) on one of those crane grabber machines. How did she do that? I have never managed to get one of those machines to grab anything! (She doesn't like having her picture taken - can you tell?)

So then she goes and wins another one. Which she gave to me! Dear, dear child :-) I've named him Reggie - thought you might want to know that.






After Seawick we went to Mistley Place Park where L was "adopted" by a goat - it followed her all along the fence wanting more scratches.






Sometimes the pigs are out wandering around the park but this day they were all asleep, like this snoring porker. Really, he was snoring - it was so cute.


Of course, no holiday would be complete without the classic "joke" shot (DH enjoying an ice cream whilst perusing an information board by the River Stour at Mistley - "bunny ears" provided by L).











And now for the Big Brag. While she was here I taught L how to crochet. The brag is not that I taught her but that she picked it up so quickly! She bought her own yarn and hook at our local needlecraft shop and this is what she made the first day:

She decided it was a coaster. After that she made a little blue scarf for her soon-to-be-born nephew, then a round coaster and then she made this heart for her mum (pattern here):

I know grown women who won't attempt picots but she wasn't fazed in the least. Gosh, I'm proud of her.

Day of the Flake II

In other words, I haven't had a chance to post anything since last Snowflake Monday. Largely to do with the house guest I mentioned last week. Hopefully I'll be able to post some pics of her visit. I say "hopefully" 'coz she's still here but as they're about her I may be allowed some computer time to do it. :-)

So, without further ado, here is simplysnowflakes' Snowflake Sign-up #10.

I like this one, too. Simple - only 2 rounds - but nicely spiky. So I was well annoyed when I discovered that I'd made one of the central spokes too short (see bottom spoke). Must have made two treble crochets instead of double-trebles. Duh! Naturally you don't notice this sort of thing until the flake is glued and pinned.



Update: I just noticed that this is my 100th post! Woohoo!

Day of the Flake

(aka Snowflake Monday, but that gets boring every Monday)


Here is simplysnowflakes' Snowflake Sign-up #9.

I like this one, it's really sweet. But it's quite small - only 2 1/3" in #20 cotton. I think it would benefit from being made with a thicker thread or even yarn.




I may not get much blogging action this week as we have another teenage visitor and I don't really feel like arm-wrestling for the keyboard.

Two for two!

I did it again. I won the simplysnowflakes Homepage Contest (aka Natural Snowflake Contest). Go me!! I'll have to sit the next one out to give the others a chance, LOL!

Here's the flake we had to recreate in cotton:










And here's my version:

Simple Snowflake
(American notation)

Ch4, slst in 1st ch to form ring.

Rnd 1) Ch6, (dc in ring, ch3) x 5, join w slst in 3rd ch at beg of rnd.

Rnd 2) Ch1, sc in same st, ch4, (sc in nxt dc, ch4) around, join w slst in beg sc.

Rnd 3) Ch11, (dc in nxt sc, ch8) around, join w slst in 3rd ch at beg of rnd.

Rnd 4) Ch1, sc in same st, **ch9, sc in nxt dc (= base sc), †(*ch5, hdc in 2nd ch from hk, hdc, sc, slst*, ch7, hdc in 2nd ch from hk, hdc x2, sc x2, slst, repeat btw *'s, slst in base sc)†, repeat from ** x4, ch9, slst in 1st sc of rnd, repeat btw †'s. Finish off.

Copyright © 2007, Judy M Kerr. All Rights Reserved.

As ever, please let me know if you find any mistakes or it just plain doesn't make sense, thanx.

Good news and bad news

The good news is I've managed to crochet a snowflake this week. Two, in fact.

The bad news is I can't show them to you.

Yep, simplysnowflakes is having another Natural Snowflake contest, and this is our inspiration:

So, next week guys. If it's any compensation, there'll be another new pattern for y'all. :-)

No-Flake Monday

I know - all last week you were wriggling with anticipation at seeing my latest SM flake today and I've let you down. I am so sorry.

I tend to work on my flakes at the weekend but on Thursday I came across the news that the Knitting Heretic's husband is ill...

so I had to make some angels for them pronto. (It's my way.)















They could really use some words of encouragement and maybe a little financial help right now so please pay a visit to .

Thank you.