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Hi Theaca, I am interested in the easier patterns for crocheting snowflakes if you still have time to point me in the direction. I don't really know what the granny square (I think that was what you called it) is though, so maybe I'm not ready to do that!? Thanks for your ideas and suggestions.
Do you know how to do big stitches like the double crochet, triple crochet, half double crochet, double triple crochet, etc? Snowflakes tend to have some single crochets, some of those bigger stitches sometimes, a lot of chain stitches with single crochet for joining. You might want to go ahead and buy a small crochet hook. They are the grey metal ones with sizes in the numbers, rather than letters. I think 1 is larger than 10, but I could have it backwards. I'd buy like a 1 and get some crochet thread size 10 I think, that's a thicker, less fine crochet thread. Practice it a bit. See how you have to hold the stitches tighter, as Crow's Wife said.
Snowflakes are done in rounds, not rows, of course, starting at the center. She asked you about granny squares because they too are round and started at the center. But if you can do those stitches I mentioned, and follow instructions, and you can work the hook and thread appropriately, you can probably manage the snowflakes just fine. I can look for some free online patterns, or maybe email a couple of simple ones scanned from a book of mine.
Posts: 1014 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Here is a nice snowflake. Nice picture, clear directions (well, I didn't read them THAT closely). Take a look and see if this sort of pattern seems interesting to you.
Sorry if I got you and Crows Wife confused. I will check out the links!
I have a tiny crochet hook that I used to crochet beads on my daughters socks so they clink when she walks (sounds weird but is really cute and she loves them...), so I think I have a hook that will work.
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If your hook is extremely tiny, you'll need a smaller crochet thread. Size 20 or 30. Basically, if the thread is too thick to be easily carried by the hook, then you need thinner thread. So if you find yourself frustrated by the thread constantly slipping off, get thinner crochet thread. That is not to be confused with regular needle thread, which is of course much thinner.
BTW I love making 3d crocheted angels and bells and balls. Same techniques.
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As far as stiffening goes, I used to use white glue, but it actually yellows with age. So now I like just using sugar and water. It has been holding up VERY well and some of my things are 10 years old. I haven't tried fabric stiffener yet, but I might next time. To stiffen I take corrugated cardboard and put saran wrap over it, then put the soaked ornaments out flat on it, with pins stuck into the cardboard to stretch the ornament flat. Works great. I use ballons in the ball ornaments for stiffening. The angels and bells are still a struggle for me to stiffen correctly.
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I've never tried snowflakes, but for doilies I've made, I used a mixture of cornstarch and water as a stiffener. I've never heard of using sugar - wouldn't that end up attracting ants and other undesirable pests? Posts: 952 | Registered: Jun 2005
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My grandma uses Sugar and Water instead of fabric softener. I counted the doilies (using these techniques), at her house during thanksgiving, about 50 were out and on things, under plants, on arm cushions, the coffee table, everywhere. According to my dad she had some that were 3-D and stood up to about 8 inches off the table, with swirls and flowers. We have snowflakes, angels, flowers, little granny squares sewn on socks.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
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I've never seen any ants or anything. And mine and my mom's have been stored in East Texas for years. I figure since it is so dry that it just isn't very attractive to pests. I store them in a plastic bin in Indiana now, but I used to store them in cardboard boxes in Texas without any trouble.
(Edit: but I wouldn't dare try storing the snowflakes in a kitchen! Just a bit too daring for me.)
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I just saw this thread. sweetbaboo, I got your email but I've been busy with housework and church the last couple of days. I'll just post my information here, so others can benefit as well.
First off, different hook manufacturers have different sizing standards. The two main companies are Boye (used to be Wright's) and Susan Bates. For thread crochet I prefer Susan Bates, but either will work. Most hooks will say their brand/size on the side. Usually the size is just a random number, but if you're lucky it will also say the width in milimeters. I have a chart that shows how the different brands' sizes compare to each other in mm-width. I can post it if people are interested.
For size 10 crochet cotton, which is the size most patterns are written for, you want a hook that is 1.6-1.7 mm wide. That would be a number 7 Boye/Wright's or a number 6 Susan Bates. I think the next size larger thread that you can get in craft stores is size 3. You'd probably want about a 2.75 mm hook, which would be a Boye #1 or a Susan Bates #00. You would want to try it with several sizes and see which felt the best.
I can give more thread/hook recommendations if people want them for smaller sizes.
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Most snowflake patterns make liberal use of picots, which most people find rather annoying. An example of a picot would be to chain 5 and then slip stitch in the third chain from the hook. They get easier the more you do them.
The first link Theaca posted was one that I found as well. It looks easy and there is a nice finished product, but it does call for picots.
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I have used both cornstarch and commercial fabric starch to stiffen snowflakes. They give similar results, but of course the commercial stuff is easier to work with. You want the concentrated kind, not the spray-on.
I've read the sugar water can give the snowflakes a nice sparkle, but if you live somewhere humid it can attract ants and lose its stiffness. Glue or the stiffener you get at craft stores will both yellow in time. They are also permanent, which means that if you didn't get it stretched perfectly the first time, you're out of luck.
I always wash my snowflakes (and all other thread crochet) before stiffening, because the oils from my hands have usually made it a bit dingy by the time I finish. I just put a little bit of laundry detergent in a dish and soak it overnight, then rinse the next morning.
My stretching setup is similar to Theaca's. I have a big piece of foamboard (from an office supply store) that is covered with wax paper. You can use any kind of pins, as long as they won't rust when exposed to moisture, but if you plan to do a lot of snowflakes then you may wish to invest in T-pins. They are much easier on the fingers and the tops won't come off like the ball-tipped pins.
To ensure that you end up with symmetrical snowflakes, you'll want to tape a guide to the board under the wax paper/plastic wrap. This way you will stretch all of the points to the same length. Unfortunately, the site where I got my guide no longer exists. I'll need to poke around on my computer to see if I have a copy of it still. If so, I'll post it on my webserver for anyone who wants it.
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That sounds great. I haven't actually made snowflakes in several years. I do have a question--do you ever make the bells? How do you stiffen it in the right shape?
I think I would stuff saran wrap in and then pin the edges down. Never too happy with results though.
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I found the snowflake guide! You can download it here. Just print out as many copies as you want and attach it to your board under the wax paper/plastic wrap.
As a side note, this will only help with true snowflakes, ie ones with six or twelve points. There are a lot of designs out there for eight-pointed "snowflakes." I've even seen a few patterns for five points.
Theaca, I've never made 3D bells, but here are some ideas. You could try a foam ball or cone that's a little bit larger than you want and pare down the sides until it's in the right shape. Maybe some sort of modeling clay covered in plastic wrap would work, as long as the clay wouldn't stick to the pins when they are pulled out.
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