Snowflake/Sniezynka

Making crochet snowflakes for Christmas has become a bit of a tradition in my house. They're addictive, easy, fast to make and look cute, especially en masse. I usually use ready patterns found in various books and on the web and this year I have done so, too. However, as I was browsing the web one day, I found a photo of this cute snowflake and decided to try to replicate it in crochet. Well, maybe not replicate it, but at least get the gist of it. To my surprise, this specific snowflake was relatively easy to design and execute, although a bit fiddly due to the thinness of the yarn. A little further in this post, you'll find the recipe for this snowflake. Please, keep in mind that I am not a professional crochet designer/pattern writer. If you find any glaring mistakes in the pattern instructions, please let me know. Enjoy.

Robienie sniezynek szydelkiem jest od jakiegos czasu tradycja w moim domu. Trudno im sie oprzec bo latwe, szybko sie robi i fajnie wygladaja, szczegolnie w duzych ilosciach. Przewaznie robie z gotowych wzorow w ksiazkach, albo z internetu. W tym roku tez tak jest, z tym, ze pewnego dnia, bladzac po internecie, natrafilam na zdjecie takiej oto sniezynki i postanowilam sprobowac ja odtworzyc na szydelku. Nawet latwa byla w projekcie i wykonaniu, tylko ze troche zmudna, bo i nici dosyc cienkie, i powtarzajacy sie wzor. Zalaczam ponizej przepis na te sniezynke, ale po angielsku. Jezeli ktos by chcial po polsku, to poprosze do mnie napisac - chetnie sproboje przetlumaczyc indywidualnie.















Click on the above photo to enlarge.

Recipe for Maggie's Snowflake 1

NOTE: This pattern is for your personal use only. Please do not sell it, or snowflake(s) made from this pattern.

Materials:

I used size 20 cotton crochet thread
Crochet hook size 1.5 mm
Commercially available fabric stiffener

Resulting snowflake is 5 1/8" in diameter.

Abbreviations and additional instructions:

ch - chain(s)
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
tr - treble crochet
sk - skip
sl st - slip stitch

***Make Picot = chain 4, slip stitch into 4th chain from the hook

Please click on the photo of snowflake with explanations drawn on it, in order to enlarge it.


Make a base adjustable ring. Here are instructions on how to do that, from Stitch Diva Studios.

Round 1
Ch 2 (counts as 1 sc + 1 ch), (sc, ch 1) 11 times, slip st to 1st chain of the round. You just completed a base circle, and you should have 12 ch1 spaces.

Round 2
Ch 8 (first 3 chains count as 1 dc), * # hdc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 9, make picot, ch 7, make picot, ch 7, slip st into 7th ch from hook, make picot, slip st into the 3rd slip st from hook (see Fig. 1A [you just made a picot cluster - Fig.1], (ch 3, make picot, ch 7, slip into 7th ch from hook, make picot, slip st into the 3rd slip st from hook) twice, ch 3, slip st into 3rd chain under the 1st picot cluster (Fig.2), ch 4, make picot, ch 4, slip st into 4th ch under the first picot (Fig. 3), slip st into next 5 ch, ch2, slip st into base of hdc cluster, slip st into next 3 chains;

ch 3, sk next ch 1 space of base circle, tr in next sc of base circle, ch 10, slip st into 3rd ch from hook, slip st into next 5 ch, ch 9, slip st into 3rd ch from hook, slip st into next 4 ch, ch 8, slip st into 3rd ch from hook, slip st into next 3 ch, ch 5, 2 dc into 3rd ch from hook, make picot, ch 4, slip st into base of 2 dc cluster, slip st into next 2 ch, ch 6, slip st into 3rd ch from hook, slip st into next 5 ch [two of these ch are part of the "stem" of the "branch" you're making], ch 7, slip st into 3rd ch from hook, slip st into next 6 ch, ch 8, slip into 3rd ch from hook, slip st into next 7 ch, ch 3 # , sk next ch 1 space of base circle, dc into next sc of base circle, ch 5 *.

