Snowflake Monday

I loved the song "Crocodile Rock" while I was growing up. Susie was my youngest sister's name. (We lost her in 1991.) This fun song plays in my head now every time I see a crochet project featuring the crocodile stitch.

This snowflake is inspired by the crocodile stitch, also known as the Mermaid Stitch. (Mermaid actually sounds like a more beautiful name for a snowflake, to me, but then I wouldn't be able to tie in the old Elton John jingle.)

I began designing this snowflake back in July, using thread I'd dyed myself. I measure 50-yard hanks of thread for dyeing. I began this project with a pastel mint, sky blue and lavender colorway I still to this day love, even after all the heartache and frustration this pattern has extracted during the last four months.




I had to redo the center four times until I came up with a plan that fit the first round of scales just perfectly. The next two rounds worked up rather well, but then I ran out of thread! I had to dye more. Like the blonde I was born to be, I dyed only 50 yards again. I began working on the flake again a couple of weeks later, and I had forgotten how I'd planned to end the flake. And then I ran out of thread again.

One more batch of thread was dyed, along with 12 hanks of cotton yarn, my first attempt at yarn since I was in Brownies in 3rd grade, when we used grape juice. I got so excited about the vivid hues I'd mixed from primary shades, I didn't pick the snowflake back up again for quite a while.




By the time I decided to finish the Crocodile, I'd forgotten the second ending I'd planned. I had to rip the final three rounds back four more times before I finally came up with something that worked and looked good. This time, I had approximately 10 yards of thread left over when I finished. And then, when I was pinning the prototype snowflake, I noticed I'd made a mistake on the final round.

I decided to let it fly. I didn't want to have to undo it again. I could make the second flake perfect. (And then I ended up working regular picots into all the points on the second flake just to see what it would look like.)


In essence, you might say I was hopping and bopping doing the Mermaid Rock, the Long Drawn Out Rock, the Insufficient Thread Rock, the Airhead Rock… or better yet, the Crocodile Rock. Well, Crocodile Crocheting is something shocking when your fingers just can't keep still...

Because this snowflake pattern requires so much thread and the final project is so big and heavy, I opted to make mine into doilies instead of tree decorations. Instructions for blocking a doily are included at the end of this pattern, as well as traditional stiffening instructions.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!




Finished Size: 10.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Approximately 150 yards size 10 crochet thread, size 7 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, water, clean spray bottle, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing; for stiffening, if desired, water soluble school glue or desired stiffener, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, clear thread or fishing line

Crocodile Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: * 2 sc in ring, ch 6; repeat from * 4 times for a total of 5 petals; 2 sc in ring, ch 3, 1 tr in starting sc to form 6th petal. Don't pull magic circle too tight.

Round 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1st dc of 5/dc cluster), [yo and draw up loop through petal below, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 4 times, yo and draw through all 5 loops on hook, *ch 6, yo and draw up loop through next petal, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, [yo and draw up loop through same petal, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook] 4 times, yo and draw through all 6 loops on hook (5/dc cluster made); repeat from * 4 times; ch 6; sl st in top of starting cluster.

Round 3: Ch 17 (counts as 1 trtr and ch 11), * 2 trtr in top of next 5/dc cluster, ch 11; repeat from * 4 times; 1 trtr in same cluster as starting ch 11, sl st in 6th ch of starting ch 17.

Round 4: Ch 2; working down the chains below sl st (which chains counted as starting trtr on Round 3), 11 dc around ch, 1 sc in next ch 6 sp; working up next trtr, 11 dc around trtr post, ch 3, sl st in dc just worked; * working down next trtr, 11 dc around trtr post, 1 sc in next ch 6 sp; working up next trtr, 11 dc around trtr post, ch 3, sl st in dc just worked; repeat from * around 4 times; sl st in top of starting dc; ch 1, sl st into back of crocodile scale just completed.








Round 5: Sl st into joint between 2 ch 11 sp on back side of crocodile scale, ch 13 (counts as 1 dtr and ch 8), working from right side of snowflake again, * 2 dtr in next ch 11 sp, ch 11, 2 dtr in joint between 2 ch 11 sp on back side of next crocodile scale, ch 11; repeat from * 11 times; sl st in 5th ch of starting ch 13.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.


