Monday 22 December 2014

Tatting Pattern : Jessica Snowflake

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Talk about timing ! Now that all the tatting has been done, ornaments put up, wishes sent, ……
But I’d much rather talk about inspiration ! Inspiration not from within, but from all you awesome tatters & designers, and all your fun projects that you keep sharing. I finally dropped my crochet hook yesterday & picked up my shuttles – I just Had to, despite my resolution to tat tree ornaments, etc. only in the next season. And despite the fact that I really am enjoying my crochet afghan.

Anyways, here’s my 1st snowflake & I’m calling it Jessica Snowflake – you guessed it – after Kersti’s Jessica Bookmark. I wanted to do something quick & something I’d done before – you understand my hurry, right ? Also my post on Encircling got me thinking along the lines of compressing the circle still further to make a 6-sided snowflake from an edging. Here goes …
Oh, and this is also my final motif for the 25 Motif Challenge for 2014 ! Will be joining again, of course :-)

Jessica Snowflake           
Pattern derived from Kersti Anear’s Jessica Bookmark (click for free pattern)



I used 2 shuttles, in order to climb out of the central ring using a mock picot & Split Ring, and hence accomplishing the snowflake in one round.
This is a fairly simple pattern & can be done with shuttle & ball too. If using only single shuttle, the central ring & adjoining split ring can be done as Single Shuttle Split Rings !
Or for absolute beginners, make the central ring separately, tie, cut. Start Round 2.

I used Red Heart Size 20 in white. However, the size 20 seemed more like size 30, & it is stiffer than Anchor Mercer – ideal for snowflakes !
Size : 3’ across.

Abbreviations & symbols used :
R – ring
Ch – chain
–  – picot
––  – long picot
–––  – longest picot
mp – mock picot
SR  – split ring
+  – join
  – where next repeat is joined to previous one.

Note : Reverse work after each ring & chain, if not following frontside/backside tatting.

Central R : 3––3––3––3––3 mp (long)
** Ch : 3–3
R : 5––5
Ch : 2–22–2–2–2
R : 5+5 (join to picot of previous ring)
Ch : 2–2––2–––2––2–2
R : 5+5
Ch : 2–22–22–2
R : 5+5
Ch : 3–3
R : 5+5 (join to picot of central ring)
Repeat from ** 5 times, joining as one goes, so that one has 6 ‘sides’. Join the last repeat to the 1st one before finishing off.
Tie & cut ends & hide.

Basic stitch-count has been inked in pic below; red denotes rings & blue denotes chains.

This snowflake can also be used as a hexagonal motif, joined together for larger projects.

My thanks to Kersti,  for sharing the pattern .

I 'designed' another snowflake yesterday, but need to do it in white today. Will share pattern as soon as possible.

Motif #25 for 25 Motif Challenge

Happy Tatting :-) 

8 comments:

  1. I've made that bookmark a lot. Love your snowflake version.

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    1. Thanks Jane :-)
      It was after seeing your 2-coloured versions of the bookmark that I first tried out the pattern, leading from one thing to the other .....

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  2. Lovely snowflake :). Thanks for sharing :).

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    1. Most welcome, Jenn ... hope you try it some time :-)

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  3. Very pretty, I love snowflakes and feel I need to make a couple a month just to have a good start for next year. I have run out and given them all away :(

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    1. And you had made so many lovely snowflakes too !!! Well, I'm sure the recipients were a very happy lot :-))
      I guess I will have to tat some regularly too, if I want me Xmas tree full of tatting next season!

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  4. I completely understand getting distracted away from larger projects to pursue design ideas. I'm so excited to see you making snowflakes now! Can't wait to see what you have next!

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    1. All you wonderful people were creating such exquisite, exciting stuff, that I could hold back no longer & made some simpletons ... ;-)

      The next one is made - took more trials y'day, even after the final version because thread sizes played havoc ! Anyway, all done, only writing up the pattern is left ...

      I'm finding snowflake designing is pretty addictive !!! No, must take up my crochet hook again ....

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