Repeat all steps from * to * 4 times more. Then repeat all steps from # to # once. Slip st in 3rd chain from the beginning ch 8 of the round. Tie off, break yarn, weave in ends.

Saturate finished snowflake with fabric stiffener of your choice. Block/shape into desired form. Enjoy.

Kapeluszowo Szydelkowo/ Hats, hats, hats...

No, OK, wiec mam fizia na punkcie kapeluszy. Nic na to nie poradze. A jesli chodzi o kapelusze robione wlasnorecznie, to jak znajde jakis fajny wzor, ktory mi sie naprawde podoba, i nie wygladam w nim jak ostatnia sierota, to od razu robie kilka (w roznych kolorach, ma sie rozumiec). Tak bylo i tym razem. Znalazlam ten oto wzor na Modest Cloche. No i musialam go miec. Koniec. Kropka. MUSIALAM. Pewnie, ze moglabym usiasc i rozpracowac ten wzor na podstawie fotografii, ale mi sie nie chcialo, wiec zakupilam. Jak sie latwo domyslic, wzor jest niesamowicie prosty, latwy w wykonaniu, szybki, az milo siegnac po szydelko. W oryginale uzyto jedwabnej wloczki, ale ze na takowa nie bylo mnie stac, wiec uzylam Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK. O ludzie! Jaka puszysta, mieciutka, poemat w palcach! Jest to mieszanka welny Merino, jedwabiu i kaszmiru. Nic tylko siedziec i gniesc motki w palcach dla czystej przyjemnosci. Wracajac do kapelusza, to czuje, ze jeszcze nie wyszlo mi z systemu, czyli, ze prawdopodobnie zrobie jeszcze jeden. Tylko kiedy? Chcialam coreczce zrobic na prezent Gwiazdkowy taka oto sukienke (ale nie z ciapkowatej wloczki), a to zajmie troche czasu. Zobaczymy... Dziekuje Gosciom za odwiedziny na blogu. Uwielbiam odwiedzac Wasze blogi i cieszyc oczy Waszymi robotkami. Pozdrawiam.















OK, so I'm crazy about hats. I can't help it. When I find a pattern for knit or crochet hat, that I really like (and one that won't make me look like a total dork), I have to make several (in different colours, of course). So, that's what happened with this pattern for Modest Cloche, by Jennifer Hansen from Stitch Diva Studios. As soon, as I saw it, I knew that I had to make it. The pattern itself is very easy, straightforward, quick to execute - pure crocheting pleasure. Now, the original called for 100% silk yarn, but since it was too pricey for me at this time, I used Sublime Yarns Cashmere Merino Silk DK. No, it's not dirt cheap, but I got it at a good price. Oh, man, is this yarn ever sooooooft, squishy, buttery - a total yarny poetry. For a while, I just sat there and squeezed the skeins. However, if you can make the cloche from the suggested silk yarn, go for it - it will result in a gorgeous hat. I think that I will make one more of these in Sublime yarn. The question is when? Christmas is approaching fast and I wanted to make this dress as a gift for my DD. We'll see...
To my blog Guests - thank you for visiting. I love visiting your blogs and seeing all the knitting, crochet and other crafts that you make. Have a super day.

Sweater for the little one/Sweterek dla malej

I finally finished a sweater for my little one. A loooong time ago I bought a kit from Mary Maxim, and I only got around to it a few weeks ago. The name of the sweater is Funky Flowers Pullover (US link here, Canadian link here). I omitted the embroidered flowers because, up close and IMHO, they just did not look all that great on the rib pattern. I might add them later, who knows...
The kit contained Mellowspun yarn, an acrylic, but boy, is it ever soooooft and pleasant to work with. Not the greatest stitch definition with this one, but that's a minor thing. And, oh yeah, I generally dislike acrylics, but this one is pretty darn nice. My only pet peeve is that I found that each skein had different yardage - a markedly different yardage. Not that I measured or anything, but... I knit identical front and back sections at the same time, each from a separate skein. I did the same thing for the sleeves. Both times, one skein had noticeably more yardage left than the other, like almost twice the yardage of the skein with less yarn. Hmmm....Anyway, the sweater is done, my munchkin loves it, so I'll just move on to my other UFO's.



