Snowflakes Crochet pattern

'That time' of year is approaching rapidly and I thought I would put a little project together for Christmas, with my current fascination for all things crochet it seemed a natural progression to crochet something and a snowflake seemed a fine idea!
I've had a look around to see what's already being produced and decided to put my little design slant on it - with a bit of glitter, beads and fluff....we all need a bit of sparkle at Christmas....I've been pretty busy producing these and there are many variations but they are all using the same pattern so what I have done is produced the pattern and then below a picture of the snowflake I have placed the instructions of the yarns I have used.
For my snowflakes I used Rowan Kid Silk Haze - double, a 4 ply lurex yarn and clear beads which were threaded on to the mohair before I started to crochet and I also used a 3mm crochet hook.  On the largest snowflake I also used a Rowan Cotton Glace in Pale Grey.
Hope you enjoy this pattern you'll find it seriously addictive even if you make a few or a blizzard of them!

Materials

3mm crochet hook

Rowan Kid Silk Haze - used double shade 642 Ghost

Rowan Cotton Glace - Pale grey

Anchor Artiste Metallic

Debbie Abrahams Beads - size 6 Colour 34

Abbreviations: English, American in bracket

ch - chain

dc - double crochet (sc - single crochet)

tr - treble (dc - double crochet)

htr - half treble ( hdc - half double crochet)

sl st - slip stitch

Thread beads on to mohair.

Begin with ch 3, sl st to for a ring.

Rnd 1. Ch3 (counts as a tr), 1tr into ring, *(ch2, 2tr) in ring, repeat from* 4 more times ch2 then sl st to top of ch3. 6 spaces

Rnd 2.  Ch4 (counts as a tr and ch1), * (tr, ch2, tr)in next ch2 space, ch1 rep from* 4 more times tr in last space produced by ch2 on previous row join with htr to 3rd chain of ch4.

Rnd 3.  Ch3 (counts as tr), (tr, ch1, pull bead up, ch1, 2tr) in space made by joining htr, dc in next ch1 space,*(2tr, ch1, pull bead up, ch1, 2tr) in next ch2 space, dc in next ch1 space, repeat from* around, join with a sl st to top of ch 3.

Rnd 4.  Ch3 ( counts as a tr), *(3tr, ch1, pull bead up, ch2, 3tr) in next ch2 space, tr in next tr, skip 1tr, dc in next dc, skip 1tr, tr in next tr, repeat from * around missing last tr, join with a sl st to the top of your ch3.

Rnd 5.  Ch3 (counts as a tr),*tr in next 2 tr, (3tr, ch3, 3tr) in next ch3 space, tr in next 3 tr, skip 1 tr, dc in next dc, skip 1 tr, tr in next tr, repeat from * around, omitting last tr, join to top of ch3. 

Rnd 6.  Ch1, dc in each 5tr, *3dc across ch3, dc in each 6 tr, 1dc in dc,dc in each 6 tr, repeat from * 4 times more then 3dc across ch3, dc in each 6 tr, sl st to ch1 at start of round.

Fasten off.

Small snowflake: Round 1 &2 in lurex

Round 3 - Kid Silk Haze (double) and beads

Medium snowflake: Round 1&2 in lurex

Round 3 & 4 - Kid Silk Haze (double) and beads 

Large snowflake: Round 1&2 in lurex

Round 3 - Kid Silk Haze (double)

Round 4 - lurex

Round 5 - Kid Silk Haze (double) and beads

I thought this would make a nice wine coaster for a dinner setting

Round 1 - lurex

Round 2&3 - Cotton glace

Round 4 - lurex

Round 5 - Cotton Glace

Round 6 - Kid Silk Haze (double)

Hand Knitted Things

Just thought I'd let you see what I won in a 'giveaway' on Etsy from Hand Knitted Things, I first came across Julia's work on Etsy because I particularly like it but then when I read her profile I noted that she lived in a gorgeous part of the world - Wester Alligin on the West Coast of Scotland.  I'd  been 'following' her for a while and then saw she was doing a 'giveaway' on Etsy that I entered .....which I won although I was technically the runner-up as the winner did not collect the prize!  
So I won my little sheep 'Hamish' and he is going on my workroom wall.....

Check Hand Knitted Things out - there's some lovely ideas for Christmas presents and they arrive beautifully presented and packaged......and thank you again Julia!

My latest project....AMENDED

Thought it was about time that I posted something new on the 'creative' front and this is my latest creation - a rib style knitted cowl that is reversible.  I knitted it with Noro and Rowan Creative Focus Worsted but you could knit this with any Aran style yarn that takes 5mm needles.  I designed it with the idea of it using 3 balls of wool: 100gms of the multi coloured yarn and 50gms of the solid colour, I used a circular needle so I didn't have to do any seams and I could carry the 2 shades through from one rib to the other.  I had some yarn over so I made a co-ordinating cuff for it but this is optional and not essential.
The Creative Focus yarn comes in 100grm balls but Up Country will split the yarn and you can get the yarn as a pack.
When the cowl is worn it is held in the rib form - so there's no folding of layers if you know what I mean: you will if you have worn a cowl before!

So this is the yarn that I used.....with the 5mm circular needle:80cm

This is the finished item

This is it full length....

And this is the reverse of it - with more of the Creative Focus showing...

and finally this is the pattern....

PLEASE NOTE THIS HAS BEEN ALTERED FROM PREVIOUS PATTERN:

Materials:

2 balls of Noro Silk Garden - shade 301

1 ball - 50gms - Rowan Creative Focus Worsted  shade 1107

Circular needle 5mm - 80 cm for cowl
5mm needles for cuff

3 buttons

Cast on 200 sts with Noro yarn, continue in the round-

Next row: Knit for 7 rounds

Introduce 2nd yarn,

Next row: Purl for 5 rounds

When you change colour carry the other shade through so it is intertwined with your knitting and there will not be any loose yarn.

These 12 rows in total form the rib pattern, repeat 12 rounds three times more then repeat first seven rounds again.

Cast off.

You should have enough yarn to make a cuff for the scarf:

Cast on 50 sts in the Noro yarn using 5mm needles.

Next row: Knit

Next row: Purl

Next row: Knit

Next row: Purl 4, cast off 4, Purl to end

Next row:  Knit 42sts, cast on 4, knit to end

Next row: Purl

Change to 2nd yarn,

Next row: Purl

Next row: Knit

Repeat last 2 rows twice more.

Repeat last 12 rows once more, then repeat first 6 rows.  Cast off.

Attach 3 buttons on other end of cuff to match buttonholes.