They say that every real snowflake is unique in shape and pattern – no two are the same and many are not even symmetrical. This is very difficult to emulate when making Christmas/winter decorations and indeed many snowflakes that you can buy in shops are very stylised. One way of giving a snowflake an individual character is by making them yourself. Even if you make several from the same pattern they will still look slightly different depending on tightness and how they were blocked out. I find that handmade decorations bring a warmth and ambiance to the home that shop bought ones mostly lack. And if you have made them yourself for your own home or for a gift for someone else they will be even more special!
This is the first pattern that I have written out for my snowflake designs and it includes 3 different snowflakes – similar in design but in different sizes. I made mine with 3-ply linen yarn from a shop on Etsy, but they can be made with any yarn – linen or cotton may be better than wool as they keep their shape better, but even wool can be blocked out and stiffened.
This photo shows the largest snowflake made with 4 different yarns: (clockwise from top left) 4-ply cotton from Paton, 3-ply linen from Linenspirit, 2-ply linen from Linenspirit, Coats Anchor Aida no 20.The largest one measures 15 cm from tip to tip, the second largest 13 cm and the two smaller ones 10 cm from tip to tip. There are many other yarns available that would be suitable, but my favourite is linen yarn as it gives the snowflakes a very rustic look and keeps its shape better. After blocking out the snowflakes I apply a thin layer of PVA glue/water mixture to the back of the snowflakes as the larger ones will not hold their shape when hanging if they have just been blocked out or sprayed with fabric starch. Sugar starch might work better than fabric starch.
The 3 patterns are available together as a PDF file. There are photo illustrations of the different stages of the pattern included with one of the snowflakes to make it easier to follow for beginners. There is also a guide in how to make a board for blocking out the snowflakes and a PDF file included in the download with a template with two six-pointed crosses/stars to help when pinning out. The PDF is available for a small sum in my Etsy shop or Ravelry store. You can also see the individual patterns for free here on my blog, but without the photo tutorial and guide to blocking:
The snowflakes look beautiful when hanging 3 or 4 on a string in a window or when hanging from a collection of bare branches or on the Christmas tree.
© SARAPHIR QAA-RISHI