Najpierw dziekuje wszystkim za odwiedziny na blogu, oraz za mile slowa i dodanie mi otuchy jezeli chodzi o brak czasu na robotki. Sweterek dla coreczki zrobiony - jak zwykle na wyrost. Coreczka aprobuje (jak widac na ponizszym zdjeciu, szczerzy zeby). Robilo sie wlasciwie latwo, z akrylu (bardzo miekki), tyle ze jak zwykle dlugo. Jakos nie moge dzisiaj pisac. Trudno mi wydobyc z siebie slowa. Jakas taka ciagnaca smola zamiast mozgu. Dzisiejszy upal nie pomaga. Przepraszam, wiecej nie drecze. Pozdrawiam.

What's new/Co nowego

Well, not much is new in my knitting world. Everything is progressing, but at an unbelievably slow rate. Most of the stuff I make lately is for my daughter. Basically, I bought the yarn ages ago, the kid is growing and I'd like to make what I planned for her before she's too big. Moreover, I still don't feel ready to tackle a garment project for myself - that requires more experience than I currently have. What else is on the needles? I'm making swatches for a lace shawl, but so far, I'm very dissatisfied with the results. I also have started a Twisted Diamonds Throw, which is definitely going to take a long time to finish - this being a large afghan and all... Nevertheless, if one knits a 'few' stitches everyday, one manages to finish something (eventually). So, a couple of days ago, I finished Miss Muffett dress by Marjorie Brigham (free pattern). Kind of cute and pretty. I made it from Swish Superwash by Knit Picks, so it's for Fall/Winter season. Easy to make and so stretchy (both ways), which means it'll accommodate a growing child for some time. I made the skirt and bodice a bit longer than the pattern suggests and I crocheted the edging around the entire neckline, because the original looked a bit unfinished to me. And that's that for now - I'm off to do battle with those lace swatches.


Tak w zasadzie to niewiele nowego na horyzoncie robotkowym. Niby dziergam, ale idzie to jakos powoli. Robie przewaznie dla dziecka, bo juz bardzo dawno kupilam wloczki, czas leci i chcialabym skonczyc to, co mam dla niej zaplanowane - zanim wyrosnie z tego, czego jeszcze nie wydziergalam ;-) . Dla siebie jakos nie mam jeszcze odwagi 'drutowac' bo do tego trzeba jednak troche wiecej doswiadczenia. Poza tym robie probki na szal koronkowy, ktore jakos mi nie wychodza. W robocie jest tez narzuta na lozko, ktora z racji rozmiarow zajmie duzo czasu. No, ale jak sie cos 'dziubie' drutami dzien w dzien, to sie cos w koncu 'wydziubie'. Przedwczoraj skonczylam sukienke dla corki. Fajne ubranko, ale na jesien, bo z welny. Rozciagliwe to to wszerz i wzdluz, czyli, ze dostosuje sie do rosnacego dziecka przez jakis czas. Wzor, ktorego sie trzymalam to Miss Muffett - darmowy, ale po angielsku. Bardzo latwy do wykonania. Welna, ktora uzylam to Swish Worsted - taka, ktora niby to nadaje sie do prania w pralce. Niesamowicie miekka, leciutka i puszysta. Wogole nie drapie, czyli idealna dla dziecka. Problem jednak taki, ze sie diabelnie mechaci. No, i to na razie na tyle. Ide meczyc te probki na szal.

Helena for Mary/Helena dla Marysi

Two weeks have passed and voila - I made Helena Cardi for my daughter. Of course, two weeks is a relatively long time to knit a small sweater for a 2.5 year old, but for me that's actually a very short time (knitting-wise). It was a very easy garment to make, and the pattern is VERY user friendly ( click here for access to this free pattern). The yarn I used is Sonata from Elann, which was fun to knit, albeit somewhat ropy in feel. It produced a nice, drapy fabric.