Round 6: Ch 2; working down the chains below sl st, 9 dc around ch, * 1 sc in next ch 11 sp (which has been halved by 2 dtrs); working up next dtr, 9 dc around dtr post, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked; working down next dtr, 9 dc around post of dtr, 1 sc in 2nd half of ch 11 sp; working up next dtr, 9 dc around post of dtr, ch 3, sl st in dc just worked; working down next dtr, 9 dc over post of dtr; repeat from * around for a total of 11.5 scales, finishing with 9 dc around final dtr post of Round 5 to complete 12th scale; ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, sl st in top of starting dc; ch 1, sl st in back of crocodile scale just worked.

Round 7: Sl st into joint between 2 ch 13 sp on back side of crocodile scale; ch 12 (counts as 1 tr and ch 6), working from right side of snowflake again, * 2 tr in next ch 13 sp, ch 6, 2 tr in joint between 2 ch 13 sp on back side of next crocodile scale, ch 6; repeat from * around 23 times; sl st in 4th ch of starting ch 12.

Round 8: Ch 2; working down the chains below sl st, 7 dc around ch, * 1 sc in next ch 6 sp (which has been halved by 2 trs); working up next tr, 7 dc around tr post, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked; working down next tr, 7 dc around post of tr, 1 sc in 2nd half of ch 6 sp; working up next tr, 7 dc around post of tr, ch 3, sl st in dc just worked; working down next tr, 7 dc over post of tr; repeat from * around for a total of 23.5 scales, finishing with 7 dc around final tr post of Round 7 to complete 24th scale; ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, sl st in top of starting dc; ch 1, sl st in back of crocodile scale just worked.
Round 9: 1 sc into joint between 2 ch 6 sp on back side of crocodile scale; ch 5, working from right side of snowflake again, * 2 dc in next ch 6 sp, ch 5, 1 sc in joint between next 2 ch 6 sp, ch 5; repeat from * around 23 times; sl st in starting sc.

Round 10: Ch 1, *1 sc into 1st half of next ch 6 sp (halved by 2 dc in Round 9, NOT ch 5 sp from Round 9); working up the next dc, 5 dc around dc post, ch 3, sl st in dc just made; working down next dc, 5 dc around dc post, 1 sc in 2nd half of same ch 6 sp; repeat from * around 23 times; sl st in starting sc.


Round 11: Ch 8 (counts as 1 dc and ch 5), working behind scales, *2 tr in next sc between next 2 crocodile scales, ch 5, 2 trtr in next sc between next 2 crocodile scales, ch 5, 2 tr between next 2 crocodile scales, ch 5, 2 dc between next 2 crocodile scales, ch 5; repeat from * around 5 times, ending with 1 dc instead of 2 and omitting last ch 5 of final repeat; sl st into 3rd ch of starting ch 8.

Round 12: Ch 2; working from right side of snowflake, working down chains below sl st, 5 dc around ch, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch sp (NOT in Round 11 ch sp), 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 7 sc around next tr post, ch 3, sl st in top of dc just worked, ch 4, sl st in same dc, ch 3, sl st in same dc, 7 dc around post of next tr, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 11 dc around next trtr post, ch 14, 1 dc in 11th ch from hook, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 sc in next ch, sl st in next ch, 11 dc around post of next trtr, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 7 dc around post of next tr, ch 3, sl st in dc just worked, ch 4, sl st in same dc, ch 3, sl st in same dc, 7 dc around post of next trtr, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 1 sc in next Round 9 ch 5 sp, 5 dc around post of next dc, ch 3, sl st in dc just made, 5 dc around post of next dc; repeat from * around 5 times; omitting last 5 dc of final repeat; sl st in starting dc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

To shape and use as a doily, spray lightly and allow to dry thoroughly. Remove pins and gently peel from wax paper or plastic wrap.

To stiffen and use as a decoration, if using glue, mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. If using other stiffening method, dilute stiffener as desired. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter if desired. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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