Snowflake Extravaganza

I have this ambition to make an heirloom bedspread in thread crochet, and as a result, I am in possession of nearly 2 miles of white cotton thread and about 8 finished bedspread motifs.  (I don't anticipate finding myself with a finished bedspread any time soon; perhaps I'll finish it by the time my daughter is ready to move out of the house.)

I have used this thread to make several other things in the meantime--the dresser scarf I've already posted about, the table runner that is currently hibernating, several bookmarks and other small sundries.  Since the thread is no longer dedicated solely to bedspread construction, I now spend lots of time doing thread crochet.  My mom tells me I look very focused when I work; I think really I'm just trying to see the stitches.

At any rate, I now present for your viewing pleasure several snowflakes I've constructed for my co-workers. I found all of the patterns for free on Ravelry. I didn't get good detail shots of the ones I made for work because the camera battery died as I was rushing out the door to deliver said snowflakes.  Still, I have a group shot.

I also made snowflakes for the kiddos in my life to contribute to their growing ornament collections.   The photos below include shots before and after blocking in order to demonstrate the difference a little patience makes. Some of the ones I made for work are merely starched and pressed rather than blocked; the ones I made for the kiddos turned out much better.

Elder Niece is quite a good crocheter herself, so I went ornate.  To the left is fresh off the hook.  To the right is the pinned and stiffened finished product.  Pattern is the first one here.

Nephew is getting a pointier ornament.  The blocking process is very important in this ornament, as is clearly seen in these two shots. Find the pattern here.

My son chose the most involved snowflake to add to his collection.  The one on the left is pretty; after blocking it has a lot more structure. Here is the pattern.

Younger Niece's snowflake has more structure on its own because of the heavy outer stitches.  Blocking makes it pointier, but it doesn't change it much. It's the first pattern on this page.





Daughter's is made more elegant by blocking. It's the second pattern here.

This is my first attempt at snowflakes.  For blocking, I pinned them to a piece of cardboard covered in plastic wrap, sprayed them with heavy starch, and let them dry overnight.  They are holding their shape for now, but they aren't stiff, and I imagine they will be a little less structured as time wears on. Of course, they are washable and can be reshaped.

Next time, I'll likely make a glue and water solution, soak and pin them, and let them dry.  I think they will be more durable that way.

One last shot of a snowflake under construction.