Minely dwa tygodnie i prosze, nastepna rzecz wydziergana - sweterek 'Helena' dla coreczki. Aczkolwiek, dwa tygodnie to normalnie dosyc dlugo jak na maly sweterek dla 2.5 latki, ale dla mnie to i tak ekspresowo. Robota byla latwa i szybka. Wzor (link tutaj) bardzo dobrze napisany. Wloczka, ktora uzylam, to bawelna Sonata z Elann. Bardzo fajnie sie nia robi, choc troszke sznurowata.

After a long time... Po dlugim czasie...

... of neglecting this blog, I'm finally writing something. We were very busy for the past few months with looking for and buying a new house. Then packing and moving (we all know what "fun" that is). Now, we're sprucing up the old house a bit to put it up for sale. Busy time - hard to fit blogging into the schedule. However, some knitting got done and here are the pics...

...niepisania - pisze. Najpierw zajeci bylismy szukaniem nowego domu, potem tegoz to domu kupnem, przeprowadzka, no a teraz przygotowujemy stary dom do sprzedazy. Nie sprzyja to wszystko blogowaniu. No, ale w miedzyczasie cos niecos sie wydziergalo, a wiec...

Welniane ocieplacze na kolana i przedramiona.

Woolen knee and elbow warmers (free pattern here).




















Aran wool coat for my daughter. Pattern: Aran Coat With Large Collar by Debbie Bliss. May be found in The Best of Debbie Bliss: Children's Knits, and/or quite possibly (I'm not sure 100%, since I used the first book) in New Baby Knits.

Welniany plaszczyk dla coreczki.
























And last, but not least, acrylic star pillows (free pattern here) to go with this blanket here.

No, i akrylowe poduszki-gwiazdki, zeby pasowaly do tego oto kocyka.











And that's that for now. Not much else to blog about. All my knitting projects progress slowly due to lack of time. Have a wonderful day.

No, i to by bylo na tyle. Nic innego nie mam do napisania. Jak zwykle, z braku czasu, dzierganie idzie w tempie tzw. slimaczym. Zycze pieknego dnia.

Christmas gifts are done / Prezenty Gwiazdkowe skonczone

Finally, the Christmas gifts are done. They're nothing glamorous or anything - just your basic, safe gifts, but made very much with warm thoughts and from the heart.

No, prezenty na Gwiazdke nareszcie zrobione. Nie zeby to tam jakies wspanialosci byly. Zwykle to prezenty, nie ryzykowne, ale za to od serca.

A hat for my DH from the always scrumptious and luxurious Malabrigo Merino, made from this pattern.

Dla meza czapka z wspanialej welny Malabrigo Merino. Wzor z tad.



For my nephew, the jester hat from a Woolly Wormhead pattern. I altered the original a bit by adding a cable zigzag motif, elongating the "horns" and body of the hat, and by adding pompoms.

Dla malego siostrzenca - stanczykowata czapka. Wzor z tad. Oryginal troszke zmienilam poprzez dodanie zygzaka, przedluzenie "rogow" i calej czapki, oraz dodanie pomponow.





For my teenage niece - a chain-link scarf (idea taken from here).

Dla nastoletniej siostrzenicy - szalik-lancuch. Pomysl z tad.



And for my DD - a Cheeky Monkey (pattern by Fiona McTague). I wasn't sure that I'd be able to finish this toy, because as soon, as my DD saw it (and it didn't have its muzzle or face done yet), she grabbed it, run away with it and refused to give it back. Luckily, I was able to retrieve it the next day. Well, at least one of the gifts will be appreciated for sure, ha, ha, ha!

A dla coreczki - malpka (wzor Cheeky Monkey Fiony McTague). Ledwo mi sie udalo ja skonczyc, bo mala jak tylko zobaczyla zabawke (a malpka nie miala jeszcze pyszczka i wogole twarzy), to ja zlapala, uciekla i oddac nie chciala. Jednak udalo mi sie ja jakos odzyskac i dokonczyc. No, przynajmniej jeden prezent bedzie na pewno doceniony, he, he, he...



And that's about it for now. I'm planning to go back to my never-ending WIPs. Maybe this time I'll make some progress.

No, to by bylo na razie tyle. Teraz planuje wrocic do innych, wczesniej pozaczynanych robotek.